# Gavin Harrison's Drum Setup on Porcupine Tree's In Absentia (2002)

> 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, dynamically extreme drumming to a wider audience.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Gavin Harrison](/llms/drummers/gavin-harrison.md)
**Band / Album:** Porcupine Tree — *In Absentia* (2002)
**Genre:** Progressive Metal / Art Rock
**Label:** Lava / Atlantic
**Studio:** Avatar Studios, New York; additional sessions at Air Lyndhurst (London), No Man's Land (Hemel Hempstead), New Rising (Colchester) and Red Room Recorders (Tampa)
**Producer:** Steven Wilson

## Overview

Released September 24, 2002, *In Absentia* is the album that introduced Gavin Harrison to Porcupine Tree — and introduced Porcupine Tree, for the first time, to a major label audience. Signed to Lava/Atlantic, the band paired with producer Steven Wilson to record 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. It was Harrison's first studio recording with the band, and it reoriented Porcupine Tree's sound toward the heavier, more rhythmically intricate direction that would define the next decade of their career.

Harrison's arrival is audible from the opening track. "Blackest Eyes" alternates between a driving, distorted verse riff and delicate acoustic sections, and Harrison's drumming tracks that contrast precisely. "Trains" showcases his ability to build a groove from a simple pattern and layer subtle variation into every repetition, while "The Sound of Muzak" — built on a shifting, polyrhythmic foundation — became one of the most studied Harrison performances of his early Porcupine Tree tenure.

The rig he brought into the studio was still evolving toward the fully custom Sonor SQ2 setup that would define his later work, but the essential elements were already in place: a maple kit built for sensitivity, and the Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals that would remain a constant across his entire Porcupine Tree discography.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Sonor custom maple kit (developing SQ2 relationship)
- **Bass Drum:** 22" x 17"
- **Rack Toms:** 10" x 8", 12" x 9"
- **Floor Toms:** 14" x 13", 16" x 15"
- **Snare (primary):** Sonor brass snare, 14" x 5.25" (early signature development)
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom Special Dry series
- **Hi-Hats:** Zildjian 14" K Custom Special Dry
- **Crashes:** Zildjian 16" K Custom Special Dry, Zildjian 18" K Custom Special Dry
- **Ride:** Zildjian 21" K Custom Special Dry
- **China:** Zildjian 18" K Custom Trash China
- **Pedal:** Sonor bass drum pedal (pre-Perfect Balance)
- **Hardware:** Sonor stands and hi-hat stand
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter snare), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium to medium-high — responsive across a wide dynamic range

### The Early Custom Kit: Building Toward the SQ2

The kit Harrison brought to the *In Absentia* sessions was the early stage of the relationship with Sonor that would eventually produce his fully bespoke SQ2 configuration. The core specification was already the one he would carry through the rest of his Porcupine Tree career: thin maple shells for maximum sensitivity, a 22" bass drum sized for articulation rather than raw power, and a four-tom spread tuned as melodic voices.

### Early Signature Snare Work

Harrison's primary snare on *In Absentia* was an early version of the brass-shell drum that would later become his full Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature snare. The brass shell gives soft strokes warmth and body that a steel shell can't match, essential on a record where the snare carries as much textural weight as rhythmic weight.

### Zildjian K Custom Special Dry: Already Established

By the time Harrison entered the studio for *In Absentia*, his Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbal setup was already established — the same series he would continue using, essentially unchanged, across the rest of his Porcupine Tree discography. The 21" Special Dry Ride carries the bulk of the album's groove-based sections, and the 14" Special Dry Hi-Hats drive the intricate rhythmic conversation at the heart of "The Sound of Muzak."

## Key Facts

- Released September 24, 2002 on Lava/Atlantic
- Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, with additional sessions across four other studios
- Porcupine Tree's first release on a major label
- Gavin Harrison's debut studio recording with Porcupine Tree
- Standout tracks: "Blackest Eyes," "Trains," "The Sound of Muzak"
- Estimated full setup value: $7,700–$11,050

## FAQ

**Q: What drums did Gavin Harrison use on In Absentia?**
A: 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.

**Q: When did Gavin Harrison join Porcupine Tree?**
A: 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).

**Q: Where was In Absentia recorded?**
A: 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.

**Q: What is the most important drum track on In Absentia?**
A: "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.

## Related Articles

- **Full drummer profile**: [Gavin Harrison at MetalForge](/drummer/gavin-harrison)
- **Deadwing gear**: [Deadwing Drum Setup](/articles/deadwing-drum-setup)
- **Fear of a Blank Planet gear**: [Fear of a Blank Planet Drum Setup](/articles/fear-of-a-blank-planet-drum-setup)
- **Gavin Harrison kit guide**: [Gavin Harrison Porcupine Tree Drum Setup](/articles/gavin-harrison-porcupine-tree-drum-setup)