An Evolution Passed and Gone – The story of “The Mandela Effect”

The Dawn of Elysium album “The Mandela Effect” has been a labour of love for quite a few years now, the sort of time it takes a lot of bands to fully write and record multiple albums. The reasons for this were many and varied.

The seeds of the project were sown around about the release of our previous album (well, mini album) “Raven” at the start of 2019. By that point, we’d spent 5-6 years playing as a 3-piece post-punk / goth rock outfit and we were creatively running out of steam.

We decided to recruit a second guitarist in the shape of Tim Furze. Our sound began to exhibit a slightly heavier edge, with slight nods more towards the progressive. Tim joined the band just in time to be included on the track “No More” and play the launch gig. We played a number of gigs with this 4-piece line-up and there was a definite feeling of rejuvenation and reinvention. We were getting more excited about what we were doing and could see a slightly more definite path forward musically.

Later that year, we expanded our number as we recruited singer Kaz Buxton. This was a radical departure for our sound, switching from male to female lead vocal. Songs were rejigged and relearned to accommodate and we kind of shared vocal duties. We did a few gigs with this line-up over the next few months.

The first song was called “First Light”, the initial version of which was completed at the start of 2020.

I have always been fascinated by sci-fi, especially concepts involving time travel / time. “The Mandela Effect” became the working title for the album project. We never set out for it to be a concept album in its entirety and whilst there are common threads and themes, it’s not really. I did however want it to be a proper album and to craft it as such.

I decided that I was going to record and produce it myself and I wanted to do it to the best of my abilities. I managed to do so to quite an extent, however it would ultimately become too huge a task for me to do by myself (more on that later). I still had a lot to learn, I still do, and for all I had done much of our previous work, this would require a lot more attention to detail.

Since it was to be done DIY, my free studio time was potentially unlimited so it would allow me to experiment a lot more. Over the next few years I would invest in my studio significantly, ultimately upgrading each element as and when funds allowed. The learning curve was steep and there were a lot of mistakes along the way.

We had a few more song ideas. “Gravity” was actually included on Raven as an instrumental number. The song itself had been in existence since about 2006 in one form or another, dating right back to the band Jigsaw Culture, although many changes had taken place since. I always felt that Gravity was very much a catalyst for the direction the band should take. At the time I had struggled to find a satisfactory way of singing it, hence it being played instrumentally. It always felt unfinished and after a bit more work, we managed to unlock its potential. The melody idea for the verse remains a major contribution from Kaz during her time in the band and were it not for her, the song would not quite sound the same.

In the spring of 2020, the pandemic happened and the band as an operational unit, like many, was put on ice. The band was never to be the same again but it did however enable me to continue developing the album.

“Storm” was a piece which pre-dated Raven. It never really fit with that album so the idea had been shelved. The structure, music and title were pretty much there but I had struggled to find the lyric. Again there was something in there which was waiting to be found and after trial and error I finally got there.

“Orphan” was another old Jigsaw Culture number I wrote. It had been recorded and actually released on a local compilation CD back in around 2005 but again, like most things we did in Jigsaw Culture, it had unfinished business. It was chosen in part because it ties in thematically with the album. “Orphan” was written about the film “The Butterfly Effect”. The version on the album was actually a reasonably faithful representation of the original but with more polish.

It really started to feel more like an album when I came up with “No Tomorrow”. It started off as an intent to write an intro piece akin to “Scorched Earth” from Raven but as it evolved, it became apparent that it was to be something quite different. It’s one I kept going back to that saw many changes during its journey.

As one might imagine during a pandemic which essentially isolates people from each other, the album project and the band at one point started to feel very disjointed. This was never exemplified better than in the latter half of 2020.

Our friend and biggest fan Alastair Appleby sadly became terminally ill and I was invited to perform acoustically at a very small gathering (such as was the limit allowed). Kaz and I performed it together. Acoustic performance is not something I am comfortable with and it was what it was but most importantly, Alastair enjoyed it.

The event paved the way for an EP called “Driftwood”, which was essentially two songs performed acoustically with a proto version of the album song “Ghost In The Machine”, a hypnotic number I had been working on sandwiched in-between. The third song was “Lost & Found” – Alastair’s favourite of ours from the first album “Time and Tide” – and the opening track was “Why Now? Why Me?” – a song from a band Kaz and I were in previously called “Suicide By Cop”. After that whole excursion, it felt very much like we were losing our way.

During Kaz’s time in the band in the period 2019 – 2022, the lines between Dawn of Elysium and Suicide By Cop were sometimes blurred. That was squarely on me more than anything as I was just trying to find a way forward for everybody. I’d already re-recorded the song “Divide and Conquer” in 2018, which we’d embraced as a live staple, and there were a couple of other songs that were attempted in the last year or so of that period. Ultimately though it just wasn’t working. I’m not sure if anybody was really satisfied.

Not long after, it became apparent that Tim was struggling with life under lockdown and it had really taken its toll on his mental health. It would take a little more time for him to make the final decision but coming back to a band was simply too overwhelming for him to consider at the time.

In a bid to try and find our way back to somewhere, we did the single “Far From Home”, which contained a version of “Gravity” with a Sisters of Mercy cover “Poison Door” unapologetically included as a b-side.

In late summer 2021 the band returned to the rehearsal studio with Izak Gloom on guitar. His entire approach to playing differed wildly from Tim’s and this sort of pushed the album project back a little since he’d need to learn the material and also record his parts accordingly. However, sessions continued in earnest. We managed to play one live date before the year was out.

In between all that, I’d recorded “Stolen”, which was originally intended to be a little bridging piece but it became something more (later to become much more), and also “Home”, which was an experiment with guitar ambient effects that turned into an outro.

Early 2022 saw us release an early version of “Storm” with that line-up. The rest of the year saw us play a few more dates and make further recorded progress.

At the time, all the backing and drums were programmed but I decided that the track “Orphan” really required live drums. This is when Gordon Wilkinson first became involved in a studio capacity. It was initially just going to be for that one track but it was very apparent that he was interested in doing more and likewise, we were interested in him doing more. That would not come about for some time.

I asked Charles to come up with a piano piece for the album to add some contrast with all the chaos and he presented the rather beautiful “Time Regained”.

By this point the whole album was pretty much mapped out. I had spent countless hours refining and developing.

“The Day That Never Was” was the last piece of the puzzle, which actually became the album’s main thematic centrepiece.

Further setbacks were about to unfold as all was not well in the band. By the end of the year it became apparent that changes needed to be made. We had all been through a hell of a lot behind the scenes. Friendships were strained, tensions were high and it just wasn’t working. I felt like outside of the album project, the band had simply lost its direction.

It wouldn’t happen all in one go but by January of 2023, we found ourselves back as a 3-piece as Kaz and Izak had both left. This was further exacerbated by Charles announcing he wanted to take a back seat due to his impending parenthood.

So by this point, we were kind of 3-4 years into the album project. Despite a severely diminished line-up, the vision was stronger than ever.

I contacted Nige Mason about the possibility of his helping us out. We had a slot booked at a metal festival called Manorfest and at the very least we needed a second guitarist. Nige had been a great friend and fan of the band for quite some time so was very enthusiastic about the prospect. He’d also had some less than ideal experiences with a band he had just parted ways with. He was however very unsure about using programmed / electronic backing tracks. I happened to mention that Gordon seemed to be interested in doing more with us. They were already bandmates in Hollow Earth so it all came together very quickly. Logistics were figured out and we got together. It became apparent that this arrangement was going to be more than just for the couple of gigs discussed. Nige and Gordon are both extremely loyal and committed people and they believe in the music.

There was an air of optimism and positivity about the band, the likes of which we’d not felt in years. It sounded right, it felt right. This was the band it was always supposed to be.

Work on the album continued apace as the lads got involved and put their own stamps on everything. The whole project was gone through with a fine-tooth comb. I poured myself into the lead vocal role, finding my voice in the songs, some of which I hadn’t performed before despite writing them. It was actually very liberating.

Everything was rerecorded accordingly. I invited Kirsty Frances along to perform some backing vocals. Her voice has a delicate and angelic quality which sounded great. “Stolen” in particular has a really atmospheric, haunting sound which worked amazingly with Gordon’s almost tribal tom work.

We recorded all the live drums at Cornerhouse Studio, which is where we’d recorded the drums for Orphan. Every song took on a new lease of life. Nige submitted guitar and vocal parts aplenty for each song. The whole album became a lot more developed.

Emma and I had already decided that we wanted Gordon Young to master the album having heard his sterling work on other records. Mastering is a whole dark art in itself and Gordon has magical powers which I can’t begin to understand. Gordon was also incredibly patient and supportive, offering technical and moral support throughout the last few years, long before he really got his hands on it.

It was a productive and exciting period for a while but we weren’t out of the woods yet.

It became apparent that the production would need some external help and so, after much soul searching, at the request of the band, I sought the help of Kurt Wood. In fairness I was driving myself insane. I was hitting brick walls and too many pushbacks with my mixes, finding it difficult to achieve what was required. At this point, all the events of the few years leading up to this had caught up with me and I was actually suffering quite badly with my mental health, so I took a much needed break to regroup and take stock. The prospect of handing over a production I had been meticulously working on for years to someone else was overwhelming and I felt like I was failing myself and my original vision.

After a consultation with Kurt, I felt better about it as he assured me he would be as faithful to the production I was trying to achieve as possible, whilst addressing the fundamental shortcomings. He spent a fair bit of time with me in my studio grabbing the stems and going through everything. He also explained to me that despite his many years of studio experience, he never actually produces his own music as it’s simply too much for many people to take on.

There was then a period of to-ing and fro-ing as Kurt started working on things piecemeal and remotely. However, this wasn’t working too well for any of us. When we eventually got the project to Cornerhouse properly, with us all sat around a desk, we smashed the stumbling blocks and everything very quickly sounded far more professional. It was actually good to have someone else in the driving seat and we worked much more collaboratively as a band.

I learned an awful lot in that short time, more so than I could ever do sat in my own little bubble. Everybody wanted nothing but the best for the album. That was never in doubt. I had just needed to trust the process.

We crossed the production and mixing finish line, leaving us relieved, elated but also exhausted. It was time for Gordon Young to work his magic. Gordon was delighted with what we eventually delivered to him and we were equally delighted with what emerged from his studio.

For all we had been extremely happy with the mix anyway, the mastering is the final glue that sort of holds it all together. The final bit of polish. The final sprinkling of fairy dust. The songs sounded amazing when played back on various devices but it was when I finally made an audio CD that it really shone.

Playing that back itself was a cathartic experience. The very best thing I have ever been involved in making by some margin. The rich personal history associated with every bar of the album all came flooding back to me. Every tear, every smile and every rush of excitement of when the music first unfolded. All the people who have been involved in its making from the musicians to the engineers to the trusted ears and shoulders along the way. I remain incredibly proud and grateful.

We released a single and video of “First Light” in June, with the completed studio recording. Around this time, I took the decision to remove the 2020 – 2022 singles from general circulation in order to avoid confusion. It’s no slight on anyone involved in those versions, it’s just a case of clearing the decks to make way for the album proper. They may well resurface at some point in some form.

I have been involved with quite a few projects over the years and there are undoubtedly more projects to be done, hopefully which won’t take anywhere near as long to realise but The Mandela Effect will always be a very big part of me.

Other albums exist but this one is ours.