Empirion
Encyclopedia
Empirion are a British
industrial techno band, from Essex
, England
. They were formed in 1993, and the original line up consisted of Austin Morsely, Bob Glennie and Jamie Smart.
at the Essex nightclub
s, Oscars in Clacton
and TooToo's in Frating
. He provided the vehicle for the band to release their music through their own record label
, Wanted Records, and later went on to support The Prodigy
. Morsely and Glennie met on the local rave scene. They had both been playing around with basic music equipment for a few years, and came together when Morsley purchased a Roland W-30
synthesiser which eventually spawned the track, "Narcotic Influence". The track was released and distributed by the band in November 1993, and initially pressing 500 copies on vinyl, it went on to sell nearly 5,000 copies.
offered them a recording contract
.
XL chose to re-release "Narcotic Influence" in 1995 accompanied by a music video
, and it went on to sell 15,000 copies and peaked at #64 in the UK Singles Chart
. This was followed up with the release of the single "Jesus Christ" (1995) and the album Advanced Technology in 1996.
During this time the band toured both the UK
and Europe including the Phoenix Festival
in 1994 and 1995, and Tribal Gathering
in 1996 alongside Kraftwerk
. They also toured with The Prodigy
. They also remixed The Prodigy's "Firestarter
".
The band toured the US
in 1997 as a part of the big top tour, alongside Moby
, 808 State
, System 7
and BT
. The same year they issued "BETA" (UK
#75) featuring remixes by Front 242
and Doc Scott, followed later in the year by "See Yourself" as a vinyl only release.
Tragedy then struck the group when Glennie was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and the band was eventually put on hiatus when it became impossible to complete the follow up to Advanced Technology. Empirion parted ways with XL Recordings in 1998, and Glennie died in 2005 after a brave battle against cancer
.
Morsley went on to start his own project called Kloq, and released several singles through the 2000s culminating in his debut album, Move Forward, in 2008. Smart continued to DJ, and remixed for Leeroy Thornhill
alongside Pete Crossman as Controlled Change, for the Flightcrank single "Amazing" in 2001, and the tracks "Machines" and "Depression" in 2010 on the Electric Tastebuds label.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
industrial techno band, from Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They were formed in 1993, and the original line up consisted of Austin Morsely, Bob Glennie and Jamie Smart.
Beginnings
Smart was a resident DJDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at the Essex nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s, Oscars in Clacton
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
and TooToo's in Frating
Frating
Frating is a village and small civil parish of the Tendring district of Essex. It is about east of Colchester and northwest of Clacton-on-Sea. The parish includes the settlements of Frating Green and Hockley....
. He provided the vehicle for the band to release their music through their own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Wanted Records, and later went on to support The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
. Morsely and Glennie met on the local rave scene. They had both been playing around with basic music equipment for a few years, and came together when Morsley purchased a Roland W-30
Roland W-30
The Roland W-30 is a sampling workstation keyboard, released in 1989. It features an on-board 12-bit sampler, sample-based synthesizer, 16-track sequencer and 61-note keyboard....
synthesiser which eventually spawned the track, "Narcotic Influence". The track was released and distributed by the band in November 1993, and initially pressing 500 copies on vinyl, it went on to sell nearly 5,000 copies.
Signed to XL Recordings
They followed "Narcotic Influence" with two singles in 1994, "Quark" and the double A-side "Ciao" / "Advanced Technology". During the latter part of 1994 XL RecordingsXL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
offered them a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
XL chose to re-release "Narcotic Influence" in 1995 accompanied by a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, and it went on to sell 15,000 copies and peaked at #64 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This was followed up with the release of the single "Jesus Christ" (1995) and the album Advanced Technology in 1996.
During this time the band toured both the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe including the Phoenix Festival
Phoenix Festival
The Phoenix Festival was set up by Vince Power of the Mean Fiddler Music Group in 1993 as an alternative to the established Glastonbury and Reading Festivals...
in 1994 and 1995, and Tribal Gathering
Tribal Gathering
Tribal Gathering was a dance music festival that catered for different types of dance music cultures such as drum and bass, techno, rave and house. -History:...
in 1996 alongside Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
. They also toured with The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
. They also remixed The Prodigy's "Firestarter
Firestarter (song)
"Firestarter" is a song by the English band The Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from their third album The Fat of the Land, and their tenth single. It was also the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks...
".
The band toured the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1997 as a part of the big top tour, alongside Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
, System 7
System 7 (band)
System 7 are a British ambient dance band. Due to the existence of another band called System Seven, they were initially marketed as 777 in North America...
and BT
BT (musician)
Brian Wayne Transeau is a classically trained and Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT. He is an artist in the electronic genre...
. The same year they issued "BETA" (UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#75) featuring remixes by Front 242
Front 242
Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
and Doc Scott, followed later in the year by "See Yourself" as a vinyl only release.
Tragedy then struck the group when Glennie was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and the band was eventually put on hiatus when it became impossible to complete the follow up to Advanced Technology. Empirion parted ways with XL Recordings in 1998, and Glennie died in 2005 after a brave battle against cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Morsley went on to start his own project called Kloq, and released several singles through the 2000s culminating in his debut album, Move Forward, in 2008. Smart continued to DJ, and remixed for Leeroy Thornhill
Leeroy Thornhill
Leeroy Thornhill is a British electronic music artist and formerly a rave dancer and live keyboardist of the British rave act The Prodigy. He has produced solo work under the names Longman and Flightcrank. He was born in Barking but raised in Rayne near Braintree in Essex, and grew up as a...
alongside Pete Crossman as Controlled Change, for the Flightcrank single "Amazing" in 2001, and the tracks "Machines" and "Depression" in 2010 on the Electric Tastebuds label.
Re-formed
In 2011, Smart and Morsley came back together under the Empirion name with a remix of the Victory Pill track, "Burnout". They have also embarked on several live dates throughout Europe, and are planning some new material.Releases
- "Narcotic Influence (Remixes by Dave Clarke, Secret Knowledge & Meat Beat Manifesto)
- Advanced Technology
- "Ayahuasca"
- "PH1"
- "Quark"
- "Narcotic Influence 2"
- "Ciao" (Remixes by Front 242 & The Advent)
- "Jesus Christ"
- "New Religion"
- "BETA" (Remixes by Doc Scott)
- "See Yourself"
- "Ciao" (Ciao mix)
- "Quark" (Remix)
Remixes
- The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
- "Firestarter" - Front 242Front 242Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
- "Headhunter" - TerrorvisionTerrorvisionTerrorvision are an English rock band. They were formed in 1987 in Keighley, and initially disbanded in 2001...
- "Bad Actress" - Cubanate - "Voids"
- Victory Pill - "Burnout"
- Hate Dept - "Release It"
- Fluke - "Bullet"
- Vitro - "Mentally Dull"
- Hum - "Stars"
- Praga KhanPraga KhanPraga Khan is a Belgian techno musician, primarily in the new beat style.-Overview:Praga Khan is one of the pioneers of the new beat / acid house / rave sound, and has contributed to the theatrical scene with his musical collaborations in The Next Dimension and Code Red.In the late 1980s, he...
- "Love You Still" - Twelve Trees - "Lost Tribe"
- China Drum - "Sleazeball"
- Hyperdex-1-sect - "Mind"