Exeter, England-based post-rock trio Appliance was formed by guitarist/vocalist James Brooks, bassist Stuart Christie, and drummer David Ireland, schoolmates whose earliest music sprung from their mutual admiration of bands like Spacemen 3 and Joy Division. Upon completing their recorded debut "Weightless Conditions" for an improvisational compilation on the M.T.B. label, Christie left the group to focus on his solo project Harmony 400, with bassist Michael Parker tapped as his replacement. Honing their own contemplative, minimalist sound over the course of the EP trilogy Organised Sound, Into Your Home and Time and Space (released between July 1997 and July 1998 on the trio's own Surveillance.com label), Appliance signed to the Mute label in early 1999, soon issuing the single "Food Music"; the full-length Manual followed that fall. An EP named Six Modular Pieces was released in mid-2000. The eclectically cohesive Imperial Metric, which showcased a more diverse look into a darker post-punk period, appeared in summer 2001. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
