''Three Fact Fader'' is the second full-length studio album by British
shoegazing
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with " dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming vol ...
band
Engineers
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...
, released on 6 July 2009 through the
Kscope
Kscope is an independent record label that is part of Snapper Music, and a sister-label of Peaceville. It is dedicated to artists in the progressive rock genre. The label has released albums by Steven Wilson and his projects Porcupine Tree (m ...
label. The album was produced by the band along with
Ken Thomas, who also worked with
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fr ...
,
M83 and
Maps
A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes.
Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Althoug ...
, with artwork created by Tom Sheehan.
To start promoting the record, the band played their first live gig in over two years on 10 July 2009 at the Bush Hall in London. They were joined onstage by special guest
Ulrich Schnauss
Ulrich Schnauss (born 1977) is a German electronic musician and producer based in London, England. He is best known for being a member of Tangerine Dream from 2014 to 2020.
Biography
Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of ...
(who would later join Engineers as a full-time member).
Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri (born 30 November 1957) is an English musician, composer and sound designer. Originally a member of new wave band Japan (and their brief 1989–1991 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), more recently he is known as the keyboar ...
of British
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
group
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
also performed that night.
The ''Three Fact Fader''
minisite was set up by Kscope containing information about the album. A single for "Clean Coloured Wire" was released on 20 July 2009, and a video clip for the song was released through the minisite to accompany the single. The minisite also includes an excerpt of a remix of the song "Sometimes I Realise" by British musician, record producer, and Kscope label founder
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corro ...
.
The entire album was available for streaming through the website of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''.
NME media player
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Track listing
*Track 1 incorporates a sample of "Watussi" from the first Harmonia
In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; grc, Ἁρμονία / harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement") is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia. Her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discor ...
album ''Musik Von Harmonia
''Musik von Harmonia'' is the debut album from the influential German krautrock group Harmonia, released in January 1974 by Brain Records. Formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster (the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Die ...
'', written by Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Hans-Joachim Roedelius (born 26 October 1934) is a German electronic musician and composer, best known as a co-founder of the influential 'kosmische' groups Cluster and Harmonia. He also performed in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello, and rele ...
, Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius (16 January 1944 – 20 July 2015) was a Swiss-born German electronic musician and composer, best known as a member of the influential krautrock bands Cluster and Harmonia.
Moebius was studying art at Berlin's Akademie Grafik and ...
, and Michael Rother
Michael Rother (born 2 September 1950) is a German experimental musician, best known for being a founding member of the influential bands Neu! and Harmonia, and an early member of the band Kraftwerk.
Early life and education
Born in 1950, ...
.
Singles
* "Clean Coloured Wire" (20 July 2009)
*# "Clean Coloured Wire" (Radio Edit)
*# "Clean Coloured Wire" (SeriousMusic 438 kHz Mix)
*# "Be What You Are" (Chicken Feed Remix)
*# "Sometimes I Realise" (Steven Wilson Remix)
* "What Pushed Us Together" (7 December 2009)
*# "What Pushed Us Together"
*# "What Pushed Us Together" (A Ricardo Tobar Remix)
Personnel
Musicians
*Simon Phipps – lead vocals, guitars
*Mark Peters – guitars, bass, programming and backing vocals
*Dan MacBean – guitars, keyboards programming and bass
*Andrew Sweeney – drums and backing vocals
Producers
*Produced and mixed by Ken Thomas and Engineers.
*Assisted by Ben Hampson, Jeff Knowler, and Ben Thackerey.
**Track 6 mixed by Engineers and Ben Thackerey; additional mixing by Ken Thomas.
**Tracks 12 and 13 produced and mixed by Mark Peters and Dan MacBean; assisted by Fred Vessey.
*Recorded at Rockfield Studio, Wales; Jacob's Studios, Surrey; and Engineers Studio, Rainford, Merseyside.
*Mixed at Miloco's Engine Room, London.
**Tracks 12 and 13 mixed at Brittania Row Studio, London.
*String quartet on tracks 4, 10, and 11 arranged by Mark Peters and Dan MacBean; recorded at Townhouse Studios, London.
*Mastered by John Davis at Alchemy; except for tracks 12 and 13 mastered by Dick Beeson at 360 Mastering.
Graphic artists
*Tom Sheehan – cover photography and concept
*Justin Lambert – press photography
*Engineers – other photography
*Scott Robinson – other photography, website design, and CD package design
References
External links
''Three Fact Fader'' minisite
{{Authority control
2009 albums
Engineers (band) albums
Kscope albums