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