Gavin Harrison's Drum Setup on Porcupine Tree's In Absentia (2002) | MetalForge
Gavin Harrison recorded In Absentia (2002) on a Sonor custom maple kit (developing SQ2 relationship) kit with a Sonor snare (early Gavin Harrison signature development) snare.
Gavin Harrison's debut Porcupine Tree drum setup on In Absentia (2002) — the album that brought the band to a major label and introduced his jazz-inflected, ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drums did Gavin Harrison use on In Absentia?
Gavin Harrison recorded In Absentia (2002) — his debut with Porcupine Tree — on an early custom Sonor maple kit: a 22" x 17" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms, all built with thin shells for sensitivity. His cymbals were already the Zildjian K Custom Special Dry series he would use for the rest of his Porcupine Tree career, anchored by a 21" Special Dry Ride and 14" Special Dry Hi-Hats. His primary snare was a 14" x 5.25" brass drum, an early version of what would become his full Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature snare.
When did Gavin Harrison join Porcupine Tree?
Gavin Harrison joined Porcupine Tree in 2002, and In Absentia was his first studio album with the band. The record marked Porcupine Tree's first release on a major label (Lava/Atlantic) and reoriented the band's sound toward the heavier, more rhythmically intricate direction that would carry through Deadwing (2005) and Fear of a Blank Planet (2007). See the full profile at [Gavin Harrison at MetalForge](/drummer/gavin-harrison).
Where was In Absentia recorded?
In Absentia was recorded primarily at Avatar Studios in New York, with additional sessions at Air Lyndhurst in London, No Man's Land in Hemel Hempstead, New Rising in Colchester, and Red Room Recorders in Tampa. Steven Wilson produced the album, which was engineered by Paul Northfield.
What is the most important drum track on In Absentia?
"The Sound of Muzak" is the most studied Gavin Harrison performance on In Absentia — its shifting, polyrhythmic foundation showcases the ghost-note vocabulary and odd-meter grooves that would become his signature. "Blackest Eyes" and "Trains" are also frequently cited for the way Harrison's drumming tracks the songs' dynamic contrasts between delicate and heavy sections.