| Space rock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1960s and early 1970s, United Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
| Subgenres | |
| Space rock revival | |
| Other topics | |
Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumentaltextures that typically produce ahypnotic, otherworldly sound.[1] It may featuredistorted andreverberation-laden guitars, minimal drumming, languid vocals,synthesizers, and lyrical themes ofouter space andscience fiction.
The genre emerged in late 1960spsychedelia andprogressive rock bands such asPink Floyd,Hawkwind,[1] andGong[2] who explored a "cosmic" sound. Similar sounds were pursued in the early 1970s' West Germankosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene. Later, the style was taken up in the mid-1980s bySpacemen 3, whose "drone-heavy" sound was avowedly inspired by and intended to accommodate drug use. By the 1990s, space rock developed intoshoegaze andpost-rock with bands such asthe Verve andFlying Saucer Attack.[1]
Humanity's entry intoouter space provided ample subject matter forrock and roll andR&B songs from the mid-1950s through the early 1960s. It also inspired new sounds and sound effects to be used in the music itself. A prominent early example of space rock is the 1959 concept albumI Hear a New World by British producer and songwriterJoe Meek. The album was inspired by thespace race and concerned humanity's first close encounter with alien life forms.[3] Meek then went on to have a UK and US No 1 success in 1961 with "Telstar", named after the newly launched communications satellite and thus intended to commemorate the new space age. Its main instrument was aclavioline, an electronic forerunner of thesynthesizers.
The Beatles' song "Flying" (1967), originally titled "Aerial Tour Instrumental", was a psychedelic instrumental about the sensation of flying, whether in a craft or in your own head space.[4]Jimi Hendrix is also an early innovator of the genre, with such tracks as "Third Stone from the Sun", "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" and "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice".
Pink Floyd's early albums contain pioneering examples of space rock: "Astronomy Domine",[5] "Pow R. Toc H."[6] and "Interstellar Overdrive"[7] from their 1967 debut albumThe Piper at the Gates of Dawn are examples, withfree-form improvisations from lead guitarist and then-bandleaderSyd Barrett. Their second albumA Saucerful of Secrets contained further examples: "Let There Be More Light" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" with explicitscience fiction themes, and their third,More (1969) had "Cirrus Minor".
In the early 1970s, West Germany'skosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene developed among artists who explored "spacy",ambient instrumental soundscapes.[8] The term is frequently used as a synonym ofkrautrock,[9] but may also be used as a German analogue to the English term "space rock".[10] These artists often exploredelectronic music,synthesizers, andthemes related to space or otherworldliness.[11][12] Examples included artists likeAsh Ra Tempel,Tangerine Dream,Popol Vuh, andKlaus Schulze.[10]
In early 1971, Pink Floyd began writing the song that would become known as "Echoes", from the 1971 albumMeddle. The song was performed from April until September 1971, with an alternative set of lyrics, written about two planets meeting in space.
A major album in the history of space rock wasHawkwind'sSpace Ritual (1973),[13] a two-disc live album advertised as "88 minutes of brain-damage" documenting Hawkwind's 1972 tour that included aliquid light show and lasers, nude dancers (notably the earth-mother figureStacia), wild costumes and psychedelic imagery. This hard-edged concert experience attracted a motley but dedicated collection of psychedelic drug users, science-fiction fans and motorcycle riders. The science fiction authorMichael Moorcock collaborated with Hawkwind on many occasions and wrote the lyrics for many of the spoken-word sections onSpace Ritual.
In Europe, Hungarian bandOmega produced albums such asTime Robber (1976),Skyrover (1978), andGammapolis (1979). Other European bands include the progressive rock groupsEloy andNektar. Nektar, who were known for having a rhythmic liquid/slide light show at their concerts, released their albumJourney to the Centre of the Eye in 1971. Another European band of the period were the FrenchRockets, formed in 1974 and relocated to Italy in 1978.
The late 1980s and early 1990s space rock revival extended fromshoegaze,dream pop, and related indie genres, as well as the first wave ofpost-rock. In the United Kingdom and the United States, it included bands such asSpacemen 3,Spectrum,Spiritualized,the Verve,My Bloody Valentine,Flying Saucer Attack,Failure,Duster, Magic Mushroom Band,[14][15] andOzric Tentacles.[16]
In the mid-1990s, a number of bands built on the space rock styles of Hawkwind andGong appeared in America. Some of these bands were signed toCleopatra Records, which then proceeded to release numerous space rock compilations. Starting in 1997,Daevid Allen of Gong, along with members of Hawkwind, Clearlight, andBlue Öyster Cult, started to perform withSpirits Burning, a studio project created to celebrate space rock.
The Strange Daze festivals from 1997 to 2001 showcased the American space rock scene in three-day outdoor festivals. AMichigan-based space rock scene includedBurnt Hair Records,Darla Records, and bands such asWindy & Carl,Mahogany,Sweet Trip,Füxa, andAuburn Lull. This was a modern movement of the traditional "space rock" sound and was pinned Detroit Space Rock.[17]
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