01	Mesmer I						08:33
	02	Mesmer II						06:07
	03	Mesmer III / Coma Divine						13:18
	04	Door To The River						04:42
	05	Metanoia I / Intermediate Jesus						14:14
	06	Insignificance						04:58
	07	Metanoia II						10:56
	08	Milan						02:30

Porcupine Tree [UK]
Updated 7/15/01
Discography
Tarquin's Seaweed Farm (89, Cassette)
The Nostalgia Factory (90, Cassette)
On the Sunday of Life... (91, mostly compiled from Tarquin's and Nostalgia)
Voyage 34 (92, EP)
Radio Active (93, EP, Promotional CD)
Up the Downstair (93)
Voyage 34: Remixes (93, EP)
Spiral Circus (94, Promotional Cassette)
Yellow Hedgrow Dreamscape (94)
Moonloop (94, EP)
The Sky Moves Sideways (95)
Staircase Infinities (95, EP)
Waiting (96, EP)
Signify (96)
Coma Divine - Recorded Live in Rome (97, Live)
Stupid Dream (99)
Piano Lessons (99, EP)
Stranger By the Minute (99, EP, CD also includes a video track)
Pure Narcotic (99, EP)
Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (00, Remixed CD reissue of all 4 versions of Voyage 34)
Four Chords That Made a Million (00, EP)
Lightbulb Sun (00)
Shesmovedon (00, EP)

In addition to the above are Vinyl releases which don't have the same song sets on them. See their web site.


Reviews
Porcupine Tree - Steven Wilson (guitar), Chris Maitland (drums), Colin Edwin (bass), Richard Barbieri (keyboards)

What to think of a man who calls himself Porcupine Tree and hangs out with guys like The Expanding Flan, Soloman St. Jermain and Master Timothy Masters? I'm not sure but I do know what to think of the 76 minute On the Sunday of Life.... Pretty damn good, that's what. Well, for the most part, anyway. Porcupine Tree is part of the British neo-psych scene, of which the Ozric Tentacles are the best known proponents. On the Sunday... contains four parts: "First Love," "Second Sight," "Third Eye" and "Fourth Bridge." Within each section are four or five songs that all flow together. Most of the album is excellent, mind-blowing spacy psychedelia reminiscent of early Pink Floyd circa Ummagumma. The only problem I have with the album is the interjection of occasional pop-styled songs. The lyrics are definitely acid inspired such as the very cool "The Nostalgia Factory" or the coy "Linton Samuel Dawson": Linton Samuel Dawson/Has just reached 25. You figure it out. And "Footprints" includes the "Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies" verse from the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." I think you have enough clues to figure out the cerebral theories of Mr. Tree. But the beat for a few of these songs (that is, with lyrics) are very straight-forward pop. Fortunately, only half of the 18 songs have lyrics of any type and not all are set to a pop beat. Few are, in fact, but the sudden beat does dampen the overall aura just a tad. Fortunately, the long wordless interludes will carry you away to universes infinite to places where beat and meter slow and distort. All instruments are played by Porcupine with the exception of a few spots of guest work by the strange characters mentioned above. Porcupine Tree is well regarded in pyschedelia circles. On the Sunday of Life... is one good reason why. Highly recommended to psych fans.

Voyage 34 is a thirty minute and four second voyage that is summed up by the sticker on the cover: "A post rave space wave to the Darkside of the Moon." This CD consists of various atmospheric and more direct music, interrupted by narration. The opening narration claims, "This remarkable sometimes incoherent, transcript illustrates a phantasmagoria of fear, terror, grief, exultation and, finally, breakdown. It's highlights have been compressed on this recording to make their own disquieting points." This is followed by about one minute of atmospheric synths and seagull-like cries, before the host returns and says, "The time is 9:30 pm, one hour after the participants have eaten sugar cubes saturated with LSD. We hear Brian and his fellow travellers observing their gradual transformation." Treated as outside observers by the narration, the music brings you in as an active participant. I think you get the general gist of the direction of this EP. Knowing it's "philosophical leanings," you probably already know if this album is for you or not. The next instrumental passage brings back the atmospheric seagull cries but adds a distinct beat that comes directly from "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 3" from Pink Floyd's The Wall. Weaving in and out of the mix of this rave wave are various synths, voices, both background and ethereal, guitars and further narration. Their entrance and exodus is gentle, so that you often aren't aware of their arrival and departure; they are just textures that are there one moment and gone another. At times, there is pulse but no beat; other times the beat is distinct and direct. At 30 minutes, the trip is short but the journey far.

Nearly half way into Voyage 34, there is a reference to "down an up staircase." After that trip, we find ourselves going Up the Downstair, Porcupine Tree's follow-up release to Voyage 34. Though the 47 minutes of the disc is divided into 10 songs, they all flow together for a non-stop stellar journey. After a brief introduction of strange instrumental sounds, our host politely informs us, "What you're listening to are musicians, performing psychedelic music, under the influence of a mind-altering chemical called..." and the music starts again. The song, "Synesthesia," is layered synths over a dance-type beat that recalls many of the techno-pop bands of the '80s. I have a hard time getting into the trip of this type of beat though it's fortunately helped by a soaring Gilmouresque guitar solo for the final minute or so. Fortunately, too, the beat becomes less dance-like and the music becomes more drifting, shifting and nebulous, trademark of the psychedelic imagery of Porcupine Tree. In fact, I think Porcupine Tree excels in his use of synthesizers to create a cosmic atmosphere, dreamy and floating, while his guitar, under the influence of the soaring, slow hand of David Gilmour, adds intensity as needed. No where is this illustrated better than in the 10 and 11 minutes of "Up the Downstair" and "Burning Sky." On the latter cut, Mr. Tree switches among very ephemeral synths, a guitar riff similar to Twelfth Night's "Sequences," ticking clocks, and heavier guitar riffs and solos out of "Saucerful of Secrets." As one song flows into the next, the intensity rises up to a climax in "Burning Sky," then comes gently back to earth with the closing "Fade Away." Except for "Synesthesia," the beat is much less pop-like that some of the songs on On the Sunday of Life.... In short, Porcupine Tree's Up the Downstair is a bit like early Gilmour-era Pink Floyd using '90s technology, an Ummagumma with digital synths, if you will. If that sounds appealing, definitely check it out. You will likely not be disappointed.

Moonloop is a two song EP, that opens with "Stars Die." The promo literature claims, "'Stars Die' is one of those rare songs to justify the use of hyperbolic adjectives such as luschious, breathtaking, seductive and sensuous...because the mere word 'beautiful' is simply not enough." A very apt description for this dreamy song, with vocal harmonies, and acoustic and electric guitar that recall early Pink Floyd, yet with a uniqueness that belongs to Porcupine Tree. In the middle of the track is a tape snippet of President Nixon talking to astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. "Stars Die" dissolves into the 18 minute orbit known as "Moonloop." The first 13 minutes is a shimmering guitar excursion into the unknown, charted only by gentle drums, congas and ambient synth textures. After drifting along, the band bumps into a riff of solidarity, which builds into a frenzied plunge back to solid ground. Outstanding!

The Sky Moves Sideways could easily be Porcupine Tree's best effort yet, a drifting, surreal voyage of electronics, space and ambient music that delivers you with a warm, familiar ease to distant universes. Though still dominated by Steven Wilson, the majority of the music makes full use of the four-piece live band. Around Wilson's guitar work and reverberating vocals, Richard Barbieri drapes shimmering soundscapes of synth. The rhythms, provided by bassist Colin Edwin and percussionist Chris Maitland, shifts from '70s laid-back Teutonic hand percussion to '90s rave beats, all swirling in cosmic debris. The two phases of the title track, which open and close the album and total more than 35 minutes of mind-expanding music, are the heady highlights. "Phase One" launches with dark, Floydian organ chords amidst a rain storm and taped voices, migrates through gentle fields of synth, guitar and dreamy vocals, past gigantic slabs of Orb rhythms and swirling Hillage dervishes, before landing in pastures of acoustic guitar. "Phase Two" is equally explorative and inventive. A 17 minute version of "Moonloop" also appears on The Sky Moves Sideways, removed of one minute of quiet spaciness from the very end. Between the three tracks above is twelve minutes (three songs) of Wilson in solo form, but with all the hallmarks of Porcupine Tree. A booklet included with Porcupine Tree's debut cassette, Tarquin's Seaweed Farm detailed the history of the legendary "Incredible Expanding Mindfuck." This fictional legend has been given true life with The Sky Moves Sideways. Along with bands like Ant-Bee and Mandragora, Porcupine Tree continues to inventively propel cosmic space rock into new, unexplored realms, boldly going where no band has gone before. -- Mike Taylor

One of the most original, prolific,and energetic bands in the current prog scene, England's Porcupine Tree continue to defy convention with their 1996 release Signify. As with other PT releases, this album begins with ironic and often humourous snippets of spoken word dialogue which acts to keep the listener on their feet (or ears). The title track "Signify" shows PT's roots in the spacey hard rock mold of classic Hawkwind. The intensity of this opening riff rivals Metallica and features great electronic effects jumping around in the background. "Sleep of No Dreaming" begins with a mellow space jazz chord progression before gradually building into a powerfully orchestrated chorus. "Waiting" is the British single from the album and features head Porcupine Steve Wilson demonstrating considerable skill on slide guitar. "Every Home is Wired" is an incredibly beautiful soundscape built on a wall of sound and echo. This song demonstrates how effectively PT uses the recording studio as a member of the band. The shimmering cascades of keyboards, Wilson's ethereal voice, and the hook of the chorus will have this song in your head for days. This song is worth the price of the CD alone. PT has received a lot of positive press and publicity in the UK (including full page ads in the better mainstream music magazines) on the strength and popularity of Signify. Catch them now before they become HUGE. -- Antonio Ortolani
Up the Downstairs is in the style of the new bands with psychedelic inspirations. The music has a certain "pop" flavour and always relies on spacy atmospheres. The keyboard arrangements provide a lushious base on top of which vocals and electric guitar solos are added. The rhythms, a bit simple and mechanic, remain solid and adequate. Certain tracks evoke the style favoured by Ozric Tentacles while others are more "pop" oriented. Easy to listen to and very efficient. -- Paul Charbonneau
Porcupine Tree is one of those bands that spawns a lot of discussion of the "are these guys really prog or not?" variety. I have to admit, I hadn't heard any of their recorded output when I heard them at NEARfest 2001. What I heard was some spacey keyboard intros to some fairly straight-ahead rock (I always said this of the Steve Miller Band too, though the rock part of PT bears no resemblence). In fact, it sounded a bit too much like the stuff my 20-year-old son watches on MTV for me ... too much "alternative" or Seattle grunge or something for my taste. OK, I did hear a couple of guitar solos that were as cool as what Dave Gilmour used to play. But for the most part, I was bored witless by this "headliner" act. And my eardrums were also being tortured by their EXCESSIVE VOLUME. Of all the acts of NEARfest 2001, this is the one I could have done without the most easily. But clearly, most of the audience didn't feel that way. I walked out on their THIRD encore to drive home before I fell asleep (only partly the band ... the show was running pretty late the first night). Maybe I'm really missing out, but I have no desire to pick up any of their recordings based only on this concert experience. I would, however, like to thank JAL airlines for supplying the earplugs which probably prevented me from major hearing loss. -- Fred Trafton





Porcupine Tree
Formed 1991
Years Active
Group Members Steve Wilson Richard Barbieri Chris Maitland Colin Edwin
Genres Electronica
Styles Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Experimental, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Labels Snapper (5), Delerium (4), C&S (3)

Though he initially came to wider attention (at least in the U.K.) with No-Man, his long-running collaboration with Tim Bowness, throughout the 1990s, singer/guitarist Steven Wilson has gained as much of a reputation for Porcupine Tree. Embracing and exploring prog rock inspirations while always keeping an ear out for newer musical connections, thus sidestepping the pointless revivalism of many of the band's peers, Porcupine Tree has created some noteworthy albums and songs over the years, continuing full strength into the new millennium.
The group itself was just Wilson at the start; born in London in 1967, he was too young to participate in the first full flush of psychedelic and experimental rock music, but swiftly made up for lost time, turning out to be a talented musical prodigy. Having learned guitar and keyboards at a young age, he contributed to work by underground prog outfits of the early '80s such as Altamont and Karma while continuing his own musical growth and exploration. 1987 saw the founding of both No-Man and Porcupine Tree, the latter actually starting as a joke between Wilson and a friend about a legendary lost '70s group. Elaborate discographies and other material were created а la Spinal Tap, while Wilson himself created a slew of music meant to be the band's lost recordings. In a humorous twist of fate, two tapes of this material ended up in the hands of other folks interested in hearing more from Wilson, who ended up collating the best tracks for Porcupine Tree's real debut album on Delerium Records, On the Sunday of Life, in 1992. Those songs having been something of a nostalgia exercise, Wilson aimed for a more contemporary approach on his follow-up release - the extended single "Voyage 34," with a clear debt to ambient techno jokesters the Orb.

Up the Downstair, Porcupine Tree's next full album, found Wilson coming fully into his own, creating a majestic, sweeping album that took the prog inspirations of the past fully into a realm of mysterious hush and beauty as much as full-on rock charge. Two collaborators on other projects, bassist Colin Edwin and keyboardist Richard Barbieri, the latter one of the core members of early '80s pop-art geniuses Japan, guested on the album. Later that year, the two formally joined Porcupine Tree, along with drummer Chris Maitland, establishing a four-piece lineup that has remained unchanged since then.

The first release by the new version of the group, The Sky Moves Sideways, was actually something of a transitional affair, a number of the songs still being Wilson solo compositions and performances. A slew of fine songs stood out regardless, notably "Moonloop," but the band members themselves considered the quartet's true debut to be 1996's Signify, another stunning step forward of the Porcupine Tree sound with new highlights everywhere, including the epic blast of the title track itself. A nice nod to the past came that year with the vinyl-only Spiral Circus album, featuring selections from the first three performances of the four-piece lineup in 1993, while 1997's Coma Divine featured more recent live recordings from the Rome stop on the Signify tour. By this time, Porcupine Tree's reputation had spread throughout Europe and elsewhere, including an increasing cult following in America.

A friendly parting from Delerium led Porcupine Tree to Snapper/K-Scope, who released 1998's Stupid Dream, notable for its stronger song focus and slightly more accessible feel all around. The band's reputation and fan base continued to grow, with another album, Lightbulb Sun, taking its bow in 2000. Porcupine Tree continued to tour and plan ahead for both new recordings and reissues of older, rarer material, the first of which surfaced in May of 2001, titled Recordings. Various unreleased cuts from the Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun sessions as well as a few b-sides were included. They spent the rest of the year putting together Stars Die - the Delerium Years, a box set that looks at their catalog from 1991 to 1997. Many more unreleased and rare tracks found their way onto the set, and the album finally came out in late Autumn of 2001. - Ned Raggett




1993 Up the Downstair Delerium
1995 The Sky Moves Sideways C&S
1996 Staircase Infinities Bluepring
1997 Signify Delerium Delec
1998 On the Sunday of Life Delerium
1999 Stupid Dream Snapper
1999 Coma Divine [live] Delerium
1999 Stranger By the Minute Snapper
2000 Lightbulb Sun Snapper

2000 Voyage 34: The Complete Trip Delerium
2001 Lightbulb Sun Deluxe Snapper
2001 Recordings Snapper

1995 Moonloop EP [EP] C&S
2000 4 Chords That Made a Million Import s
2002 Stars Die C&S s

Various Artists Succour (1995)




December 2001 - Metanoia
(Delerium Records DELEC CD079)

CD reissue of improvisations recorded during the sessions for "Signify" and originally issued as a limited edition double 10 inch vinyl in 1998. Tracks 4 and 6 are additional tracks recorded during the same sessions and originally included on the "Insignificance" cassette.

Mesmer I (8.33)
Mesmer II (6.03)
Mesmer III / Coma Divine (13.18)
Door to the River (4.25)
Metanoia I / Intermediate Jesus (14.32)
Insignificance (4.55)
Metanoia II (11.03)
Milan (2.25)