Download (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Download | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Valcic, cEvin Key & Phil Western III era |
|
| Origin | Vancouver, BC |
| Country | Canada |
| Years active | 1995–1997, 2000-2002, 2006 |
| Genres | Industrial, IDM |
| Labels | Cleopatra Records, Nettwerk, Subconscious Communications |
| Members | cEvin Key Phil Western |
| Past members | Mark Spybey Dwayne Goettel Anthony Valcic |
| Website(s) | SubconsciousStudios.com/Download |
Download is an electronic music group formed by Dwayne Goettel and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy during 1994. The initial lineup also included Off and Gone's Phil Western and Mark Spybey of Dead Voices on Air, but has since been particularly fluid, with Key and Western being the only constant members after Goettel's death. Download's music has been described as post-industrial, drawing from the band's genesis as part of Skinny Puppy but also sharing common stylistic ground with such artists as Aphex Twin and Autechre. The primary instrumentation common throughout their albums is a blend of synthesizers and sampled instruments; the music is particularly centered on elements of percussion and rhythm.
Other artists that have been involved are Genesis P. Orridge, Anthony Valcic, and Ken Marshall. Earlier releases frequently included vocal elements and lyrics, but since III (and Mark Spybey's departure in 1996) their work has been strictly instrumental.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Furnace and Microscopic
In the first era of Download's career, the band's sound was an Experimental Industrial style which featured vocals by Mark Spybey and guest vocals by Genesis P. Orridge. Their first LP, Furnace, was arguably their least accessible--most of the tracks lasted for over four minutes, some lasting as long as nine minutes. Their next release, the Microscopic EP continued this style. It featured three remixes of tracks from Furnace (only one of which was remixed by the band itself, the other two were remixed by Biosphere and Newt), along with five original tracks.
[edit] Charlie's Family
Charlie's Family was another Experimental Industrial LP by Download, except this LP was a soundtrack to the movie of the same name, and it had significantly different sound than the previous two releases. Instead of the beat-oriented music that dominated Furnace and Microscopic, this LP's music was mostly dominated by a simple beat along with many samples of anything from women orgasming to airplanes taking off.
[edit] The Eyes of Stanley Pain and Sidewinder
What could be considered Download's third era to one fan could be considered a revisit to their first style by the next. The Eyes of Stanley Pain is arguably Download's most diverse-sounding and accessible Industrial album. It spanned 14 tracks, most of which were about four or five minutes long. The only exceptions were the tracks Glassblower and Collision, which were 3:02 and 10:38, respectively. Later that year, the EP Sidewinder was released by the band. In the same vein as their first EP--Microscopic--it contained eight tracks, except four were remixes. Three were remixes by Download of songs from The Eyes of Stanley Pain, and one was a remix of the song Attalal from Furnace by the band Haujobb (although the packaging of Sidewinder spells it "Attallal"). The other four songs were original songs recorded by Download, and the last of Download's post-industrial era.
[edit] III and Effector
III marked a turning point for Download. Their sound became more similar to IDM, rather than the industrial sound of previous albums. III had a constant sound among tracks that created the effect of the album only having one long track instead of twelve separate tracks. Effector continued in the vein of IDM, but instead of a consistent feel among the tracks, each track had a distinct sound and were easy to tell apart.
[edit] III Steps Forward and Inception
Little is known about the albums III Steps Forward and Inception, due to the fact that both were limited to 1000 copies each. What is known is that III Steps Forward is an LP of outtakes and B-Sides from the III/Effector sound period of Download, and Inception is a collection of outtakes and B-Sides from the Furnace to Eyes of Stanley Pain era.
[edit] The future of Download
New material for a possible Download release came to fruitation in October, 2006. Mark Spybey, one-time member and guest vocalist, is to record some tracks with Key and Western in the near future.
[edit] Discography
| Title | Release date | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace | October 3,1995 | Cleopatra Records, Subconscious Communications |
|
| Microscopic | 1995 | Cleopatra Records, Subconscious Communications |
|
| The Eyes of Stanley Pain | 1996 | Nettwerk, Subsonscious Communications |
|
| Sidewinder | 1996 | Nettwerk | |
| Charlie's Family | 1997 | ||
| III | October 21,1997 | Nettwerk, Subsonscious Communications |
|
| Effector | October 24,2000 | Nettwerk, Subsonscious Communications |
|
| Inception | 2002 | Subsonscious Communications | From the Vault #1 (of 7), Limited to 1000 copies |
| III Steps Forward | 2002 | Subsonscious Communications | From the Vault #3 (of 7), Limited to 1000 copies |
[edit] External links
- Official Site (No longer updated)
- Mark Spybey's 1996 Europe Download tour diaries at Spybey.net
- Download (band) at Last.fm
