Harrison, Freese album on way

King Crimson and Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison is featured alongside Devo, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle sticksman Josh Freese on the debut album by prog ensemble Exovex.

The band, led by American multi-instrumentalist Dale Simmons, will launch Radio Silence in October. Early versions of two tracks – Seeker’s Prayer, featuring Freese, and Daylight, featuring Harrison – are available via the Exovex website.

The project came about after Simmons had invited Harrison and Freese to contribute to a solo album. He says: “I asked them to do whatever they thought would best serve the track. I gave them complete creative control.

“That unknown creative variable was critical for me; chance, chaos and the unknown can produce beautiful results if you just let it happen. That’s more difficult than it sounds.”

The concept gave rise to the band name. Simmons explains: “It’s a simple mathematical function – x(x), pronounced ‘ex of ex.’ It’s impossible to know the outcome because the function is undefined. It could be anything.”

He says of the album: “The central theme addresses the psychological effects of long term, self-imposed isolation and detachment. It also speaks to personal circumstances that drive us to make life-changing decisions, both good and bad.”

The band’s sound, he adds, is influenced by Steven Wilson, Peter Gabriel and particularly David Gilmour.

Radio Silence will be available in a limited-edition run of 1000 CDs as well as standard digital format.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.