The Essence formed in 1984 and hail from Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The band signed to [l=Midnight Music] after a year of live shows in their native Holland, and in 1985 released their debut 12" single "Endless Lakes" and their first full-length album, "Purity". After the release of "[r=377157]" in 1991, the band went through a period of transition until the release of "Glow" in 1995. Hans Diener remains the only founding member of the band still active.