Phoria

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Phoria
Origin Brighton, England
Genres Alternative rock
Years active 2010 – present
Website phoriamusic.com
Members Trewin Howard, Ed Sanderson, Jeb Hardwick, Tim Douglas, Seryn Burden

“The feeling of time passed is something that transcends through their music.” Noisey


Though five years have passed since Phoria’s debut release in 2010, time in their world is a fluid concept. The trio at the core of this Brighton quintet, Trewin Howard (vocals/production), Jeb Hardwick (guitar, visuals), Ed Sanderson (keyboard, vocals) were actually classmates in primary school – they were learning classical guitar, cello and violin and then time made a concertina flex and out of it they grew to be applied technicians in a self-created sonic laboratory named Phoria and were joined by Tim Douglas (bass, synth) and Seryn Burden (drums).


A trio of EPs ensued coming almost annually, kicking off in 2010 with Phoria’s first, ‘Yourself Still’. It showcased the band’s prowess for cinematic, orchestral post-rock. Next came ‘Bloodworks’ which showed a departure in style and with lead track ‘Red’ hitting no.2 on Hype Machine the band cemented their reputation for expansive, visually evocative sound-scapes. A year after that was their third EP ‘Display’; it was 6 Music Record of the Week and clocked up nearly half a million plays within two weeks and invitations to perform their video and interactive live experience at arts festivals throughout 2015.[1][2]

Biography

Phoria's origins can be traced to around 1997 when Trewin and Ed started learning cello and violin together at their primary school in Salisbury, a talent that would later lead them to perform in orchestras across the county. At the same time, classmate Jeb Hardwick was taking lessons in classical guitar. When Trewin picked up the guitar and Ed began to play piano, the three of them began their first creative endeavours together. Regular performances and songwriting sessions continued for several years, but the young musicians soon separated for university.

Jeb and Ed both attended the University of Southampton. Ed continued to study music for his degree, specialising in violin and piano. Jeb began a sociology degree, spending much of his spare time experimenting with music software and visual arts, while continuing to play guitar.

Trewin attended the performing arts college at Dartington in Devon, where he started a fine art course before being drawn back to music. His lack of willingness to stick to the curriculum meant that he left without a degree, but was instead armed with over 200 compositions and songs ready to be brought to life, along with an individual voice and the confidence to use it.

When Trewin, Ed, and Jeb were re-united in 2009, they set out to complete the band line-up.

Jeb and Ed had wasted many late nights in the company of a guitarist named Tim Douglas whilst in Southampton. After spells in several bands around the South-West, Tim was keen to move to the vibrant city of Brighton along with his old friends and turn his talents to bass.

Phoria drummer Seryn Burden joined the band in August 2011, having honed his skills at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. He played his debut performance at the Playgroup Festival in Kent in the same month. Seryn replaced drummer Ross Crick who left the band in June 2011.

Yourself Still (2010)

The band's first EP Yourself Still was released in 2010 and earned positive reviews across the blogosphere. Popular blog The Sirens Sound reviewed the EP, stating that '[Yourself Still]...carries various musical vibes from cinematic orchestra to post-rock and indie-rock to a stunning pop environment leading the overall outcome of this record to blazed emotion.' Describing Phoria as 'A band you definitely want to keep an eye on.'[3] Similarly, online alternative music zine InForty.com described the EP as 'A delicate mix of indie and post-rock', continuing: 'Phoria...already boast a sophisticated and polished sound. It’s a mournful one too, but they don’t dwell on it – there’s too much progression and dreamy ambition for that.'[4]

The EP was featured on CDBaby's music discovery podcast in July 2011.

Bloodworks (2013)

The much anticipated Bloodworks was released through Akira Records in Spring 2013.

Lead single 'Red' hit number 2 in The Hype Machine blog aggregator charts within only a few days, cementing the track as one of the standout singles of 2013 from a relatively unknown band. With the single released just days before the EP, popular magazine ThisIsFakeDIY said of the track '[It gives] the impression that this here EP's going to be a game-changer. Glossy production is met midway by a startling, intimate style of songwriting, half Youth Lagoon, half something grander and more orchestral.'[5]

The EP was met with glowing reviews. Earmilk.com said of the band: 'they took their unique approach and ran with it, producing a composition where all five songs stand apart as gems. They have created an overall unique experience, with emotion drawn out from the subtle and unweighted vocal approach. Every component seems to build and break down around the travelling vocals and in doing so, they create an almost angelic feeling at times.' Musicbrokemybones described Bloodworks as an '...incredibly captivating record.'

Several tracks from the EP have been licensed to festival-featured European cinema, and Canadian television series Saving Hope.

Display (2014)

Display is an upcoming Phoria release, due 16 June 2014. The lead single 'Emanate' received 250,000 plays across YouTube and Soundcloud in the first two weeks.[1][2]

Style

Phoria draw on a range of musical genres to create their sound. In the days of Yourself Still, chordal guitar figures and often dense instrumentation drew comparisons to such bands as Radiohead, Sigur Rós, and Mew. Popular music blog therecommender.net, when reviewing preview material from the bands then forthcoming Bloodworks EP, wrote 'This...isn't just reminiscent of Radiohead, this is reminiscent of Radiohead at their best.'[6] Martin Grech, Cinematic Orchestra, and Elbow are also major influences.[7] The band have more recently been compared favourably to Aphex Twin, Autechre, and James Blake, thanks to their embracing of modern music technology, unusual but dramatic musical sense, and DIY ethos.

Live performances

When playing live the band employ a dramatic audio/visual show, playing to video backdrops (created by guitarist Jeb Hardwick) whenever possible. Examples of live visuals, videos, and performances can be viewed at the band's Youtube channel.

Discography

  • Yourself Still (EP) (2010)
  • Bloodworks (EP) (2013)
  • Display (EP) (June 2014)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://soundcloud.com/phoriamusic/emanate
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2my_DFCdpE
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/listen-phoria-announce-new-ep-share-red-track/
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

http://www.gigwise.com/photos/84930/7/early-tips-for-2014-whos-going-to-be-huge-next-year

External links

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