Deep Groove Encyclopedia

Presence

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Hailing from England, Presence is a six piece band capable of Massive Attack-styled downtempo excursions or lush, well-written house songs. The leader of the group is Charles Webster, who has produced numerous songs under his own name and in collaboration with the likes of Anthony Nicholson.

Presence's Deepest Grooves

All Systems Gone (Ark 21, 2000)
One of the most well-rounded dance albums I have heard in a long time. The songwriting and arrangements are structured like the classics, with strong hooks and timely instrumental passages that don't overstay their welcome. Each vocalist brings a different character to the material: Shara Nelson has the most traditionally soulful voice, Sara Jay a melancholy spirit and Steve Edwards the longing falsetto. Webster does a great job in assigning the right track to the proper singer and pacing the album so that it doesn't stay stuck in one mood for too long. "Sense of Danger" and "Brighter Day" were the most popular singles, but the entire thing is steeped in quality.

Born On the 4th of July - Charles Webster (Statra, 2001)
Stepping out into the spotlight under his own name, Webster takes influences from house, downtempo, and soul and records one of the year's more acclaimed discs. Vocal assistance is provided by Terra Deva, Steve Edwards, Kevin Brown, and Sara Jay. Essential cuts are "Ready" and "I'm Falling."