Remanence | tr

That "the journey is the destination" has been repeated so widely and so often, it is sometimes easily forgotten. Still, it would be difficult to overlook this fact when considering Remanence, the collaboration between Brian McWilliams and John Phipps. In 1992, McWilliams' main project was writing and playing bass with the 80's-influenced pop act "In Autumn" while Phipps was sitting in on guitar and keys with a destined-for-oblivion psychedelic basement band. The two found mutual interest in instrumental music, particularly the genre-stretching work of such artists as David Sylvian, Brian Eno, In The Nursery and 4AD bands like Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil and set out to produce an album of work that would satisfy this impulse.

The first fruit of that collaboration, "...premonition", was released on the band's own label mPATH Records, in 1994. The 6-song ep was well received, not only for its content, but also for the innovative, hand-made packaging which has become something of a hallmark for the group. This first collection set the stage for the 1996 release of the self-produced "Apparitions" album, which was variously described as "complex and multifaceted" (Gearheads), "startlingly original" (Kansai Time Out), "Grand, adventurous and cinematic" (Ambientrance), "13 tracks of stunning, emotive beauty" (Spectrum), and "quite simply brilliant" (Meltdown). With no promotional budget or staff, the album reached fewer listeners than it might have, so when the UK's Cold Spring Records (Psychic TV, Merzbow, Deutsch Nepal) expressed an interest in reissuing the album in 2000, the band agreed despite a desire to move beyond their older material.

Since "Apparitions", McWilliams and Phipps have continued to create within the context of their expanding interests. Musically, their style continues to remain rooted in the ambient genre but their leanings tend to shift with each new release. While the ambient genre may be populated by prolific artists creating an abundance of interesting and original work, Remanence chooses to work spontaneously yet deliberately, exploring varying themes and techniques, while bringing to them an emotional context drawn from personal observation and reflection.

Remanence continues this dedication to process over product with the release of "Lamkhyer", the first in a series of several new projects under development. "Lamkhyer", like all other Remanence releases, is meant to function as a lens, focusing creative musical impulses, photography and design into a coherent picture while also serving as a window through which the members may reveal an intimate part of their own lives.
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