Transmission (The Tea Party album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Transmission

| type = studio

| artist = the Tea Party

| cover = transmissionalbum.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1997|08|19}}

| recorded =

| studio = Alkemical Studios (Montreal), NRG Studios (Los Angeles), Le Studio (Morin Heights)

| genre = Industrial rock, hard rock

| length = 49:34

| label =

| producer = Jeff Martin

| prev_title = Alhambra

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Triptych

| next_year = 1999

| misc = {{Singles

| type= studio

| single1 = Temptation

| single1date = July 1997

| single2 = Babylon

| single2date = September 1997

| single3 = Release

| single3date = April 1998

| single4 = Psychopomp

| single4date = 1998

| single5 = Gyroscope

| single5date = 1998

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = Allmusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r308623|label=Transmission|pure_url=yes}} link]

}}

Transmission is the fourth album recorded by the Canadian band the Tea Party, released in 1997. AllMusic described the album as "Sounding a lot like a Nine Inch Nails of the north... Full of hard rock thrust with industrial edge".{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/transmission-mw0000025491 |title=Transmission – The Tea Party |last=Chrispell |first=James |website=AllMusic |access-date=13 February 2024}}

While still using several exotic instruments and maintaining the "eastern" influence in the recording, many songs also include samples, sequencers and loops alongside the traditional acoustic instruments. The album makes lyrical references to the afterlife ("Psychopomp"), the dystopian works of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Yevgeny Zamyatin ("Army Ants") and Giovanni Piranesi's 'Imaginary Prisons' ("Alarum").

Transmission continued to build on the momentum generated by The Edges of Twilight, receiving a 1998 Juno nomination for "Blockbuster Rock Album of the Year". An edited version of the single "Temptation", as well as an instrumental version of "Babylon", can be found on the PlayStation game Road Rash 3D, from the same year.

Commercial performance

Transmission reached #3 on the Canadian Albums Chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822190427/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-tea-party/chart-history/canadian-albums|title=The Tea Party: Chart History: Billboard Canadian Albums|magazine=Billboard}} It was among the top 60 best-selling albums in Canada in 1997.{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010320221621/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/ALBUMS_1997.html|title=ALBUMS : Top 100 of 1997}} In 1999, the album was certified Double Platinum in Canada.{{cite web|url=https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Transmission&_gp_certification=double-platinum-albums|title=Gold & Platinum|website=musiccanada.com}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

|title1 = Temptation

|length1 = 3:25

|title2 = Army Ants

|length2 = 3:33

|title3 = Psychopomp

|length3 = 5:17

|title4 = Gyroscope

|length4 = 2:56

|title5 = Alarum

|length5 = 4:58

|title6 = Release

|length6 = 4:05

|title7 = Transmission

|length7 = 5:17

|title8 = Babylon

|length8 = 2:50

|title9 = Pulse

|length9 = 4:09

|title10 = Emerald

|length10 = 4:51

|title11 = Aftermath

|length11 = 5:43

}}

=Hidden tracks=

Transmission contains two hidden pieces of music, both hidden in the pregap:

An untitled piece consisting solely of electronically processed voices and sounds is located between tracks 6 and 7, lasting approximately 15 seconds
An instrumental piece entitled "Embryo", lasting approximately 2 minutes, can be found between tracks 8 and 9

Personnel

Production

Produced and recorded by: Jeff Martin
Recording assistants: Don Hachey and Lee Moro
Recorded at: Alkemical Studios (Montreal), NRG Studios (Los Angeles), Le Studio (Morin Heights)
Mixed by: Jeff Martin
Tracks 2, 3, and 6 mixed by: Jeff Martin and Adam Kasper
Mixed at: NRG Studios (Los Angeles), Studio Morin Heights (Morin Heights)
Mastered by: Bob Ludwig
Mastered at: Gateway Mastering (Portland)
Assistants: Don Hachey, Brian Virtue and Robert Carranza

Design

Cover painting: "The Earth We Inherit" by Stuart Chatwood
Concept: Stuart Chatwood and James St. Laurent
Art design: Verve Graphic Design Consultants Inc.

Charts and sales

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Transmission

! scope="col"| Chart (1997)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Australia|5|artist=The Tea Party|album=Transmission|rowheader=true|access-date=October 20, 2022}}

=Sales=

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|nocert=true|salesamount=200,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=200%2C000%25sold&pg=PA54|title=Canadian Acts Struggle For U.S. Release|first=Larry|last=LeBlanc|author-link=Larry LeBlanc|access-date=September 10, 2023|date=August 7, 1999|magazine=Billboard|page=54}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|nocert=true|salesamount=32,000|salesref=}}

20th anniversary tour

{{Infobox album

| name = Tx 20

| cover = The_Tea_Party_-_Tx_20.jpg

| alt =

| type = EP

| artist = The Tea Party

| released = October 19, 2017

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 17:44

| label = Eternal Discs

| producer =

| prev_title = The Ocean at the End

| prev_year = 2014

| next_title = Black River EP

| next_year = 2019

}}

In 2017 The Tea Party celebrated the 20th anniversary of Transmission with a world tour and release of a remix EP. The 20 Years of Transmission Tour was promoted on social media through hashtag #tx20. From February 2017 to April 2017 the band played 33 shows across Canada, Buffalo, NY and along the US west coast.{{cite web|url=https://www.teaparty.com/tour?calendar_page_prev=5|title=The Tea Party - Tour - previous events|access-date=July 27, 2020}} Six additional concerts were played in Australia October 27 through November 10, 2017. The Tea Party played Transmission in full, including songs never before played live,{{cite web|url=https://heavymag.com.au/tea-party-interview/|title=The Tea Party In "Transmission" Through Jeff Martin|website=Heavy Mag|author=Dave Giffiths|date=October 16, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2020}} then after a break they performed a second set of the band's hit songs."{{cite web|url=https://girlatarockshow.com/2017/11/02/the-tea-party-20-years-into-transmission/|title=The Tea Party 20 Years Into Transmission - Stuart Chatwood interview|website=girlatarockshow|date=November 2, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2020}} Fans purchasing a concert VIP package could also receive a special limited edition Transmission coffee table book{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chatwood/status/816430497035206656|title=Stuart Chatwood on Twitter|publisher=Twitter|date=January 3, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2020}} containing a photo essay compiled by band member Stuart Chatwood that covered the album's release period.

=Tx 20=

Tx 20 is a studio EP by The Tea Party containing four reworked modern versions of songs from Transmission. Preceding the Australian leg of the 20th anniversary world tour, the digital-only release first appeared on Spotify in the Australia region on October 19, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chatwood/status/921156482133045251|title=Stuart Chatwood on Twitter|publisher=Twitter|date=October 19, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2020}} October 27 it was made available worldwide on streaming music services as well as lossless audio and MP3 digital downloads from the band's web site.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/theteapartyband/status/923845990687244289|title=The Tea Party on Twitter|publisher=Twitter|date=October 27, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2020}}