Engineers (band)

Engineers

Engineers performing at Summer Sundae 2005
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres Shoegazing, dream pop
Years active 2003– present
Labels Kscope
Echo Records
Associated acts Mark Peters, Ulrich Schnauss, Gilbert, The Shining, Hammond & Bell
Website http://www.kscopemusic.com/engineers
Members Mark Peters
Ulrich Schnauss
Matthew Linley
Past members Simon Phipps
Daniel Land
Dan MacBean
Andrew Sweeney

Engineers are a British shoegazing/dream pop band. The band was formed in London in 2003 by bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Peters, singer/guitarist Simon Phipps, bassist/guitarist Dan MacBean, and drummer Andrew Sweeney. After the release of their second album Three Fact Fader in 2009, MacBean and Sweeney left the band, and were replaced by bassist/vocalist Daniel Land, drummer Matthew Linley, and keyboardist Ulrich Schnauss. Phipps and Land would later leave the band before the release of 2014's Always Returning. Engineers' sound has been described as "hazy, ethereal, and atmospheric,"[1] and the band often cites the works of The Beach Boys, Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins, Spiritualized, and Pink Floyd as influences.[1][2]

History

Beginnings and debut album

Engineers were signed to the Echo Records label in 2004, and the band recorded and released their first single "Home"/"New Horizons" in April 2004; both songs were re-recorded for the band's debut album the following year. The mini-album Folly arrived on 27 September 2004, preceded by the single "Come in Out of the Rain" a week prior. The mini-album also featured a cover of Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter", and the original recording of "Forgiveness". Their eponymous debut album followed in March 2005, preceded by the re-recorded Top 50 single "Forgiveness" in late February.[3] The album was released to generally positive reviews; at Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a generally favourable score of 81, based on 18 reviews.[4] The album's second single was "Home", which was released in June 2005 but failed to chart. In early 2010, "Home" became the theme song for the fourth season of the United States TV series Big Love, replacing "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys which ran from season one through three.[5]

Later in 2005, Engineers recorded a version of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" for the 2005 tribute album Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley.[6]

Three Fact Fader

Whilst in the process of mixing their follow-up album, the band split with Echo Records and their future became uncertain. After a period of silence, bassist/guitarist Mark Peters posted a message on the band's official forum in February 2008 that the second album would be released digitally in the first half of the year, and that the band members had been working in various side-projects apart from Engineers. The digital release of the album never came to fruition. On 29 August 2008, Peters posted a new message stating that one of the tracks from the second album, titled "Sometimes I Realise", had been remixed by DJ Sasha for inclusion on his album Invol2ver.

By 2009, the band signed with Snapper Music sub-label Kscope, and their second album Three Fact Fader was released on 6 July 2009.[7] The album was released to further critical acclaim, with Drowned in Sound awarding the album an 8 out of 10 rating,[8] as well as 4-star reviews from Gigwise,[9] The Skinny,[10] and The Times.[11]

On 1 February 2010, it was announced that Dan McBean and Andrew Sweeney had left the band, with Peters noting, "No arguments or disagreements prompted anyone to leave, but when we got back together to play after Three Fact Fader was released it was clear we had all moved on personally and professionally."[12] Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Phipps and Peters would continue with a new line-up,[13] and musicians Ulrich Schnauss, Daniel Land (of the band Daniel Land & The Modern Painters), and Matthew Linley (of the band Gilbert) were added to the official line-up.

In Praise of More

Engineers' third studio album, and first album with the new line-up, entitled In Praise of More, was released by Kscope on 27 September 2010.[12] The album was largely written and recorded by Mark Peters, with assistance from Dave Potter and Ulrich Schnauss.[12] The album was released to generous critical acclaim; MusicOMH praised the album's "incredible melodies",[14] SPIN magazine gave the album a 7/10 rating,[15] and Clash Music called the album "a joy to behold" and stated that "In Praise of More has [the band] stripping back the density of previous releases, letting in a little warmth and allowing the songs [to] breathe, resulting in a broadening of their sound much to their benefit."[16]

Always Returning

On 2 June 2014, after a brief silence following selected live dates, the band announced their fourth studio album, Always Returning.[17] The album is set for release on 11 August 2014, and is to be the band's first release with just Peters, Schnauss and Linley as the core members of the group. Of the lineup change, Peters confirmed that "based on mutual agreement after a recent conversation, we decided that Simon (Phipps) would sit this one out. There are no plans to tour this album, so Daniel (Land) wasn't needed either. As the band was essentially a solo project since 2009, no one has 'left' in the traditional sense – they're just not on this album."

Band members

Current members
Former members

Discography

Studio albums

Year Details Peak chart positions
UK

[3]

2005 Engineers 84
2009 Three Fact Fader
  • Released: 6 July 2009
  • Label: Kscope (KSCOPE118)
  • Format: CD
 —
2010 In Praise of More
  • Released: 27 September 2010
  • Label: Kscope (KSCOPE160)
  • Format: 2CD (includes bonus instrumentals disc)
 —
2014 Always Returning
  • Released: 11 August 2014
  • Label: Kscope (KSCOPE295)
  • Format: CD, 2CD (includes bonus instrumentals disc)
 —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

EPs

Singles

Appearances on compilations

Remixes and collaborations

Television soundtracks

References

  1. 1 2 Henderson, Alex. "Engineers – AllMusic (Biography)". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Kscope – Blog – Forthcoming album from Engineers". 27 September 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chart Stats – Engineers". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  4. ↑ Engineers reviews at Metacritic.com
  5. ↑ BIG LOVE – Engineers' MySpace blog posting
  6. ↑ "Various – Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim + Jeff Buckley (CD) at Discogs". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "Kscope – Engineers – Three Fact Fader". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  8. ↑ Gourlay, Dom (7 July 2009). "Engineers – Three Fact Fader". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  9. ↑ Thomson, Jon (28 July 2009). "Engineers – 'Three Fact Fader' (Kscope Records) Released 06/07/2009". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  10. ↑ Barton, Joe (24 June 2009). "Engineers – Three Fact Fader". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  11. ↑ "Engineers: Three Fact Fader review". The Times (London). 5 July 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 "Kscope – Engineers". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  13. ↑ Line-up change – Engineers MySpace Blog
  14. ↑ Shepherd, Sam (4 October 2010). "Engineers – In Praise of More". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  15. ↑ Kornhaber, Spencer. "Engineers, 'In Praise of More' (Kscope)". Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  16. ↑ Todd, Chris (29 September 2010). "Engineers – In Praise of More". Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  17. ↑ "Engineers are back with New Album 'Always Returning'". Kscope Music. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Kscope – Blog Archive – Engineers – gig postponed / release date changed". 3 May 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  19. ↑ USA Network – The 4400 – Songlist

External links

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