"Are You Earthed?" is a beautiful piece of inter-genre mapmaking, within which James, David and Michael are alert wanderers, recording new vistas and noting down the co-ordinates for the human interactions observed. The darker tunnels of their last album "Imperial Metric" have given way to curvaceous, open landscapes, flooded with light.

It's a mesmerising view, taking in the fluid swirls of 'Tuesday Is Nearly Over', the avant indie 'Go Native', 'Fruit Of The Sea's grooving love yarn and contemplative instrumental 'Mountains 1'. 'As Far As I Can See' rides the crest of a dazzling guitar line. 'Violins' circles hypnotically. 'The Blue Rider' coerces a Motown bass line to ride the autobahn. '88' underpins James' spoken revelation with entrancing kaleidoscopery. 'Boats' gives the impulse to drift, 'Mountains 2' ascends to a higher state by way of smouldering guitars and an anti consumer hoarder mantra of "there'll be no things". "Are You Earthed?" takes the final aerial photograph as it locks into a space-rock orbit.

It's an entirely pleasant irony that the band should use a title indicating a desire to remain sane and grounded in the face of music industry temptations, at precisely the point when they've made an album rich enough to fuel several ego trips.

"I think we were just ready to make this record," says James. "There are elements of this record in the past, because (debut album) "Manual" is about songs and "Imperial Metric" had melody, but I suppose there's a bit of the cliché to it, in that we have learned from all those things we tried earlier and we're getting better at honing our craft."

By the start of 2002 Appliance were ready to begin recording. They were in such a positive state of mind that even the "severe flooding problems" in their Maproom studio could be turned into something useful, inspiring a running metaphor of submergence in the albums lyrics. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist James Brooks had by now rediscovered his enthusiasm for playing guitar. The band's working methods re-settled into a natural rhythm with drummer/keyboardist David Ireland and bassist/keyboardist Michael Parker fitting in to a less computerised, more 'live' style of recording.

With eleven songs in place they re-located to Berlin where remaining vocals were recorded, and Bavarian audiophile Mark Bihler put the final veneer on their sound. Significantly for a band who had started to feel troubled by their reputation as distant purveyors of electronics and 'krautrock' their Berlin sojourn was not remotely an existentially disturbing experience: "Berlin was actually really warm and gorgeous and if we had gone there and tried to record some bleak and hand wringing epic it would have all gone wrong and we'd have come out singing summery Beach Boys pop," says Michael.

"We've liked a lot of electronic music, so wanted to be part of it" says James, "but then one of Appliance strengths was that we weren't ever that. We wrote songs but had samples and used guitars also, and that's what makes it more interesting for us. We were a hybrid band and we are now, but I think "Are You Earthed?" is an upbeat and stimulating record to listen to and it deals with emotive songwriting."

"If anything it makes more sense to talk about the band in connection with New Wave groups, people like Television or Talking Heads, people who did innovative pop music, which is what Appliance are trying to do. When we formed the band The Velvet Underground were always really important and I think when you look at them, especially as you go through the albums they became a band exploring songwriting. So what I'm trying to say is I think we have a pop sensibility as well."

Appliance's history of early self reliance and their incursions into the margins of electronic/krautrock/minimalist music have given them the broadest education. James and David met at school in the '80s and found a mutual interest in bands such as Spacemen 3, Joy Division and New Wave groups.

After bedroom and garage phases, experimenting with different line ups, they recruited Michael, initially to help record early ideas and then to play bass. In early 1997 they set up their own Surveillance label and released their debut EP 'Organised Sound' on limited edition 10" vinyl, leading to sessions on both the John Peel and John Kennedy shows.

The next eighteen months were prolific and saw Appliance release a string of singles on small London based Independent labels - 'Into Your Home' EP on Plastic Cowboy, 'Outer/Rev' on Earworm records, 'Time And Space' EP on Enraptured records and a track on the Foundry records compilation "Will Our Children Thank Us". Early artwork used retro packaging and found objects to give a strong visual identity without giving in to the 'band shot'.

In the winter of 1998 they signed to Mute, releasing 'Food Music' as first single. This was soon followed by the compulsive 'Pacifica' single, a strong preview for debut album, "Manual", released in September 1999. A series of tours followed including supports with Add N To (X) and Six by Seven plus headline tours with Rothko and Electric Sound of Joy.

During their first tour of Germany, already establishing itself as an important territory for Appliance, the band asked a variety of German electronic artists to remix tracks from the "Manual" album. Kreidler, Pole, To Rococo Rot and Tarwater all obliged and it was the inspiration of some of these artists along with the influence of some their German forefathers that would hint at the next phase for Appliance. Conceptually titled 'D4' the record was released in February 2000.

The trio returned to the studio in early 2000 to work on their mini album "Six Modular Pieces" with producer Paul Corkett (The Cure, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds). Released in June 2000, it was highly acclaimed by both press and public, paving the way for the instrumentals and dark electronics of "Imperial Metric" in June 2001. The record was followed by successful shows with Goldfrapp, Echo and the Bunnymen and Hefner.

With the rounded and melodic "Are You Earthed?" completed and showing every sign of being their watershed album, Appliance are in a stronger position than ever. The new integration of their sound is one that will reach out live. The songs are radiant enough to break through the artwork, relieving James of the need to discuss how his life as a painter interfaces with his music. The machines are in their proper place, and the humanity of Appliance is upfront.

They are now free to boldly go forth and lift the roofs off venues around the world with wildly inflorescent live shows. "I think this is Appliance in the trenches really, digging in a bit," says James. "We wanted to make a really dynamic record, physically powerful when we play it live." The live shows are set to be a great experience.

Defiance by Appliance? Every home needs it.