Majeure

The project of Zombi's A.E. Paterra, Majeure -- which takes its name from the Tangerine Dream album Force Majeure -- delves into a slightly different realm of electronic-leaning prog rock than his work with Steve Moore, instead exploring a more atmospheric approach. Along with shared Zombi influences such as Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre, and Vangelis, Paterra draws Majeure's inspiration from John Carpenter, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Can, as well as authors Philip K. Dick and William Gibson. When Moore's prolific songwriting made him decide to start releasing music on his own as well as continue with Zombi, Paterra decided to follow suit. After Zombi toured with the like-minded Temporary Residence band Maserati, he found a home for Majeure's debut album, 2009's Timespan. The following year saw the release of Timespan Remixes, which featured reworkings of the album's tracks by Black Strobe, Jesu's Justin Broadrick and Moore, who also joined Paterra on the 2011 EP Synthesizer of the Gods and 2012's split album Brainstorm. That October, the second Majeure album, Solar Maximum, reflected a more ambient side of the project. Paterra went further in this direction with 2014's Termination Shock, a cold, minimal set issued by the French label Music Fear Satan. For the rest of the 2010s, Paterra juggled his duties in Zombi and Contact, the duo he formed with filmmaker/musician Paul Lawler, with his work as Majeure. Following tours with Mogwai and S U R V I V E, in 2017 Paterra released the complex, percussive Apex EP. He commemorated Majeure's 10th anniversary with Timespan Redux, a remixed and remastered version of the project's debut album, in 2018. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi