Not long after teasing the main track from his new EP, Vancouver-based Dublin music maverick Revolution Above Disorder hais back to catapult the full powerhouse 3-track ‘Annihilator’ EP into soundwaves and earbuds everywhere. As with many great releases originating from Vancouver, it was produced and mixed atJacknife Sound by Jason Corbett of ACTORS fame. Corbett has produced every release by Revolution Above Disorder (Stephen Nicholas White of The Orange Kyte, House of Dolls, Magic Shoppe) since launching this project.
However, for the first time ever, White worked with RIDE legend Mark Gardener, who mastered this release at his OX4 Sound Studio in Oxford. Also involving another HUGE name in the music industry, renowned producer Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Oasis, Kasabian, The Charlatans, Soulwax, The Kills, Massive Attack, Ladytron) also made his contribution in a wonderful atmospheric remix, followed by a dance-floor-glazing electronic soundscape of a remix created by fellow Dubliner Colm Rutledge AKA Noise Baby.
Revolution Above Disorder is the solo moniker of Vancouver-based Dublinerwhose music is a melting pot of shoegaze, psychedelic rock and electronic-tinged post-punk. Droned-out while also melodic and sincere, White’s songs are augmented by synths, drum machines and heavily treated instrumentation with hypnotic reverb-soaked vocals.
Stephen Nicholas White explains:”As a record producer and remixer, Jagz Kooner has worked with an extensive list of some of the most influential musicians of the last 30 years. Alongside Andrew Weatherall, he was a member of The Sabres of Paradise. Jagz is somebody whose work has been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember and he has pulled out all the stops for his remix of Annihilator… it is both dreamy and vicious in equal measures. It’s an absolute honour and privilege to have Jagz on board for this release. Track 3 is the remix from my pal Colm Rutledge AKA Noise Baby. A fellow Dubliner and a fellow expat, Colm is based out of Berlin and the influence of that Mecca of hedonism is all over his Annihilator remix, the result is glorious. My jaw hit the floor when he sent this interpretation of the track. Colm is also currently knee-deep in creating a killer new record with his excellent rock n’ roll outfit The Famous Painters.”
Recorded during the height of the paranoid and chaotic days of the Covid-19 pandemic, it explores the themes of dissatisfaction, disillusion, nihilism and self-destruction – quite fitting for the times.
“Annihilator was originally conceived of as an uptempo post-punk song a number of years back when writing the second House of Dolls record, which ultimately never saw the light of day. Rediscovered in a treasure trove of demos back in 2020 as I was conceptualizing Revolution Above Disorder, Annihilator soon metamorphosed into a whole different beast. Working again with Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound, we slowed the track down to allow it to breathe and, in doing so, a whole new incarnation of the track began to crystallize”,” says Stephen Nicholas White.
“At the time I was heavily into rediscovering the sounds of first wave trip-hop and nineties UK big beat… and as ever, the ubiquitous spectre of krautrock loomed heavily at the forefront of my mind. These influences wormed their way into Annihilator as we focused on the building of subtle layers to create a rising tension over the course of the track. The song was built over top of a sci-fi synth bassline, underpinned at its core by acoustic guitar. ACTORS’ drummer Adam Fink responded to the call and nailed the drum track. Mat Durie was summoned in to add some bowed-guitar, lending the track the droned-out atmospherics that it was crying out for.”
This spring, White released ‘Scream Quietly’ to pay tribute to the groundbreaking band Television Personalities and the songwriting genius of Dan Treacy. In late 2021, Revolution Above Disorder debuted with ‘Illuminate’, which involved all members of postpunk band ACTORS, as well as Josiah Webb of Magic Shoppe.
The ‘Annihilator’ single is out now everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and can be obtained directly from the artist via Bandcamp at https://revolutionabovedisorder.bandcamp.com/album/annihilator
TRACK LIST
1. Annihilator
2. Annihilator (Jagz Kooner Remix)
3. Annihilator (Noise Baby Remix)
CREDITS
Track 1 produced and mixed by Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound, Vancouver BC.
Track 2 remixed by Jagz Kooner, London
Track 3 remixed by Noise Baby, Berlin
All tracks mastered by Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound, Oxford
‘Annihilator’ written and performed by Stephen Nicholas White
Additional guitar by Mat Durie
Drums by Adam Fink of ACTORS
Cover artwork and graphics by Stephen Nicholas White
Photography by Analissa Longoria
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