The brainchild and vehicle of now Vancouver-based Irish exile and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Nicholas White, Revolution Above Disorder’s debut single ‘Illuminate’ is an instantaneous shoegaze delight; a combination of synths, reverb guitars, and a pulsating bass driven drum that pulls you straight into that strange other worldly dreamland trance identifiable with the post-punk genre. This cacophony of sound is only augmented by the hypnotic repetition of the key lyric, “always you,” keeping the listener locked into the track until its final fade.
It comes as no small compliment that upon listening, I immediately thought of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and the music of The Jesus and Mary Chain, amid other far-flung memories of Creation Records’ golden heydays past. The track also leaves you grappling with the complex jumbled mess of contradictory emotions – gloom, a weird undefined optimism, alienation, addiction, comfort, and warmth are all found in the mix, whilst simultaneously always aware that it’s a captivating place that you’ll need to revisit.
It’s that sense of back to the future willing victim that informs not only the sound, but also motivation, as Stephen elaborates: “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I’d just come off a European tour with Magic Shoppe and I found myself having to cancel scheduled plans with The Orange Kyte. In my downtime I began to re-evaluate where I was headed musically and I realized I’d become dissatisfied with what I’d been doing. I grew interested in the idea of this modern-day version of myself collaborating with my chaotic and directionless former self.”
If “Illuminate” weaved its way into his consciousness, it also informed the name, as Stephen explains: “The track was originally conceived in 2013, albeit with different lyrics. I changed the lyrics from a song of misery and self-pity to an optimistic song of enlightenment and transcendence. The first line is ‘Revolution above disorder, divinity over all else,’ it then seemed appropriate to use Revolution Above Disorder as the name for the entire project after that.”
Produced, mixed and mastered by Jason Corbett (ACTORS) at Jackknife Sound, there’s an obvious feeling of mutual respect in the air, illuminated when Jason chips in: “I love working with Stephen. There’s a trust and flow that spawns a real magic in the music. You can hear the adventure in the songs. If only more debut offerings were this great.” It’s a sentiment that leaves one wondering that if this indeed marks a new beginning, then one can only imagine what the middle and end promise to be.
Photo Credit: Analissa Longoria
Music has been a lifelong passion, a journey that as a child embraced the late 60's counter culture and has lasted until the present day. Despite trying to play guitar for the best part of 45 years, to his own frustration, never much beyond the first four bars of “Stairway to Heaven.” A self-confessed vinyl junkie, his other interests include collecting music memorabilia, old Muhammad Ali fight programs, and watching film. He lives alone in Nottingham (England) and still uses the term “Groovy” - these two facts may be intrinsically connected.
