Recoil is the project of Alan Wilder, formerly a member of Depeche Mode. Bo… Read Full Bio ↴Recoil is the project of Alan Wilder, formerly a member of Depeche Mode. Born on 1st June 1959 in London, England, he is a classically-trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer.
Recoil was born in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP.Ā Simply entitled ā1 + 2ā, this collection of primitive demosĀ caught the attention of Mute Records label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl.Ā Ā An album, Hydrology, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2.Ā Ā These early Recoil recordings revealed Alanās position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche sound around to create something entirely new.Ā Ā Wilder described the project at the time as ā... an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop formatā.Ā
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date,āViolatorā.Ā It wasnāt until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful 'World Violation' tour that Alan could return to Recoil - not, however, before agreeingĀ to produce Ebbhead, an album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb. It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy who would return the favour by singing on Recoilās next album,āBloodlineā.
Released in 1992, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time with further contributions fromĀ Curve's Toni Halliday and Moby, helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia. Bloodline also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harveyās song āFaith Healer' as well as the innovative 'Electro Blues For Bukka White', featuring the posthumously sampled voice of Blues-man Bukka White set into a post-modern context - an influential idea later popularised by others.
Between 1992-93 Wilder resumed his Depeche duties as the band recorded the album āSongs Of Faith And Devotionā.Ā Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, USA, Germany and a host of other countries.Ā Enjoying hits with āI Feel Youā, āWalking In My Shoesā, āIn Your Roomā and āCondemnationā, the Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling 15 months on the road.Ā Ā Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head.Ā Ā In June 1995, having spent 14 years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the difficult but inevitable decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil.Ā In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, āThe Thin Lineā, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would eventually reveal Recoil's next album āUnsound Methodsā. The final results were more impressive than ever. What emerged appeared to take up where āSongs Of Faith And Devotionā had left off. Guest vocalists featured Maggie Estep, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy, and Hildia Cambell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel whilst dealing with the subject of obsession in all its manifestations, taking the listener to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.Ā
In the Spring of 2000, Recoil gave us Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda GalĆ”s, 1940's Gospel crooners The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman and Samantha Coerbell.Ā The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded the Charles Cros Grand Prix 2000.Ā Ā Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch or Nine Inch Nails, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Now, following a 5 year break from recording, Alan Wilder returns with Recoil's 5th studio album, entitled subHuman released in July 2007.
Collaborating this time is Blues-man Joe Richardson with his band Joe Richardson Express, whose evocative vocal style is complimented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances.Ā Born in Southern Louisiana, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440) and Dave McDonald (Portishead).
Says Wilder: āWe seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called ācivilisedā worldĀ is still awash with personal and global atrocities.Ā From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their āwar on terrorā".Ā Ā
subHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human - and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences.Ā "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes."
Official site: http://www.recoil.co.uk
Recoil was born in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP.Ā Simply entitled ā1 + 2ā, this collection of primitive demosĀ caught the attention of Mute Records label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl.Ā Ā An album, Hydrology, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2.Ā Ā These early Recoil recordings revealed Alanās position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche sound around to create something entirely new.Ā Ā Wilder described the project at the time as ā... an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop formatā.Ā
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date,āViolatorā.Ā It wasnāt until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful 'World Violation' tour that Alan could return to Recoil - not, however, before agreeingĀ to produce Ebbhead, an album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb. It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy who would return the favour by singing on Recoilās next album,āBloodlineā.
Released in 1992, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time with further contributions fromĀ Curve's Toni Halliday and Moby, helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia. Bloodline also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harveyās song āFaith Healer' as well as the innovative 'Electro Blues For Bukka White', featuring the posthumously sampled voice of Blues-man Bukka White set into a post-modern context - an influential idea later popularised by others.
Between 1992-93 Wilder resumed his Depeche duties as the band recorded the album āSongs Of Faith And Devotionā.Ā Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, USA, Germany and a host of other countries.Ā Enjoying hits with āI Feel Youā, āWalking In My Shoesā, āIn Your Roomā and āCondemnationā, the Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling 15 months on the road.Ā Ā Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head.Ā Ā In June 1995, having spent 14 years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the difficult but inevitable decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil.Ā In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, āThe Thin Lineā, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would eventually reveal Recoil's next album āUnsound Methodsā. The final results were more impressive than ever. What emerged appeared to take up where āSongs Of Faith And Devotionā had left off. Guest vocalists featured Maggie Estep, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy, and Hildia Cambell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel whilst dealing with the subject of obsession in all its manifestations, taking the listener to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.Ā
In the Spring of 2000, Recoil gave us Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda GalĆ”s, 1940's Gospel crooners The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman and Samantha Coerbell.Ā The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded the Charles Cros Grand Prix 2000.Ā Ā Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch or Nine Inch Nails, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Now, following a 5 year break from recording, Alan Wilder returns with Recoil's 5th studio album, entitled subHuman released in July 2007.
Collaborating this time is Blues-man Joe Richardson with his band Joe Richardson Express, whose evocative vocal style is complimented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances.Ā Born in Southern Louisiana, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440) and Dave McDonald (Portishead).
Says Wilder: āWe seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called ācivilisedā worldĀ is still awash with personal and global atrocities.Ā From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their āwar on terrorā".Ā Ā
subHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human - and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences.Ā "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes."
Official site: http://www.recoil.co.uk
Grain
Recoil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Instrumental
As the lyrics to the song "Stone" by Recoil are instrumental, there are no specific lyrics to interpret within a narrative context. However, this provides an opportunity to explore the emotional and sonic landscape created by the music itself. The song begins with a brooding, ominous atmosphere, characterized by a repetitive bassline and atmospheric pads. As the song progresses, various percussive elements are added, building tension and drama. The song reaches a climax with a distorted guitar riff, which shreds through the mix like a chainsaw in the night.
What is striking about "Stone" is the way in which Recoil manages to create a sense of story and emotion without a single word being spoken. The music itself tells the tale, evoking a sense of foreboding, unease, and ultimately release. The use of dynamics, layering, and sonic textures all contribute to this sense of narrative, as the song builds and falls, creating a sonic rollercoaster for the listener.
Contributed by Violet F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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