AurA  

Released: November 2001  
Format: CD / 2CD / 2LP  
Singles: Evangeline, Shine Like The Stars  
Produced by Wayne Hussey, mixed by Steve Power, & David M Allen

Wayne: Craig and I had put the band back together in 1999 for a tour of the USA, bringing back MGT and enlisting Scott Garrett on drums who'd been in The Cult with Craig. We enjoyed it so much that we carried on and ended up making a new album. This is a strong set of Mission songs, imho, crowned by The Light That Pours From You, Dragonfly, & In Denial. But take yer pick, they're all good. The only real flaw with this album is that it was the first we'd recorded using the-then industry standard Protools software and, to my ears, it does sound very digital. 

Mark Gemini Thwaite: During the three year hiatus after Blue, I had joined Tricky’s band and was pleasantly surprised when Wayne invited me to return to the reformed Mission. Aura marked a distinct return to form for the band, the three year break had done Wayne some good, he had rediscovered his muse, and he came back with a fistful of new songs and a fighting spirit. I hadn’t been in the band with Craig before, he had departed the year before I joined back in ’92, so there was a different band dynamic during this period. Some great tunes on this album, including Dragonfly, Shine Like The Stars and Slave (To Lust), one of my fave riff contributions. Due to touring commitments with Tricky leading to a schedule clash, I fell out of favour with the band on the eve of this album's release, so it's ultimately a bittersweet record for me, but as they say, never say never...