Antimatter
Biography
Not to be confused with the 80's minimal synth band called Anti-Matter. 1) Antimatter, a UK semi-acoustic rock band, is currently the project of long time member Mick Moss. The project was formed in 1998 by Duncan Patterson (former bassist/songwriter of Anathema) and Mick Moss. The pair released three albums together - "Saviour", "Lights Out" and "Planetary Confinement". Shortly after the completion of "Planetary Confinement" Patterson left to start another band called Íon. Moss continued and...
Not to be confused with the 80's minimal synth band called Anti-Matter.
1) Antimatter, a UK semi-acoustic rock band, is currently the project of long time member Mick Moss. The project was formed in 1998 by Duncan Patterson (former bassist/songwriter of Anathema) and Mick Moss. The pair released three albums together - "Saviour", "Lights Out" and "Planetary Confinement". Shortly after the completion of "Planetary Confinement" Patterson left to start another band called Íon. Moss continued and released the project's fourth album "Leaving Eden" with Anathema guitarist Danny Cavanagh, following with 2009’s Live@An Club, released on Moss’ own label Music In Stone. Most recently Moss has overseen a 10 year retrospective multi-disc release entitled ‘Alternative Matter’.
The earlier Antimatter albums, "Saviour" and "Lights Out", focused on melodic vocal lines (often by guest female vocalists), dark electronica and balanced on the borderline between gothic and trip hop. "Planetary Confinement" marked the start of a shift towards more of an acoustic based melancholic rock sound. "Leaving Eden" - now with Mick Moss as the only songwriter and singer - continues in this direction and also gives electric guitars a more prominent role. The result is a heavier sounding album, with little trace of the ambient sound of early Antimatter.
Formation (1998-99)
Without hearing each others latest recordings, in 1998 Duncan Patterson and Mick Moss had both reached the same place musically and philosophically. Patterson had just finished recording Anathema's 'Alternative 4' album and Moss had been working on a set of demos. The similarities were striking. Moss had produced 'Saviour', 'Over Your Shoulder' and 'Angelic', which drew parallels directly to Patterson's 'Empty', 'Feel' and 'Destiny'. Both sets of recordings were dark, melodic and minimal, lyrically dealing with a discomfort with oneself and others. Patterson at the time had grown restless with Anathema, and upon hearing Moss’ demos suggested they record together. Patterson quit Anathema in 1998 and re-recorded Moss’ 3 tracks as a demo to pass to labels, under the moniker of ‘Angelica’. The demo was originally rejected by Peaceville Records as being too melodic and not leaning enough towards heavy metal. Patterson later penned and recorded a 4th track, ‘Holocaust’, for the demo. In 1999, Australian band Cryptal Darkness contacted Patterson, and during a later conversation a member of CD (who also ran the groups label) asked Patterson what he had been involved with since leaving Anathema. Patterson mailed a cassette of the demo off, and upon hearing it the label agreed to release the duo’s first album
Saviour (2000-02)
Signed to Icon Records, in September 2000 they entered Academy Studios, Dewsbury, as 'Antimatter' to record their debut album 'Saviour'. Patterson contributes the tracks ‘Holocaust’, ‘God Is Coming’, ‘Flowers’ and ‘Going Nowhere’, while Moss brings ‘Saviour’, ‘Over Your Shoulder’, ‘Psalms’, ‘Angelic’ and ‘The Last Laugh’. Although Moss performed vocals on his original demos, Patterson has the idea to have mainly female vocals, performed by Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor. Moss performs vocals on two tracks only. Instrumentation is split between Patterson and Moss.
In 2001 the album and band received 'Album of the Year', and 'Best Newcomer of the Year' in Psycho! magazine. Unfortunately, Antimatter’s record label distributed only a small number of copies despite demand for much more, and it soon became apparent that the label wasn’t able to manufacture and distribute copies of the album in reasonable numbers. Thus began an 12 month battle between act and label, with Icon Records holding onto the rights of ‘Saviour’ despite being unable to release it. Eventually, in 2002, Icon Records gave up and handed the rights to the recording back to the band.
In 2002, 'Saviour' finally received a worldwide release due to the efforts of labels 'Prophecy Productions' and 'The End Records’. A self financed European tour followed later that year, with Antimatter joined by Patterson’s former partner from his Anathema days, Danny Cavanagh. Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor did not feature in the line-up, with lead vocals being taken by Mick Moss
Cavanagh would later briefly and controversially quit Anathema the same year with the intention of joining Antimatter, only to re-join Anathema weeks later.
In late 2002, Moss published via the internet the free E.P. ‘A Dream For The Blind’, featuring recordings of himself and Cavanagh rehearsing for that years debut tour. The 5-track release came complete with artwork to be printed off by the public.
[edit] Lights Out and Live@K13 (2002–03)
Antimatter entered the studio in February 2003 to record their 2nd album 'Lights Out'. Moss contributes the tracks ‘Everything You Know Is Wrong’, ‘The Art Of A Soft Landing’, ‘In Stone’ and ‘Dream’, while Patterson brings ‘Lights Out’, ‘Expire’, ‘Reality Clash’ and ‘Terminal’. The album (recorded during a month is Sun Studios Dublin, and released in June that year) marks a shift from its predecessor. Despite the presence of guest vocalists Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor, Moss now performs vocals on most of his own tracks and half of Patterson's.
Patterson formed his own record label ‘Strangelight Records’ to release the acoustic live album ‘Live@K13’, recorded during their debut tour in 2002
In May/June 2003 Antimatter tour America’s West Coast with Virgin Black and Aggaloch. Afterwards, Antimatter head into Europe to perform in Greece and then into Asia, performing in Istanbul. The tour is rounded off with an appearance at a festival in Skali, Cyprus. A month later Antimatter headlined Estonia’s annual festival Hard Rock Laager in July 2003. Held in the village of Vana-Vigala, HRL is the country’s largest alternative music festival. Mehdi Messouci from Breaklose took on the piano and backing vocals duty on the European leg of the tour.
In October 2003, Antimatter reconvened to Sun Studios, Dublin, to record a version of Dead Can Dance’s ‘Black Sun’. The track is to appear on 2004’s ‘The Lotus Eaters’, a double album of DCD cover versions, released by Black Lotus Records. The recording is followed by a tour of Germany with Autumnblaze.
Later that year, the track ‘Over Your Shoulder’, from the debut album ‘Saviour’ is used for soundtrack purposes in MTV’s reality TV show ‘Sorority Life’.
In December 2003, Antimatter published onto the internet the album ‘Unreleased 98-03’, featuring demos and unheard versions of songs from the first two albums. The album was made available as a free download and once again came complete with artwork.
[edit] Planetary Confinement and Patterson's departure (2004-05)
In 2004, Patterson made the decision to quit Antimatter to pursue his solo project 'Ion', but not before contributing to his final album with the band, 'Planetary Confinement', an album recorded in two halves, one by Moss in England, the other by Patterson in Ireland and France. Moss’s English sessions (‘Weight Of The World’, ‘Legions’, ‘Epitaph’ and ‘A Portrait Of The Young Man As An Artist’) commenced on July 16th in Studio 33, Liverpool, and featured a band assembled by Moss that year (Rachel Brewster – Violins, Ste Hughes – Bass and Chris Phillips - Drums). Moss chose to forgo any guest vocalists, performing all vocal parts hismself. Patterson’s sessions ('Planetary Confinement', 'Line Of Fire', 'Mr White', 'Relapse' and 'Eternty Pt24') followed in December of the same year, with the vocal duties held by Amelie Festa from Facades, extra keyboard parts by Mehdi Messouci, and engineering by Alex Mazarguil, both members of Breaklose. By comparison Moss produced more organic sounding recordings while Pattersons still retained an electronic edge despite being acoustic based.
'Planetary Confinement' , a stark acoustic album in the face of two previous semi-electronic outings, was released in 2005, signaling Patterson's official departure from the project. With the release Patterson announced his Ion project, while Moss simultaneously announced he would continue with Antimatter and was wrapping up the writing to the 4th album, to be titled ‘Leaving Eden’.
[edit] Leaving Eden (2006-07)
In June 2006 Moss entered Fair Trade Studios, Liverpool, to record Antimatter’s 4th album ‘Leaving Eden’. He re-assembled the band he had originally formed for his sessions for the previous album, with the addition of Danny Cavanagh.
In late October 2006, Moss accompanied Danny Cavanagh and Leafblade on a Norwegian tour
A week later, German Hip-Hop artist Bushido released the single ‘Sonnenbank Flavour’, with music completely sampled from Antimatter’s ‘Epitaph’ track from ‘Planetary Confinement’. The single peaks at number 15 in the German charts.
‘Leaving Eden’ is released in June 2007. Moss spends the rest of the year touring the album, appearing in Holland, Belgium, France, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Italy, Latvia and Estonia.
On 18th August 2007, Bushido released the single ‘Von Der Skyline zum Bordstein Zuruck’. Again, the music was completely sampled from Antimatter, this time from the ‘Terminal’ track from ‘Lights Out’. The single peaks at number 14 in the German charts.
[edit] Live@An Club and Alternative Matter (2008 – 2010))
In April 2008 Antimatter headlined Poland’s Art Rock Festival in Poznan. Later that year, Moss instigates a union with Duncan Patterson for the purposes of performing live together under the heading of ‘An Evening Of Antimatter, Anathema and Ion Music’, bringing together both writers’ musical back catalogue into one live show. The first tour in this format is in September with Patterson and Moss touring Portugal and Spain, and uniting again for tours in Hungary, Romania, Italy, Finland, France, Poland and Latvia to round the year off.
Later that year Moss announced a 5th album was in the construction stages, as well as ‘Alternative Matter’, a 10 year anniversary retrospective set of alternate versions and demos
In 2009 Moss formed his own label, Music In Stone, who’s first release was Antimatter’s ‘Live@An Club’, recorded the previous year in Athens, Greece. The album was released in April that year, coinciding with Moss and Patterson’s 3rd union tour. A month later they would headline at Germany’s annual festival Wave Gotik Treffen, one of the largest worldwide gothic subculture events.
In Autumn 2009, Turkish photographer and filmmaker Fethi Karaduman published his promo clip for Antimatter’s ‘Epitaph’ track, from 2005’s ‘Planetary Confinement’.
Around the same time, Moss began compiling ‘Alternative Matter’, an project that would take 9 months to complete. It was announced in 2010 that two versions of the album would be released, a 2-disc set digipack and a limited edition 4-disc artbook containing 100 pages of photographs and advanced liner notes by Moss, a bonus E.P. of material exorcised from the 2-disc version and a DVD containing a 30 minute documentary, Karaduman’s ‘Epitaph’ promo, and a promo for ‘Conspire’ from Leaving Eden, featuring hand made animation by Krzysztof Baran.
Moss also announced that he now had two new albums in the construction stages. ‘Alternative Matter’ is due to be released in late 2010.
2) Xopher Davidson began his experiments in electronic sound from a basis in painting, film, and installation art, mixed with a long-time interest in electronics. While in primary school he learned to construct simple circuits, removing the components from old televisions and playing with step-up transformers. In 1985 the naively extremist project Jesus Wept was formed by James Chandler, John Hong, Will B. Gavin, and Davidson, beginning an era of tape manipulation. An electronic side project with James Chandler resulted in the (in)famous cassette release, Climatron. While attending school in Richmond, Virginia, Davidson completed the short black and white films Hess and Positioning Device, significant for its soundtrack of modulated full-frequency noise. He also started work on the trilogy of recorded sound pieces titled "Reflector," "Primer," and "Number," which was completed in 1990. Also during this period, Davidson performed with the noise fusion group 45-102, demonstrating an advanced position on sound in one public appearance. Presenting his work in numerous shows, he co-curated a major infrastructuralist show at the Henry Street Gallery. Davidson received a BFA degree in painting and sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1991.
In 1992, Davidson rode the train to Oakland, California, where he founded the seminal Exhibit < > space. In this storefront location (situated adjacent to a freeway onramp), he presented an ongoing installation of signs and diagrams which his paintings had evolved into. Listening here to the rumblings of the overhead freeway, it became obvious that the issue of sound needed to be (re)addressed. A year later, Davidson began work at the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College in Oakland, California. Here he performed and recorded sound in many forms, presenting three concerts of electronic music while working on his MFA. At this same time, Davidson constructed a trilogy of experimental 16mm films at CCAC's film studios, to be overlayed with sound developed at the CCM recording studio. As a member of the live electronic groups Citizen Band and Circular Firing Squad, he performed extensively in and around the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. Davidson continues to collaborate with David Kwan performing their audio visual presentations, a mixture of order and decay, and are currently working on a series of DVD translations.
As an audio engineer, Davidson has worked on projects by/ for: The-Allies, John Cage, Marcel Duchamp, Diamanda Galas, Jhno, Zbigniew Karkowski, Lloop, Once 11, Hannah Marcus, Paul D. Miller, Mix Master Mike, Pepito, Phoenecia, The Soft Pink Truth, Jonah Sharp, Otto Von Schirach, Subtropic, Themselves, Tipsy, We, and Iannis Xenakis, to name a few.
In 1999 Davidson released the antimatter recording Transfixion on the Artifact label. In 2001 he released the influential infrasonic recording, Function Generator, in collaboration with Zbigniew Karkowski, on Portugal's Sirr.records. His 2003 release for asphodel antimatter vs. antimatter sounds the depths of 15 years of his experiments with recording, leading the concept of remixing into an unknown expanse. Davidson continues to conduct experiments in sound and image in his backyard workshop, The Treatment Center.
http://www.asphodel.com/artists/view.php?Id=1&SessionID=788a867f48a955789fffd
http://home.earthlink.net/~antimatter/
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