In Absentia

Description

TRANSMISSION RE-ISSUE OF THE BREAKTHROUGH PORCUPINE TREE ALBUM ON CD

'In Absentia' was the band's seventh studio album, first released in 2002 & was the first in a run of 3 albums that for many represent the pinnacle of the band's artistic achievements. It was something of a breakthrough for the band, selling three times more than previous releases. Following on from 2000's 'Lightbulb Sun' it had a distinctly heavier tone, partly due to the addition of legendary drummer Gavin Harrison, & was also their first for major label Lava / Atlantic Records. 'In Absentia' features many of Porcupine Tree's most loved songs including "Trains", "The Sound of Muzak" & "Blackest Eyes". While not a formal concept album, many of the songs have common themes related to serial killers, youthful innocence gone wrong & observations of the modern world, setting a template for many of Wilson's future songs.

This CD re-issue of 'In Absentia' is presented in digipack packaging complete with an 8-page booklet.

Description

NEW TRANSMISSION EDITION THE ICONIC 2002 ALBUM BY THE BRITISH LEGENDS OF
EXPERIMENTAL ROCK

Having recently announced that Snapper Music will be representing Porcupine Tree’s Transmission label worldwide, new CD & LP reissues of the band’s extensive catalogue will roll out throughout 2021.

‘In Absentia’ was Porcupine Tree’s seventh studio album, first released in 2002, & was the first in a run of three albums that for many represent the pinnacle of the band's artistic achievements. Not many albums can claim to have created a new genre, but with its fusion of metal, progressive rock, ambient textures, & acoustic singer-songwriter styled material, it became something of a blueprint for a generation of bands to come. It was also something of a breakthrough for the band, eventually going on to sell three times more than the band’s previous releases. ‘In Absentia’ features many of Porcupine Tree’s most beloved songs, including "Trains", "The Sound of Muzak" & "Blackest Eyes". While not a formal concept album, many of the songs have common themes related to serial killers, youthful innocence gone wrong, & observations of the modern world, setting a template for many of songwriter Steven Wilson's future songs.

Porcupine Tree released their last album, ‘The Incident’, in 2009, marking another step forward in the incredible journey of the band that began as a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a multi grammy nominated act & one of the world’s most revered live bands, selling out arenas across the globe & wowing fans with their incredible performances.

This new 2LP Transmission 2021 reissue of ‘In Absentia’ is presented in a gatefold sleeve & remains faithful to the original artwork.

Description

The much anticipated deluxe edition of the iconic album by the British
legends of experimental rock Porcupine Tree

Featuring remastered stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes, additional studio recordings, a disc of unreleased demos and a new feature length Lasse Hoile directed documentary on Blu-ray.

This new deluxe version of In Absentia provides an unrivalled insight into the context of the seminal album. The first CD features Steven Wilson's 2017 remaster, which has considerably less compression and limiting for a more dynamic listening experience.

The second CD includes all of the additional finished studio recordings the band made during the period. "Collapse (intro)", "Drown With Me", "Chloroform", and "Meantime" were all recorded during the album sessions in New York, while "Futile" and "Orchidia" come from the post-album promo-only Futile EP. Radio edits of "Trains", "Blackest Eyes" and "Strip the Soul" are also included.

The third CD comprises over 70 minutes of demos recorded at Wilson's home studio during the two years leading up to recording the album. Many of the selections differ from the final versions, with additional sections, alternate lyrics, and different arrangements. Also included are demos of three
songs that were not subsequently recorded by the band, all released here for the first time: "Imogen Slaughter", "Watching You Sleep", and "Enough".

The Blu-ray features the new master of the original stereo mix, the 5.1 surround sound mix created in 2003 by legendary engineer Elliot Scheiner, plus the audio from the second CD, all in high resolution audio. It also boasts a
new 109-minute feature length documentary film directed by Lasse Hoile, chronicling the making of the album with interviews and archive footage.

The 100-page deluxe hardback book is filled with exclusive content, including photography by Lasse Hoile, Carl Glover, Richard Barbieri and John Blackford from the recording sessions, subsequent tour and more, extensive biographical liner notes and track-by-track commentary by Stephen
Humphries, artwork drafts, and handwritten notes and lyrics.

This deluxe reissue of Porcupine Tree's best-loved album follows the release of Steven Wilson's fifth solo album, To The Bone, which soared into the UK Album Charts at #3 and #2 in the German album charts and led to a sold-out
tour including 3 shows at London's Royal Albert Hall. Meanwhile Gavin Harrison is enjoying success touring the world with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief after performing on the latter's latest album Dissolution,
keyboardist Richard Barbieri recently released a box set collection of pieces Variants, and Colin Edwin issued the latest studio album with his band O.R.k., titled Ramagehead, featuring Serj Tankian of System of a Down.