15 years after the original release, the masters for this breathtaking debut have re-entered the universe. The re-issue of Breadmaker, on Hello My Name Is Records, doesn't take the band's back-story for granted—it presents additional chapters..

Breadmaker quietly became top 5 listening material for those lucky to learn of its existence, sidling up alongside lauded records from artists like Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine and Spiritualized. It would be easy to label Difference Engine as just another shoegaze band from the '90s, but this gifted Ithaca College four piece (later based in Providence RI) created a record far more dynamic and inspired than any typical wall of sound.

Breadmaker combined solid song structure and tasteful samples with an oceanic whirlpool of guitars, layered over driving drums and piercing bass. Margaret Ayre (nee Wienk)'s mellifluous voice and the insinuated incantations of Aubrey Anderson and Michael Corcoran provide their evocative combined vocal presence. If you were lucky, you may have caught them opening shows for bands like Stereolab, The Fall, Swirlies, Karate, or Lightning Bolt in the '90s.

To maintain an authentic sound, Aubrey Anderson (an original band member) remastered the record using an Alan Smart compressor. "It brings back that tape feeling and makes the wall-of-sound moments really crazy and huge," says Anderson. The artwork will retain the quality of the original, with basic enhancements the band has always wanted. Both the digital and physical release will include a bonus track titled "Ed's Apache Ghost," from the La Di Da comp La Di Bloody Da, later re-recorded in the UK 1995 sessions for a sophomore release to be titled Flex Lavender. The song reveals a glimpse into the evolution that could have been.

The physical CD release will feature liner notes with an introduction from La Di Da owner Grant Lyons. In addition, the CD will be enhanced with digitized VHS footage featuring selections from several historic performances, including shows at The Powerhaus in London, The Haunt in Ithaca, Maxwells in Hoboken and from a college radio party in Portsmouth NH.

Breadmaker will be released digitally Worldwide on September 22nd with a physical CD release to follow in early 2010. If this is your first time hearing Breadmaker, consider yourself lucky to discover this masterpiece the second time around.


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