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Download (band)

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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 & 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, Bill Van Rooy, 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.

History

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.

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.

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.

III and Effector

III marked a turning point for Download. Their sound became more melodic and accessible while still retaining the experimental quirks of their older material. Their next album Effector continued this direction.

III Steps Forward and Inception

Two more albums, III Steps Forward and Inception were released as part of Subconscious Studio's From The Vault series. Inception contained outtakes from Download's more experimental early era, while III Steps Forward included outtakes from the III and Effector eras as well as new tracks. Although the original pressing of each was limited to a 1000 copies, 2nd pressing editions are currently available from Subconscious Studio's website.

Fixer

In December 2006, cEvin Key announced that new material has been recorded for a new album (entitled Fixer). Album was released on April 2007.

A special-edition of Furnace was also released with Subconscious' From the Vault II series. The new release includes a second disc with a collection of the live jams and improvisations that were the basis of the finished album.

Discography

Title Release date Label Notes
Furnace October 3, 1995 Cleopatra,
Subconscious Communications 		Re-released in 2007 as part of
the Vault II series with bonus disc
Microscopic EP January 9, 1996 Cleopatra,
Subconscious Communications
Charlie's Family 1996 Metropolis,
Subconscious Communications
Sidewinder EP April 30, 1996 Nettwerk
The Eyes of Stanley Pain May 28, 1996 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications 		Music video for "Glassblower"
directed by William Morrison
III October 21, 1997 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications
Effector October 24, 2000 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications
Inception January, 2002 Subconscious Communications From the Vault #1 (of 7),
Limited to 1000 copies
III Steps Forward April, 2002 Subconscious Communications From the Vault #3 (of 7),
Limited to 1000 copies
Fixer 2007 Subconscious Communications From the Vault II
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