Appliance were a British experimental post-rock three piece band, who released four albums between 1999 and 2003 on Mute Records.
History Formed in Exeter in 1995, the band originally comprised James Brooks (guitar), David Ireland (percussion) and Stuart Christie (bass).Ankeny, Jason "Appliance Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018 Christie left in 1995 to form Harmony 400, and was replaced by Michael Parker.
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.
The band's first album for mute was Manual (1999), and was positively received by critics.Raggett, Ned "Manual Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018Ciabattoni, Steve (1999) "Manual Review", CMJ New Music Report, 22 November 1999, p. 20. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google BooksVanderloo, Lydia (1999) "Appliance Manual", CMJ New Music Monthly, December 1999, p. 57. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books
The mini-album Six Modular Pieces followed in 2000, an album of "droning, atmospheric" tracks,Hanson, Joel (2000) "Appliance: Six Modular Pieces", PopMatters, 17 July 2000. Retrieved 4 January 2018 described by Allmusic as "lo-fi garage numbers with layers of textured guitars, bleep effects, and vintage synthesizers",Bush, John "Six Modular Pieces Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018 and regarded by the NME as "a creative breakthrough"."Six Modular Pieces", NME, 12 September 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2018
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".DiGravina, Tim "Imperial Metric Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018 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".Cooper, Paul (2001) "Appliance Imperial Metric", Pitchfork, 4 October 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2018 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".Gardner, Joel (2005) "Appliance : Imperial Metric", NME, 12 September 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2018
The band's fourth album, Are You Earthed? (2003) had what Billboard described as "a more organic sound"."Appliance on Earth", Billboard, 21 December 2002, p. 12. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books It was well received by Allmusic, with Ned Raggett giving it a four-star review,Raggett, Ned "Are You Earthed? Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2018 while CMJ New Music Monthly'''s Richard M. Juzwiak was less impressed.Juzwiak, Richard M. (2003) "Appliance Are You Earthed?", CMJ New Music Monthly, March 2003, p. 47. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books Both Mojo and Uncut gave it 7/10 ratings."Appliance Are You Earthed?", Mojo, March 2003, p. 112"Appliance Are You Earthed?", Uncut, May 2003, p. 106
Championed by John Peel, the band recorded five Peel Sessions during their career, also making the 1999 Festive Fifty with "Food Music","Appliance", Keeping It Peel, BBC. Retrieved 4 January 2018 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.
In 2011, guitarist James Brooks, as Land Observations, released the EP Roman Roads on Enraptured Records.Turner, Luke (2012) "Toward A Horizon: Land Observations' James Brooks Interviewed", The Quietus, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018 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.Ciabattoni, Steve (1999) "Appliance", CMJ New Music Report, 13 December 1999. Retrieved 4 January 2018 via Google Books Often described as "post-rock", they used home-made guitar effects extensively, including their own creation, the 'Tritone'. They also used a huge array of instruments, with more than 50 listed as being used on Manual.
Critics drew comparisons with Kraftwerk, Neu!, Stereolab, and Spacemen 3.Simpson, Dave (2001) "Appliance: Night and Day, Manchester", The Guardian, 29 June 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2018
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