Appliance (band)

Appliance were a British experimental post-rock three piece, made up of James Brooks (guitar), David Ireland (percussion) and Michael Parker (bass).^[1] Original bass player Stuart Christie left in 1995 to form Harmony 400.

They released three 10" vinyl EPs on various independent record labels, including their own self-financed Surveillance Records, before signing with Daniel Miller's Mute Records in 1998.

On the Mute label they released Manual (1999), Six Modular Pieces (2000), Imperial Metric (2001) and Are You Earthed? (2003). Their music was inspired by Krautrock, a 1970s Germanic experimental movement involving minimalist song structures, mantra-like rhythms and drones. Championed by John Peel, the band recorded four Peel Sessions during their career,^[2] 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, Hefner and Wire. The band have not performed or recorded since the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003.

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

In 2011, guitarist James Brooks as Land Observations, released the EP "Roman Roads" on Enraptured Records. In 2012, he released the album Roman Roads IV–XI on Mute.

Discography

Early 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 Records)

Albums

• Manual (1999, Mute)
• Six Modular Pieces (2000, Mute)
• Imperial Metric (2001, Mute)
• Are You Earthed? (2003, Mute)

Full Mute discography

Compilation album

• Appliance, Reconditioned (2010, RROOPP)

References