Liquid (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Liquid
Type = Studio
Artist = Recoil


Released = March 21, 2000
Recorded = July 1998 to June 1999, The Thin Line, Sussex
Genre = Electronica
Length = 77:16
Label = Mute - STUMM 173
Producer = Alan Wilder
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:12ge4j474waq link]

*Release MagazineRating-10|8 [http://www.releasemagazine.net/Onrecord/orrecoill.htm link]
Last album = "Unsound Methods"
(1997)
This album = "Liquid"
(2000)
Next album = "subHuman"
(2007)

"Liquid" is a Recoil studio album, released by Mute Records on March 21, 2000. It was recorded at Alan Wilder's home studio, The Thin Line, in Sussex, during sessions that lasted from July 1998 to June 1999. The album was produced by Alan Wilder, with production assistance and co-ordination by Hepzibah Sessa, and additional production and sound design by PK. "Liquid" is Recoil's fifth album release.

"Liquid"'s music continues in much the same vein as his previous album, "Unsound Methods", but it considered to be a concept album revolving around a near-death experience in 1994. Wilder and his partner, Hepzibah Sessa, were driving in Scotland and a Tornado Bomber hit a hillside in front of them, and two airmen were killed. The idea of the album, especially the bookending track "Black Box", centered around what was going through the pilot's last moments of life.

Recoil again picked a diverse set guest vocalists - internationally acclaimed (and fellow Mute artist) Diamanda Galás, 1940s gospel singers the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, New York spoken word performers Nicole Blackman and Samantha Coerbell, and Catalan narrator (and Recoil fan) Rosa Torras. Additional musicians utilized were Curve's Dean Garcia (bass) and Steven Monty (drums), Ian Dury and the Blockheads' Merlin Rhys-Jones (guitar), and Miranda Sex Garden's Hepzibah Sessa (violin). [From Recoil's official website: [http://www.recoil.co.uk/afiles/hist/liquid.htm Shunt] ]

Of note is the track "Jezebel", which features the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet. Some had thought that Wilder had taken his inspiration from Moby, who had used Alan Lomax field recordings in his "Play" album released in 1999, the year before. This is not true. Wilder had used an old track to similar effect on "Electro Blues for Bukka White" on Recoil's 1992 "Bloodline" album. Especially since Moby appeared on the "Bloodline" album, it could be argued that Moby got his idea from Recoil, but not vice-versa.

Nine Inch Nails played the "Liquid" album before taking the stage during their Fragility tour in 2000.

Track listing

All music written by Alan Wilder

#"Black Box, Part 1" (Words: Wilder)
#"Want" (Words: Nicole Blackman)
#"Jezebel" (Words: Traditional/Orlandus Wilson)
#"Breath Control" (Words: Blackman)
#"Last Call for Liquid Courage" (Words: Samantha Coerbell)
#"Strange Hours" (Words: Diamanda Galás)
#"Vertigen" (Words: Wilder)
#"Supreme" (Words: Coerbell)
#"Chrome" (Words: Blackman)
#"Black Box, Part 2" (Words: Wilder)

ingles

"Strange Hours"

CD: Mute / CD MUTE 232 (UK)

#"Strange Hours" (Radio Edit, by Wilder)
#"Jezebel" (Filthy Dog Mix, by Wilder)
#"New York Nights" (Non-album track; Music: Wilder, Words: Coerbell)
#"Don't Look Back" (Non-album track; Music: Wilder, Words: Sonya Madan)
#"Strange Hours" (Video)
#"Drifting" (Video, from the album "Unsound Methods")
#"Stalker" (Video, from "Unsound Methods")
#"Faith Healer" (Video, from the album "Bloodline")

"Jezebel"

CD: Mute / CD MUTE 233 (UK)

#"Jezebel" (Radio Edit)
#"Jezebel" (The Slick Sixty vs. RJ remix)
#"Electro-Blues for Bukka White" (2000 Version; Music: Wilder, Words: Bukka White)
#"Black Box" (Complete)
#"Jezebel" (Video)

Credits and personnel

*Alan Wilder–All music
*Reto Bühler–Narration on "Black Box Part 1" and "Black Box Part 2"
*Nicole Blackman–Lead Vocal on "Want", "Breath Control", and "Chrome"
*Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet–Lead Vocal on "Jezebel"
*Samantha Coerbell–Lead Vocal on "Last Call for Liquid Courage" and "Supreme"
*Diamanda Galás–Lead Vocal on "Strange Hours", Additional Vocals on "Jezebel" and "Vertigen"
*Rosa M. Torras–Lead Vocal on "Vertigen", background vocals on "Black Box" (Complete)
*Dean Garcia–Additional bass/Guitar
*Steven Monti–Drum sources
*Merlin Rhys-Jones–Guitar sources
*Hepzibah Sessa–Violin and backing vocals
*Lee Funnell–Photography
*Michael Williams at Intro–Art Direction/Design

Trivia

*Diamanda Galás performs on this album, but this is the second time she appears on a Recoil release. She recites The Lord's Prayer between two tracks on the 1992 album "Bloodline".
*"Want" re-uses a shortened piece that Nicole Blackman had written entitled "What I Want For Christmas". She originally performed it with Scanner, and it was released on the compilation "Teleconned: We Want the Airwaves" in 1998. Another "What I Want For Christmas", on the compilation "A Christmas Present For You from Zero Hour", is a humorous piece recorded over the telephone and with no musical backing, and has nothing in common with the Scanner track other than the name.
*"Black Box" was intended to be placed on the album in its complete version. Because the album approached eighty minutes (the limitation of a compact disc's length), the song was split in two, and shortened considerably. The complete version was released on the "Jezebel" single.

Notes