Space rock: Difference between revisions
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By the early 1990s, the term "space rock" came to be used when describing numerous American and British [[alternative rock]] bands of the time. [[Shoegazing]] and [[noise pop]] genres emerged into the mainstream with the explosion of bands like [[Slowdive]], [[The Verve]], [[My Bloody Valentine]], [[Ride]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Failure (band)|Failure]], [[Monster Magnet]] and [[Hum (band)|Hum]]. The sonic experimentation and emphasis placed on texture by these bands led them to be dubbed "space rock". By 1991 (see [[1991 in music]]), however, the original space rock bands had mostly fallen apart and the musicians had moved on to new bands or new styles. |
By the early 1990s, the term "space rock" came to be used when describing numerous American and British [[alternative rock]] bands of the time. [[Shoegazing]] and [[noise pop]] genres emerged into the mainstream with the explosion of bands like [[Slowdive]], [[The Verve]], [[My Bloody Valentine]], [[Ride]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Failure (band)|Failure]], [[Monster Magnet]] and [[Hum (band)|Hum]]. The sonic experimentation and emphasis placed on texture by these bands led them to be dubbed "space rock". By 1991 (see [[1991 in music]]), however, the original space rock bands had mostly fallen apart and the musicians had moved on to new bands or new styles. |
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In the mid 1990s, a number of bands built on the space rock styles of Hawkwind and [[Gong (band)|Gong]] appeared in America. Some of these bands (such as Pressurehed and Melting Euphoria) were signed to Cleopatra records, which then proceeded to release numerous space rock compilations. The [[Strange Daze]] festivals from 1997-2000 showcased the American space rock scene in 3 day outdoor festivals. Headlined by Hawkwind and Nik Turner in 1997, the festivals featured |
In the mid 1990s, a number of bands built on the space rock styles of Hawkwind and [[Gong (band)|Gong]] appeared in America. Some of these bands (such as Pressurehed and Melting Euphoria) were signed to Cleopatra records, which then proceeded to release numerous space rock compilations. The [[Strange Daze]] festivals from 1997-2000 showcased the American space rock scene in 3 day outdoor festivals. Headlined by Hawkwind and Nik Turner in 1997, the festivals featured major players of American space rock: F/i, [[Alien Planetscapes]], [[Architectural Metaphor]], [[Quarkspace]], [[Melting Euphoria]], [[Pressurehed]], Nucleon, [[Bionaut]], Born to Go and others. |
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== Examples of space rock == |
== Examples of space rock == |
Revision as of 01:28, 18 July 2008
Space rock | |
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Stylistic origins | Progressive rock, psychedelic rock, electronic music |
Cultural origins | Late 1960s, England |
Typical instruments | guitar, synthesiser, bass guitar, drums, vocals |
Fusion genres | |
Shoegazing, noise pop, post-rock, stoner rock, ambient music |
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early mostly British 1970s progressive rock and psychedelic bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd,[1] characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by synthesisers, experimental guitar work and science fiction lyrical themes, though it was later repurposed to refer to a series of late 1980s British alternative rock bands that drew from earlier influences to create a more melodic but still ambient form of pop music.[2]
History
Precursors
The probable earliest example of something like space rock is a song written in the 1940s by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger for a BBC radio show called You're Only Young Once. The song is called "Space Girl" and parodies most of the major themes of 1940s science fiction. A version of the song was recorded on "The World of Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger" volume 2: Songs from the radio ballads, released in 1971 on Argo Records. A much shorter version of the same song was recorded in the 1960s by Shirley Collins.
Emergence
Space rock emerged from the late 1960s psychedelic music scene in Britain and was closely associated with the progressive rock movement of the same time period.
Pink Floyd's early albums contain pioneering development of space rock on some tracks; for example "Astronomy Domine" [3] and "Interstellar Overdrive" [4] from their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn are examples. Their second album A Saucerful of Secrets contained further examples: "Let There Be More Light" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" with explicit science fiction themes.
David Bowie's, "Space Oddity" (1969) is probably the best example of a space rock song achieving mainstream recognition. A major album in the history of space rock was Hawkwind's Space Ritual (1973),[5] a two-disc live album advertised as "88 minutes of brain-damage" documenting Hawkwind's successful 1972 tour of their blow-out show complete with liquid lights and lasers, nude dancers (notably the earth-mother figure Stacia), wild costumes and psychedelic imagery. This hard-edged concert experience attracted a motley but dedicated collection of psychedelic drugs users, science-fiction fans and motorcycle riders. The science fiction author Michael Moorcock collaborated with Hawkwind on many occasions: for example, he wrote the lyrics for many of the spoken-word sections on Space Ritual.
1990s revival
By the early 1990s, the term "space rock" came to be used when describing numerous American and British alternative rock bands of the time. Shoegazing and noise pop genres emerged into the mainstream with the explosion of bands like Slowdive, The Verve, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, The Flaming Lips, Failure, Monster Magnet and Hum. The sonic experimentation and emphasis placed on texture by these bands led them to be dubbed "space rock". By 1991 (see 1991 in music), however, the original space rock bands had mostly fallen apart and the musicians had moved on to new bands or new styles.
In the mid 1990s, a number of bands built on the space rock styles of Hawkwind and Gong appeared in America. Some of these bands (such as Pressurehed and Melting Euphoria) were signed to Cleopatra records, which then proceeded to release numerous space rock compilations. The Strange Daze festivals from 1997-2000 showcased the American space rock scene in 3 day outdoor festivals. Headlined by Hawkwind and Nik Turner in 1997, the festivals featured major players of American space rock: F/i, Alien Planetscapes, Architectural Metaphor, Quarkspace, Melting Euphoria, Pressurehed, Nucleon, Bionaut, Born to Go and others.
Examples of space rock
![]() | Before adding a band to this section, its article must include the term "space rock" with link to this article in its introductory paragraph(s), and again in the "genre" list in its infobox, if it has one. Bands will be removed from the list if they do not meet this criteria. |
- Ash Ra Tempel
- Bardo Pond
- Codeseven
- Cosmic Jokers
- Dream Machine
- Eloy
- The Flaming Lips
- Failure
- Flying Saucer Attack
- FM
- Füxa
- Gong
- Hawkwind
- Hidria Spacefolk
- Lothar and the Hand People
- Ozric Tentacles
- Pink Floyd
- The Secret Machines
- Spacemen 3
- Space Ritual
- Spiritualized
- Windy and Carl
- Zombi
Notes
- ^ Richie Unterberger, Pink Floyd biography Allmusic
- ^ Space Rock, Allmusic
- ^ Bruce Eder, Astronomy Domine song review, Allmusic
- ^ Richie Unterberger, Interstellar Overdrive song review, Allmusic
- ^ Wilson Neate, Space Ritual review, Allmusic