Appliance (band)

Appliance were a British experimental post-rock three piece band, who released four albums between 1999 and 2003 on Mute Records.

Appliance
OriginExeter, England
GenresPost-rock
Years active1995–2003
LabelsMute
WebsiteAppliance's Facebook page. https://soundcloud.com/applianceband Soundcloud page
Past members
  • James Brooks
  • Michael Parker
  • David Ireland
  • Stuart Christie

History

Formed in Exeter in 1995, the band originally comprised James Brooks (guitar), David Ireland (percussion) and Stuart Christie (bass).[1] Christie left in 1995 to form Harmony 400, and was replaced by Michael Parker.[1]

They released three 10-inch vinyl EPs on various independent record labels, including their own self-financed Surveillance Records, before signing with Daniel Miller's Mute Records in 1999.[1]

The band's first album for mute was Manual (1999), and was positively received by critics.[2][3][4]

The mini-album Six Modular Pieces followed in 2000, an album of "droning, atmospheric" tracks,[5] described by Allmusic as "lo-fi garage numbers with layers of textured guitars, bleep effects, and vintage synthesizers", [6] and regarded by the NME as "a creative breakthrough".[7]

Imperial Metric (2002) was seen as more diverse, with Allmusic's Tim DiGravina identifying Neu!, Joy Division and The Velvet Underground as influences, describing the album as "deceptively complex, melodic, and timeless mood music".[8] Pitchfork's Paul Cooper saw it as an improvement on their previous work, calling it "a fascinating blend of post-punk dub, primitive electronics, and Soviet-menace nostalgia".[9] Noel Gardner, reviewing for the NME was less impressed, viewing the music as dated, and calling the band "just another troupe of high-minded post-rock paranoiacs".[10]

The band's fourth album, Are You Earthed? (2003) had what Billboard described as "a more organic sound".[11] It was well-received by Allmusic, with Ned Raggett giving it a four-star review,[12] while CMJ New Music Monthly's Richard M. Juzwiak was less impressed.[13] Both Mojo and Uncut gave it 7/10 ratings.[14][15]

Championed by John Peel, the band recorded five Peel Sessions during their career, also making the 1999 Festive Fifty with "Food Music",[16] and one in 2003 for Jeff Cooper's radio2XS.

They toured live in Europe and the UK with, amongst others, Add N to X, Goldfrapp, Snow Patrol, Six By Seven, Hefner and Wire. The band have not performed or recorded since the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003.

In October 2010, the RROOPP label released Appliance, Reconditioned, a retrospective 3-CD boxed set of early recordings, unreleased material and Peel sessions.[17]

In 2011, guitarist James Brooks, as Land Observations, released the EP Roman Roads on Enraptured Records.[18] He has since released the albums Roman Roads IV–XI (2012) and The Grand Tour (2014) on Mute Records.

Musical style

Their music was inspired by Krautrock, a 1970s Germanic experimental movement involving minimalist song structures, mantra-like rhythms, drones and repetition.[2][19] Often described as "post-rock",[7] they used home-made guitar effects extensively, including their own creation, the 'Tritone'.[3][19] They also used a huge array of instruments, with more than 50 listed as being used on Manual.[2]

Critics drew comparisons with Kraftwerk, Neu!, Stereolab, and Spacemen 3.[2][20]

Discography

EPs and singles
  • Organised Sound EP, (1997), Surveillance
  • Into Your Home EP, (1997), Plastic Cowboy
  • "Outer" / "Rev A" 7" single, (1998), Earworm
  • Time and Space EP, (1998), Enraptured
  • "Pacifica" (1999), Mute
  • "Food Music" (1999), Mute
  • Appliance In Session EP (1999), Mute - promotional only
  • D4 EP (2000), Mute
  • "Personal Stero" (2000), Mute
  • "A Gentle Cycle Revolution" (2001), Mute
  • "Land, Sea And Air" (2001), Mute
  • Untitled Tour EP (2002), Mute
  • "Go Native" (2003), Mute

Albums
  • Manual (1999), Mute
  • Six Modular Pieces (2000), Mute
  • Imperial Metric (2001), Mute
  • Are You Earthed? (2003), Mute
Compilation album
  • Appliance, Reconditioned (2010), RROOPP

References
  1. Ankeny, Jason "Appliance Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  2. Raggett, Ned "Manual Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  3. Ciabattoni, Steve (1999) "Manual Review", CMJ New Music Report, 22 November 1999, p. 20. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
  4. Vanderloo, Lydia (1999) "Appliance Manual", CMJ New Music Monthly, December 1999, p. 57. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
  5. Hanson, Joel (2000) "Appliance: Six Modular Pieces", PopMatters, 17 July 2000. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  6. Bush, John "Six Modular Pieces Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  7. "Six Modular Pieces", NME, 12 September 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  8. DiGravina, Tim "Imperial Metric Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  9. Cooper, Paul (2001) "Appliance Imperial Metric", Pitchfork, 4 October 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  10. Gardner, Joel (2005) "Appliance : Imperial Metric", NME, 12 September 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  11. "Appliance on Earth", Billboard, 21 December 2002, p. 12. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
  12. Raggett, Ned "Are You Earthed? Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  13. Juzwiak, Richard M. (2003) "Appliance Are You Earthed?", CMJ New Music Monthly, March 2003, p. 47. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
  14. "Appliance Are You Earthed?", Mojo, March 2003, p. 112
  15. "Appliance Are You Earthed?", Uncut, May 2003, p. 106
  16. "Appliance", Keeping It Peel, BBC. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  17. "RROOPP". RROOPP. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  18. Turner, Luke (2012) "Toward A Horizon: Land Observations' James Brooks Interviewed", The Quietus, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018
  19. Ciabattoni, Steve (1999) "Appliance", CMJ New Music Report, 13 December 1999. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
  20. Simpson, Dave (2001) "Appliance: Night and Day, Manchester", The Guardian, 29 June 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2018
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