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Space rock

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"Space metal" redirects here. For other uses, see Space Metal.
For other uses, see Space rock (disambiguation).
Space rock
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1960s and early 1970s, United Kingdom
Derivative forms
Other topics

Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound.[1] It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drumming, languid vocals, synthesizers, and lyrical themes of outer space and science fiction.

The genre emerged in late 1960s psychedelia and progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Hawkwind,[1] and Gong[2] who explored a "cosmic" sound. Similar sounds were pursued in the early 1970s' West German kosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene.

History

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Origins: 1950s-1960s

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See also: Progressive rock and Psychedelic rock

Humanity's entry into outer space provided ample subject matter for rock and roll and R&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 album I Hear a New World by British producer and songwriter Joe Meek. The album was inspired by the space race and concerned human'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 a clavioline, an electronic forerunner of the synthesizers.

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 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, and their third, More (1969) had "Cirrus Minor".

Hawkwind, an influential space rock band

Peak: 1970s-1980s

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In the early 1970s, West Germany's kosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene developed among artists who explored "spacy", ambient instrumental soundscapes.[8] The term is frequently used as a synonym of krautrock,[9] but may also be used as a German analogue to the English term "space rock".[10] These artists often explored electronic music, synthesizers, and themes related to space or otherworldliness.[11][8] Examples included artists like Ash Ra Tempel, Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh, and Klaus Schulze.[10]

In early 1971, Pink Floyd began writing the song that would become known as "Echoes", from the 1971 album Meddle. 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 was Hawkwind's Space Ritual (1973),[12] a two-disc live album advertised as "88 minutes of brain-damage" documenting Hawkwind's 1972 tour that included a liquid light show 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 drug users, science-fiction fans and motorcycle riders. The science fiction author Michael Moorcock collaborated with Hawkwind on many occasions and wrote the lyrics for many of the spoken-word sections on Space Ritual.

In Europe, Hungarian band Omega was the biggest space rock band with albums Time Robber (1976), Skyrover (1978), and Gammapolis (1979). Other European bands include the progressive rock groups Eloy and Nektar. Nektar, who were known for having a rhythmic liquid/slide light show at their concerts, released their album Journey to the Centre of the Eye in 1971.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Space rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ Nickson, Chris. "Shapeshifter – Gong | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Joe Meek: The RGM Legacy". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  4. ^ AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger
  5. ^ Bruce Eder, Astronomy Domine song review, AllMusic
  6. ^ Nicholas Schaffner, "Saucerful of secrets: the Pink Floyd odyssey", (Dell, 1992), ISBN 0-385-30684-9, p.66.
  7. ^ Richie Unterberger, Interstellar Overdrive song review, AllMusic
  8. ^ a b Adelt 2016.
  9. ^ Seabrook, Thomas Jerome (2008). Bowie in Berlin: A New Career in a New Town. Jawbone Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-906002-08-4. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. ^ a b Horn, David; Shepherd, John, eds. (2017). Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 11. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 177.
  11. ^ Harden, Alexander C (31 December 2016). "Kosmische Musik and its Techno-Social Context". IASPM Journal. 6 (2): 154–173. doi:10.5429/2079-3871(2016)v6i2.9en. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  12. ^ Wilson Neate, Space Ritual review, AllMusic
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