Sianspheric

SIANspheric
Also known asSIANspheric4
OriginHamilton, Ontario, Canada
GenresSpace rock, shoegazing, dream pop, experimental rock, ambient
Years active1994–2000, 2005–present
LabelsSonic Unyon
MembersSean Ramsay[1]
Jay Patterson
Ryan Ferguson
Matthew Durrant
Past membersLocksley Taylor
Paul Sinclair
Steve Peruzzi
Websitesianspheric.com

Sianspheric (styled as SIANspheric, and previously as SIANspheric4) is a Canadian space rock and shoegazing band originally from Hamilton, Ontario.[2] This group were early signees to the Sonic Unyon label.

History

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The band formed in 1994, calling themselves "Sian", which is a Hindi word meaning "intelligent" or "bright," and it is a common surname in places where Hindi is spoken. They signed with the then-fledgling record label Sonic Unyon. The original members were singer and guitarist Sean Ramsay, bassist Steve Peruzzi, Paul Sinclair on guitar, and drummer Matthew Durrant.[3] The following year, Somnium, their debut album, was released.[4] The band has been compared to Slowdive, The Verve, and Boards of Canada. SIANspheric gigged frequently, mostly in Canada, through most of the late 1990s and early 2000, including a tour with Canadian shoegazers Southpacific in 2000.

The band has also worked with Toshack Highway on a split album titled Magnetic Morning/Aspirin Age. A CD with ten tracks, Toshack Highway contributed the first five tracks, and SIANspheric did the remaining five. In 2000, the band broke up.

Sianspheric reformed in Toronto in 2005, and put out a new 7" single, "I Wouldn't Expect You to Understand". They followed this up with a DVD+CD release titled RGB, released on Sonic Unyon. The DVD contained live footage of the band recorded between 1997 and 2001, music videos, and short clips based on or featuring the band's music. The CD featured surround sound remastered versions of some of their long ambient pieces and fan-favourite songs, demos, and one previously unreleased song, "D'Yer Wanna Be P. Kember?".[5]

As of 2006, SIANspheric band members were Ramsay, Jay Patterson (bass), Durrant and Locksley Taylor (additional guitars, backing vocals). All four members contribute to the band's ambient programming/sampling.

In 2011, SIANspheric regrouped with members Ramsay, Patterson and Durrant and with Ryan Ferguson (a.k.a. Electroluminescent) returning to provide additional guitars and synthesizers. They began recording new material.

Three songs from the album Somnium were used in the TV series La Femme Nikita. By 2014 the lineup was once again Ramsey, Patterson, Locksley and Durrant.[6] The group continued performing, including participation in Canadian Music Week in Toronto in 2015.[7]

After a preview track, "I Have It" was released the month before,[8] their fourth full-length album, Writing the Future in Letters of Fire was released on October 28, 2016, by Sonic Unyon.

Discography

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Studio albums

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  • Somnium (1995, Sonic Unyon)
  • There's Always Someplace You'd Rather Be (1998, Sonic Unyon)
  • The Sound of the Colour of the Sun (2001, Sonic Unyon)
  • Writing the Future in Letters of Fire (2016, Sonic Unyon)

EPs and singles

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  • Planets EP (1999, Sound Records)
  • Magnetic Morning/Aspirin Age (2003, Sonic Unyon, double CD split EP with Toshack Highway)
  • I Wouldn't Expect You to Understand (2006, Black Mountain Records, 7" white vinyl; limited to 300 copies)
  • The Owl and Smokin' Richie (2014, Noyes Records, 7" vinyl and digital)
  • So We Swim (2020, 7" vinyl and digital)

Compilations

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  • Else (1999, Sonic Unyon)
  • RGB (2006, Sonic Unyon/Inchroma Multimedia, DVD+CD)
  • Others (2014, Digital Streaming & Download)
  • Others Vol. 2 (2020, Digital Streaming & Download)

References

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  1. ^ "SIANspheric making sonic waves". Waterloo Region Record, Feb 17, 2017 by Coral Andrews
  2. ^ "Sianspheric4: Steeltown Ambient Space Rockers"[usurped]. Chart Attack, October 1995. by Sean Plummer
  3. ^ "How Hamilton's SIANSpheric Conquered an Unsure Future".Noisey, by Cam Lindsay, Oct 26 2016
  4. ^ "Sianspheric — Somnium (Sonic Unyon SUNCD021, 1995, CD)". Exposé, by Peter Thelen, 1997-02-01
  5. ^ "Sianspheric RGB". AllMusic, Review by Ned Raggett
  6. ^ "The History of SIANspheric And Their LSD Stories". Noisey, by Cam Lindsay, May 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "Canadian Music Week fosters a sense of community. National Music Centre, May 15, 2015
  8. ^ "SIANspheric spin around again with eureka moment, 'I Have It'". Slow City, Will McGuirk September 28, 2016
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