Post Description

Antimatter, a UK melancholic rock band, is the project of longtime member Mick Moss. The project was formed in 1997 by Duncan Patterson (former bassist/songwriter of Anathema) and Moss. The pair released three albums together - Saviour, Lights Out and Planetary Confinement. Shortly after the completion of Planetary Confinement, Patterson left to start another band called Íon. Moss continued and released the project’s fourth album, Leaving Eden, with Anathema guitarist Danny Cavanagh, following with 2009’s Live@An Club, released on Moss’ own label Music In Stone. Most recently Moss has overseen a 10 year retrospective multi-disc release entitled ‘Alternative Matter’, and released the 5th Antimatter album 'Fear Of A Unique Identity' in 2012.
 

Formation (1998-99) 

Without hearing each other's latest recordings, in 1998 Duncan Patterson and Mick Moss had both reached the same place musically and philosophically. Patterson had just finished recording Anathemas 'Alternative 4' album and Moss had been working on a set of demos since 1995. The similarities were striking. Moss had produced 'Saviour', 'Over Your Shoulder' and 'Angelic', which drew parallels directly to Patterson's 'Empty', 'Feel' and 'Destiny'. Both sets of recordings were dark, melodic and minimal, lyrically dealing with a discomfort with oneself and others. Patterson at the time had grown restless with Anathema, and upon hearing Moss’ demos suggested they record together. Patterson quit Anathema in 1998 and re-recorded Moss’ 3 tracks as a demo to pass to labels, under the moniker of ‘Angelica’. The demo was originally rejected by Peaceville Records as being too melodic and not leaning enough towards heavy metal. Patterson later penned and recorded a 4th track, ‘Holocaust’, for the demo. In 1999, Australian band Cryptal Darkness contacted Patterson, and during a later conversation a member of CD (who also ran the groups label) asked Patterson what he had been involved with since leaving Anathema. Patterson mailed a cassette of the demo off, and upon hearing it the label agreed to release the duo’s first album. 
Saviour (2000-02) 
Signed to Icon Records, in September 2000 they entered Academy Studios, Dewsbury, as Antimatter to record their debut album Saviour. Patterson contributes the tracks "Holocaust", "God Is Coming", "Flowers" and "Going Nowhere", while Moss brings "Saviour", "Over Your Shoulder", "Psalms", "Angelic" and "The Last Laugh". Although Moss performed vocals on his original demos, Patterson has the idea to have mainly female vocals, performed by Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor. Moss performs vocals on two tracks only. Instrumentation is split between Patterson and Moss.
 In 2001, the album and band received "Album of the Year" and "Best Newcomer of the Year" in Psycho! magazine. Unfortunately, Antimatter’s record label distributed only a small number of copies despite demand for much more, and it soon became apparent that the label wasn’t able to manufacture and distribute copies of the album in reasonable numbers. Thus began an 12 month battle between act and label, with Icon Records holding onto the rights of Saviour despite being unable to release it. Eventually, in 2002, Icon Records gave up and handed the rights to the recording back to the band.
 In 2002, Saviour finally received a worldwide release due to the efforts of labels Prophecy Productions in Europe and The End Records in North America. A self-financed European tour followed later that year, with Antimatter joined by Patterson’s former partner from his Anathema days, Danny Cavanagh. Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor did not feature in the line-up, with lead vocals being taken by Mick Moss.
 Cavanagh would later briefly and controversially quit Anathema the same year with the intention of joining Antimatter, only to re-join Anathema weeks later.
 In late 2002, Moss published via the internet the free EP A Dream For The Blind, featuring recordings of himself and Cavanagh rehearsing for that year's debut tour. The 5-track release came complete with artwork to be printed off by the public. 
Lights Out and Live@K13 (2002–03) 
Antimatter entered the studio in February 2003 to record their 2nd album Lights Out. Moss contributes the tracks "Everything You Know Is Wrong", "The Art Of A Soft Landing", "In Stone" and "Dream", while Patterson brings "Lights Out", "Expire", "Reality Clash" and "Terminal". The album (recorded during a month is Sun Studios Dublin, and released in June that year) marks a shift from its predecessor. Despite the presence of guest vocalists Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor, Moss now performs vocals on most of his own tracks and half of Patterson's.
 Patterson formed his own record label Strangelight Records to release the acoustic live album Live@K13, recorded during their debut tour in 2002.
 In May/June 2003 Antimatter toured America’s West Coast with Virgin Black and Aggaloch. Afterwards, Antimatter headed into Europe to perform in Greece and then into Asia, performing in Istanbul. The tour is rounded off with an appearance at a festival in Skali, Cyprus. A month later Antimatter headlined Estonia’s annual festival Hard Rock Laager in July 2003. Held in the village of Vana-Vigala, HRL is the country’s largest alternative music festival.
 In October 2003, Antimatter reconvened to Sun Studios, Dublin, to record a version of Dead Can Dance’s "Black Sun". The track is to appear on The Lotus Eaters, a 2004 double album of DCD cover versions, released by Black Lotus Records. The recording is followed by a tour of Germany with Autumnblaze.
 Later that year, the track "Over Your Shoulder", from the debut album Saviour is used for soundtrack purposes in MTV’s reality TV show Sorority Life.
 In December 2003, Antimatter published onto the internet the album Unreleased 98-03, featuring demos and unheard versions of songs from the first two albums. The album was made available as a free download and once again came complete with artwork. 
Planetary Confinement and Patterson's departure (2004-05) 
In 2004, Patterson made the decision to quit Antimatter to pursue his solo project 'Ion', but not before contributing to his final album with the band, 'Planetary Confinement', an album recorded in two halves, one by Moss in England, the other by Patterson in Ireland and France. Moss’s English sessions (‘Weight Of The World’, ‘Legions’, ‘Epitaph’ and ‘A Portrait Of The Young Man As An Artist’) commenced on July 16 in Studio 33, Liverpool, and featured a band assembled by Moss that year (Rachel Brewster – Violins, Ste Hughes – Bass and Chris Phillips - Drums). Moss chose to forgo any guest vocalists, performing all vocal parts hismself. Patterson’s sessions ('Planetary Confinement', 'Line Of Fire', 'Mr White', 'Relapse' and 'Eternty Pt24') followed in December of the same year, with the vocal duties held by Amelie Festa. By comparison Moss produced more organic sounding recordings while Pattersons still retained an electronic edge despite being acoustic based.
 'Planetary Confinement', a stark acoustic album in the face of two previous semi-electronic outings, was released in 2005, signaling Patterson's official departure from the project. With the release Patterson announced his Ion project, while Moss simultaneously announced he would continue with Antimatter and was wrapping up the writing to the 4th album, to be titled ‘Leaving Eden’. 
Leaving Eden (2006-07) 
In June 2006 Moss entered Fair Trade Studios, Liverpool, to record Antimatter’s 4th album Leaving Eden. He re-assembled the band he had originally formed for his sessions for the previous album, with the addition of Danny Cavanagh.
 In late October 2006, Moss accompanied Danny Cavanagh and Leafblade on a Norwegian tour
 A week later on October 27, German rapper Bushido released the single "Sonnenbank Flavour", with music completely sampled from Antimatter’s "Epitaph" track from Planetary Confinement. The single peaks at number 15 in the German charts.
 "Leaving Eden" is released in June 2007. Moss spends the rest of the year touring the album, appearing in Holland, Belgium, France, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Italy, Latvia and Estonia.
 On 18 August 2007, Bushido released the single "Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück". Again, the music was completely sampled from Antimatter, this time from the "Terminal" track from Lights Out. The single peaks at number 14 in the German charts 
Live@An Club and Alternative Matter (2008–2010) 
In April 2008 Antimatter headlined Poland’s Art Rock Festival in Poznan. Later that year, Moss instigates a union with Duncan Patterson for the purposes of performing live together under the heading of ‘An Evening Of Antimatter, Anathema and Ion Music’, bringing together both writers’ musical back catalogue into one live show. The first tour in this format is in September with Patterson and Moss touring Portugal and Spain, and uniting again f