''A Grounding in Numbers'' is the eleventh studio album by the British rock group

Van der Graaf Generator Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, Chris Judge Smith. They were the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much ...

. Released on 14 March 2011, the date, if written as 3,14, comprises the first three digits of the number π. The second track, "Mathematics" refers to

Euler's identity In mathematics, Euler's identity (also known as Euler's equation) is the Equality (mathematics), equality e^ + 1 = 0 where :e is E (mathematical constant), Euler's number, the base of natural logarithms, :i is the imaginary unit, which by definit ...

, sometimes known as the mathematical poem. The album's release signals a continuation in the direction set by the current trio lineup, but it is released on a new label,

Esoteric Recordings Esoteric Recordings is a UK independent record label specialising in 1970s progressive rock, folk, psychedelic, and jazz-rock reissues as part of Cherry Red Records. Its releases include both catalogue reissues and new works from artists who ...

, a departure from previous releases on Virgin/Charisma.

Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 199 ...

is the mixer of the album.

Background

Preparations for the work on the new album began in late 2008 and early 2009, when the band members started gathering song fragments and exchanging "ideas, theories, policies and directions". In April 2010 the band met up for intensive sessions in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

where the whole album was arranged, rehearsed and recorded in the course of one week. Over the next months, the tracks were overdubbed, edited and adapted by the band members (who were continuing to exchange files over the internet or on

CD-R CD-R (Compact disc-recordable) is a digital media, digital optical disc data storage device, storage format. A CD-R disc is a compact disc that can only be Write once read many, written once and read arbitrarily many times. CD-R discs (CD-Rs) ...

) in their own studios. By September 2010, the material was ready to be mixed, and at that point

was approached. After three weeks in his London studio, ''Sofasound'', the album was completed.

Track listing

All songs by Hugh Banton, Guy Evans and Peter Hammill.

Personnel

;Van der Graaf Generator *

Peter Hammill Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer-songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and ...

– voice, piano, electric guitar (and

Ashbory bass The Ashbory bass is a solid body fretless bass guitar designed by Alun Ashworth-Jones and Nigel Thornbory. It is 18 inches long, almost half the size of a standard bass guitar. When amplified, the Ashbory reproduces the low, resonant bass tone ...

on "Splink")Album notes for ''A Grounding in Numbers'' (2011). Esoteric Recordings. *

Hugh Banton Hugh Robert Banton (born 25 April 1949) is a British musician and electronic Organ (music), organ builder, most widely known for playing organ and keyboards with the group Van der Graaf Generator. Career Banton was born in April 1949 in Yeovil, ...

–

organs In a multicellular organism, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to a ...

(including

bass pedals Bass pedals are an Electronic instrument, electronic musical instrument with a foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a Pedal clavier, pedalboard and analog synthesi ...

), bass guitar (and harpsichord, piano, glockenspiel, 10 string bass, guitar on "Smoke") *

Guy Evans Guy Randolph Evans (born 17 June 1947) is an English drummer. He is best known as a member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, appearing on each of their studio albums. He is also a member of Echo City and Subterraneans. Ca ...

– drums, percussion (and guitar on "5533")

Charts

References

External links

*
A Grounding In Numbers
' at vandergraafgenerator.co.uk

* ttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/van-der-graaf-generator-a-grounding-in-numbers-by-john-kelman.php Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbersreview at

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

*
Van der Graaf Generator – ''A Grounding in Numbers'' (2011) album releases & credits
at

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.com
Van der Graaf Generator – ''A Grounding in Numbers'' (2011) album to be listened
as stream at

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.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Grounding in Numbers, A Van der Graaf Generator albums 2011 albums Esoteric Recordings albums