Album Notes

Full Length Solo Debut from Portland's Electronic & HipHop Producer


Absence was born in Mesa, Arizona as Michael Reiver on the morning of Halloween 1973. Music has been a major part of Absences life since the age of seven. Starting with the piano, moving on to saxophone and then the bass guitar. He gained quite the thirst for performing, leading him to form the band Guano which shocked the Tempe scene for over five years. In 1999 he attended The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences and earned a degree in Audio Production. With his studies he gained a wealth of knowledge that he continues to apply, improve, and perfect. Arizona soon became too hot and stagnant for Absence so he decided to move to Seattle, Washington. There he landed an internship at Jungle Studios. His talent and hard work earned him a Chief Audio Editor and Line Producer/Engineer position in a relatively short amount of time. This allowed Absence much more experience in a commercial setting of the audio production industry . Through a turn of events and a hunger for more Absence moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue his dreams more fully. The oasis of talent and inspiring artists that lay in Portland was a decisive factor in the move. The city was steaming with individuals who needed his skills, shared his same ideals about music, and most importantly, have not been tainted by discovery. There was a movement not yet born that Absence needed to be a part of. Along with his crew, he is poised to redefine the music seen locally and then globally.