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Tiles - Biography


This band's profile is 'invisible', meaning that it's much less prominent on the site - either because it's incomplete, or maybe doesn't entirely fit MS format.


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1999-

Biography

TILES is a progressive hard rock band from Detroit, MI featuring Mark Evans (drums), Chris Herin (guitar), Paul Rarick (vocals), and Jeff Whittle (bass). Signed to Inside Out Music in North America and Europe, TILES was formed in February 1993. The past twelve years have seen the band develop and refine a sound that blends experimental progressive rock overtones with an aggressive hard rock edge. Mixed with lyrics of an "observational" or "human experience" quality, TILES continues to cultivate a sound that rewards more than just passive listening. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull calls TILES "?undoubtedly one of the brighter hopes for the musical millennium!"

TILES released their fourth CD Window Dressing in the summer of 2004. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Terry Brown (Rush, Cutting Crew, Fates Warning), "Window Dressing" received excellent reviews worldwide and was nominated for a 2005 Detroit Music Award. The CD features the design and artwork of award winning artist Hugh Syme (Aerosmith, Rush, Megadeth), and features several special guests: Kim Mitchell (Max Webster), guitar; Matthew Parmenter (Discipline), violin; and Hugh Syme, keyboards. "WindowDressing" was issued with a bonus "live bootleg" CD from the band's 1999 European tour with Dream Theater.

TILES released their third CD Presents of Mind worldwide in the summer of 1999. Bolstered by positive reviews, airplay, and strong word-of-mouth, "Presents of Mind" became the band's best-selling CD to date and generated an invitation from Dream Theater to open their November 1999 European tour. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy offered his endorsement: 'I love this CD! The entire disc is full of great musicianship and great songwriting with catchy hooks.'

TILES first reached the international music scene in the summer of 1995 when Polydor released tiles throughout Europe on the Dream Circle Records label. Sales were strong with the help of excellent reviews from Aardschok in the Netherlands (91/100), SCREAM in Norway (6/6), Rock Hard in Germany (8/10), and others. On the opposite side of the world, Teichiku Records revised the artwork and released the disc in Japan. Burrn! Magazine rated "tiles" an 88/100 saying "...(tiles is) a wonderful album with a very high level of technique and a great melodic sense." The CD entered the Burrn! chart at #47.

TILES released their second CD, Fence the Clear, in the spring of 1997 and overseas in Europe and Japan in the fall of 1997. The disc was again well received by fans and reviews were positive with "Fence the Clear" scoring 94/100 in Aardschok, 5/6 in SCREAM, earning HM Magazine's "Pick of the Litter" award, and the Detroit Free Press naming TILES "Detroit's leading progressive rock band." The band's first three CDs have been re-mastered with bonus tracks, expanded packaging, and reissued as part of InsideOut's Special Edition series in March 2004.


Source: Official website (http://www.tiles-music.com)