 As both composer and performer Bates was a key part of the band, and his imminent and inevitable departure would irrevocably change it.Following a "last, stiff, uncomfortable date" in September 1993, the first lineup of Earthworks came to an end and all four musicians went their separate ways.The band would be commemorated with a live album (1994's "Live – Stamping Ground", taken mostly from American dates) and the subsequent compilation "Heavenly Bodies".