From 2010-16, Phoria released a handful of electronically-minded, lyric-based EPs and one LP, then went quiet for four years, only to emerge as a modern composition ensemble. New album Caught A Black Rabbit finds the collective experimenting with neo-classical music and heartfelt orchestration and welcomes back the return of founding member Jeb Hardwick.
With Phoria backed by a 12 piece ensemble, strings for the record were recorded in Studio Two, engineered by John Barrett, with former assistant engineer Stefano Civetta.
Caught a Black Rabbit reflects a struggle with nightmares about the enormity of the world, and encompasses the entire breadth of human existence, from birth (a band member’s first child) to death (a cello inherited after a young owner’s demise). The music bends down to despair and stretches up to delight.
Our first taste of the album was delivered in the form of Current. Described by the band as the “centrepiece of the album”, the contemporary classical piece features a lush string arrangement recorded at Abbey Road. On the record, Trewin Howard from the band explained: "We all have hidden depths, through which our vulnerable excitement flows... sometimes a storm will brew and the glassy surface that hides it all is disturbed. When sequencing the record, we came to consider Current as the centrepiece of the album. It seemed to represent a bridge between the harmonic sensibilities of Volition, with the more ambitious arrangements that typify Caught A Black Rabbit".
Following the session in Studio Two recording strings for the album, Phoria then headed into Studio Three to record a live rendition of Current, where they were accompanied by The Tippett Quartet to deliver a haunting performance. Watch the full video below.
Though their new sound is undeniably different, it still remains captivating and full of life. A record that’s been fifteen years in the making, taking their time and only wanting to release music "when it feels special”.
