Origin of Symmetry (album)
Muse album | |
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Name | Origin of Symmetry |
Tracks |
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Total length | 51:42 |
Recorded | November-December 2000-2001 |
Writer/composer | Matthew Bellamy |
Producer | David Bottrill, John Leckie |
Art work | William Eagar |
Publisher |
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Format(s) |
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Catalogue № |
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Release date |
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Chart position | 3 (GB) |
album chronology | |
Showbiz ← Origin of Symmetry → Absolution
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Singles | |
Information
Origin of Symmetry came first about through the changes Muse underwent during their intensive touring in promotion of Showbiz, with a lot of material written whilst touring.[2] However, this album is more riff orientated and slightly darker than Showbiz, containing several songs which use piano or organ. Origin of Symmetry was intended as a more progressive rock-styled album,[2] with different vocal styles than that of Showbiz. The ambition behind the album was to show the harder rock and eccentric elements of the band, that they felt had not been seen so far.[2] This included bringing back a lot of music "filtered out" from Showbiz.[2] The bass in the album is also more prominent and distorted. Some of the songs of the album draw influence from the band members' relationships suffering from the effects of them being on tour.[2]
Title
The name of the album was inspired by the book Hyperspace by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. It discusses how a future book about the discovery of supersymmetry should be entitled "The Origin Of Symmetry", due to its implications in physics, in reference to the explanatory impact Charles Darwin's "On The Origin Of Species" had on biology.[2]. Matt said: "The name of the album, 'Origin Of Symmetry', is from a book about geometry of the universe and how it's all in beautiful balance, a perfect thing in ten dimensions. It explains all the mysterious forces we invented religions around.[3]. According to Bellamy, "everyone’s been writing about the origin of life so now they’ll start looking at the origin of symmetry; there’s a certain amount of stability in the universe and to find out where it originates from would be to find out if God exists.”[4]
Recording
"New Born", "Plug In Baby", "Bliss" and "Darkshines" were recorded with David Bottrill in the middle of touring in late 2000, in Ridge Farm Studios, Surrey.[2] The songs were recorded as if in a live situation, within a few days.[2] The band later had to re-master the songs with John Cornfield after the tour was over, in order to make them suitable for release, as they were not satisfied with the mixing of these tracks.[2] Matt attributes this to the effects of the hallucinogenics, which were "great for exploring new territory", but "certainly not good for finishing things off".[2] The stripping down of these songs helped set the tone for the recording of the rest of the album. "New Born", "Plug In Baby" and "Bliss" were seen as the "backbone of the album" and provided a basis from which the band could be more experimental with the other songs.[2]
John Leckie pushed the band to explore some of the more experimental ideas. Some of this took the form of using new percussion for particular songs, such as using a balafon, as well as animal bones and llama toenails on "Screenager".[2] Matt felt this was necessary in order to for him to write the lyrics for the album.[2] Classical music also began to have a great impact on the writing of songs for Origin Of Symmetry, particularly on the way Matt perceived music itself.[2] The song "Space Dementia" was inspired by Sergei Rachmaninov, whose music Matt began to listen to whilst writing the album.[2]
"Feeling Good" was included on the album because it was a piano based song, and was a favourite of a girlfriend Matt had at the time.[2] The standard release of the album was also originally intended to include many songs that would later become B-sides, including "Shrinking Universe", "Tesseract" ("Futurism") and "Natural Disaster" ("Nature_1"), as well as unidentified songs entitled "Origin of Symmetry" and "Love Bleach".[5][6]
Pre-release
The promo CD sits in a flat plastic box with a Muse logo on it, which is held together by screws in two corners of the case. The aforementioned CD originally came with a perspex screw driver. Two versions of the promo CD were distributed in the UK. These two versions only differ in the plastic the box is made from; one tinged yellow and the other grey. A similar promotional CD was used in France, some copies of which were distributed in plastic boxes as with the UK version.
The track list on the UK promo CD has incorrect track lengths for all tracks, but the audio is identical to the released album. Unmastered promo CD-Rs were distributed in the UK and Germany. The Bleeb Unmastered and German CD-R promos are unmastered and have beeping sounds every few minutes to indicate the CD is a press preview copy. The unmastered promos feature uncut versions of the songs, for example, "Bliss" has a 30 second appregiated outro that is not featured in the released album version, and "Citizen Erased" does not merge into "Micro Cuts". Additionally the Exclusive Advanced Promo CD was distributed in Germany, and contains six faded song samples from the album.
Release
Origin of Symmetry was to be released in the US on the 28th August 2001[1] but the release was cancelled after Muse left Maverick. It was finally released in the US in 2005 after Absolution became successful there. It was the only Muse album not to be released on Ukrainian Records in Ukraine, and was instead released directly under Motor. Thus, it did not have a promotional cassette like other Ukrainian Muse releases.
The album was originally released as a CD-ROM with the MuseTV feature linked to online bonus material. This later ceased to function once the MuseTV media had been removed from the Internet. The CD was available in either a digipak or jewel case.
The album has gone Gold in the UK, with sales over 100,000.
Origin of Symmetry was reissued in double 12" vinyl on the 18th of August, 2009 to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the debut album, Showbiz.
Origin of Muse
Origin of Symmetry was reissued once again in 2019 for the bands' 20th anniversary in a limited box set called Origin of Muse, together with Showbiz. This time, it was accompanied by the remastered main album (available on both CD and two vinyls), a demo-album, containing instrumental demos of songs like Micro Cuts, Citizen Erased and Megalomania, and a live album, with a high quality audio version of the Origin of Symmetry 10th anniversary performance from Reading Festival 2011.
Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX
On 19th May 2021, it was announced that Muse will be releasing a fully remixed and remastered version of Origin of Symmetry, stylistically named Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX, in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary. The album was remixed by the band with long-time collaborator Rich Costey, providing a more clear, dynamic and less crushed sound to the album. The album features no re-recorded parts, but the new mixes highlight certain parts of the original songs that were previously buried or muted on the original album, such as string sections in "Space Dementia", "Citizen Erased" and "Megalomania", and a harpsichord on "Micro Cuts". The remix also includes the Japanese bonus track Futurism. In terms of design, it features a new, modernised version of the album cover made by artist Sujin Kim.
The first single released from the remixed album was Citizen Erased, released on May 20th, 2021, with the second single, Megalomania released on June 5th. The remixed album is available both digitally and on vinyl, with two vinyl options available; standard black and a translucent yellow and orange version (latter is exclusive to the official Muse store).
The digital version was released on June 18th, while the vinyl version was released on July 9th.
Artwork
In a 2001 interview, Matthew Bellamy stated that the artwork is "a collection of the work of 14 artists who’ve all been given that same title, so even though each piece is in a radically different style, you get a sense of there being some form of continuity through different people’s perceptions of the same theme."[7]
The album art displays a slightly irregular version of the Muse logo. While the regular one utilizes the Frutiger Black typeface, this altenate version is set in Helvetica Bold.
The 20th Anniversary LP box contains sleeves which are of the same design as on the original vinyl, but the main artwork has been updated, with the antennas and the environment looking alot more detailed and dystopian.
Track list
CD, promo CDs
- New Born
- Bliss
- Space Dementia
- Hyper Music
- Plug In Baby
- Citizen Erased
- Micro Cuts
- Screenager
- Darkshines
- Feeling Good
- Megalomania
Vinyl
- A
- B
- C
- D
JP CD
- New Born
- Bliss
- Space Dementia
- Hyper Music
- Plug In Baby
- Citizen Erased
- Micro Cuts
- Screenager
- Darkshines
- Feeling Good
- Futurism
- Megalomania
JP promo CD
Unmastered press preview, unmastered UK CD-R, German promos
All tracks are unmastered and unblended versions
- New Born
- Bliss
- Space Dementia
- Hyper Music
- Plug In Baby
- Citizen Erased
- Micro Cuts
- Feeling Good
- Screenager
- Darkshines
- Megalomania
Exclusive advanced promo CD
All tracks are faded samples
MuseTV enhanced element master
Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX, Digital
- New Born
- Bliss
- Space Dementia
- Hyper Music
- Plug In Baby
- Citizen Erased
- Micro Cuts
- Screenager
- Darkshines
- Feeling Good
- Futurism
- Megalomania
Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX, Vinyl
- M
- U
- S
- E
Personnel
Muse
- Matthew Bellamy - Lead vocals, lead and rhytm guitars, piano, keyboards, synths, Wurlitzer piano (track 10), pipe organ (track 11), strings arragement, additional percussion, co-production
- Chris Wolstenholme - Bass, backing vocals, double bass (tracks 8 & 10), vibraphone, co-production
- Dominic Howard - Drums, percussion, co-production
Guest musicians
- Jacqueline Norrie - Violin
- Sara Herbert - Violin
- Clare Finnimore - Viola
- Caroline Lavelle - Cello
Production & artwork
- Safta Jaffery - Executive production
- Dennis Smith - Executive production (track 3)
- David Bottrill - Production and engineering (tracks 1, 2, 5 & 9)
- John Leckie - Production and engineering (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11)
- Ric Peet - Engineering (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11)
- Jean-Philippe Altier - Programming
- Steve Cooper - Additional engineering and programming (tracks 1, 2, 5 & 9)
- Chris Brown - Additional engineering and programming (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11)
- Mark Thomas - Sawmills Studio assistance (tracks 2, 4, 5 & 7)
- Claire Lewis - Real World Studios assistance (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11)
- Damon Iddins - Astoria assistance
- Mirek Stiles - Abbey Road assistance
- John Cornfield - Mixing
- Ray Staff - Mastering
- William Eagar - Artwork
XX Anniversary RemiXX personnel
- Rich Costey - Mixing
- Aleks Von Korff - Mixing assistance
- Alex Wharton - Mastering
- Sujin Kim - Artwork
Second album recording gallery
"Recording pipe organ at St Mary’s Church for Megalomania back in 2001" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording pipe organ at St Mary’s Church for Megalomania back in 2001" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording pipe organ at St Mary’s Church for Megalomania back in 2001" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording pipe organ at St Mary’s Church for Megalomania back in 2001" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording Hyper Music in the stone room at @realworldstudios" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording Hyper Music in the stone room at @realworldstudios" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Recording the ending to Space Dementia at @abbeyroadstudios" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Harpsichord at @realworldstudios used for Micro Cuts" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Harpsichord at @realworldstudios used for Micro Cuts" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Harpsichord at @realworldstudios used for Micro Cuts" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Dom playing the balafon with some bones on Screenager" (via Muse's Instagram)
"Dom playing the balafon with some bones on Screenager" (via Muse's Instagram)
(via microcuts.net & Muse's Instagram)
Album artwork
Origin Of Symmetry Gallery
Spread Gallery
Interview Promo
Muse release | |
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Name | Interview Promo |
Tracks | 71 |
Total length | 33:00 |
Recorded | 2001 |
Writer/composer | - |
Producer | David Bottrill, John Leckie |
Publisher | Mushroom |
Format(s) | CD |
Catalogue № | MUSE 13 |
Release date | Unknown |
Chart position | Unknown |
{{{Type}}} chronology | |
Interview Promo
|
A promo CD featuring an interview with the band.
Track list
- Introduction...
- Have you always been deadly serious about music...
- Answer
- You were very young when you first got together...
- Answer
- Growing up in a rural area...
- Answer
- First gig together...
- Answer
- Do you remember any of the songs you played...
- Answer
- When were Muse born...
- Answer
- Who came up with the name Muse...
- Answer
- Doggy names...
- Answer
- Is this the perfect line up...
- Answer
- America happened first...
- Answer
- States for the first time...
- Answer
- Madonna...
- Answer
- Different record deals in different places...
- Answer
- Does it not get complicated...
- Answer
- Hell for release schedules...
- Answer
- Two independent EPs...
- Answer
- Glorified demos...
- Answer
- John Leckie...
- Answer
- Dave Bottrill...
- Answer
- The second album...
- Answer
- Different locations for recording...
- Answer
- Touring with Foo Fighters & Chili Peppers...
- Answer
- Felt like rock stars...
- Answer
- Did you get on well with bands...
- Answer
- How did you go down...
- Answer
- Do you feel part of some sort of scene...
- Answer
- A particularly English sound...
- Answer
- T in the Park...
- Answer
- Festival crowds...
- Answer
- Hectic schedule...
- Answer
- End of tour...
- Answer
- All over the world again...
- Answer
- Separate reality from fantasy...
- Answer
- You've known each other for so long...
- Answer
- How Spinal Tap has it got...
- Answer
References
- ↑ a b Origin of symmetry released (2001-06-16). MicroCuts. Retrieved from microcuts.net.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Muse: The Making of Origin of Symmetry (2007-10-07). Xfm. Retrieved from www.muselive.com. [verify]
- ↑ NME - Vengeance is ours! [November 2001]
- ↑ Rock Sound Spain 31/07/01
- ↑ Muse talk about new album (2001-02-15). MicroCuts. Retrieved from microcuts.net.
- ↑ Next album (2000-07-19). MicroCuts. Retrieved from microcuts.net.
- ↑ Rock Sound Spain 31/07/01