HW:Space rock...What it is ?

[Jon Jarrett]

        Defining space-rock... heh heh, a while back I got a message
passed on to me from a guy in New Zealand who was asking for just that for
some music project he was doing at school. Back then I had more time on my
hands so I'll reproduce what I wrote and see if anyone
agrees/disagrees... My own personal take on it only of course:

"It's called space-rock because it generally has a science or sci-fi
inspiration, because it uses space-age technology in the sounds (I think
it's fair to say we're not really in the space age anymore), and because
it is drawn-out and ambient in a way that's best described as spacey or
spaced-out (the best stuff is of course both... 'Space is Deep'). The
other explanation is of course that it sounds like a Saturn Five taking
off (cue 'Born To Go' on stereo...)

        It's underground music. There is no such thing as establishment
space-rock, it's not popular enough to be mainstream, and so it can afford
to remain anti-establishment. It tends therefore to take on an aspect of
social commentary. Hawkwind went through a distinct transition: from
"Let's all just get into space man!" to "Life on earth needs some serious
attention". Probably largely Calvert's fault, but Brock does it too
nowadays. Anyway.

        Lyrical, more difficult. Long technical words favoured. Subjects
generally space-related, but sword and sorcery fantasy stuff also
acceptable fare. Of course, you can write anything you like and call it
space-rock. Drugs don't have to be involved, but do enliven it
sometimes. And altered awareness is definitely a characteristic of the
genre. Not for nothing did Dave Brock use to mix Hawkwind's albums while
tripping - not only did he catch more of it that way, he was also working
for the sort of audience that would be listening to it.

        Nowadays of course acid isn't so popular, and Hawkwind
particularly claim to be able to get similar effects just by strange
noises and a good lightshow, but the aim is still alteration. This is
perhaps the other reason it's called space-rock. It's not outer space it's
exploring, but the listener's inner space.

        Hawkwind's Space Ritual concept is informative here. The idea was,
by using a Pythagorean arrangement of the musicians to represent the solar
system, and adding the psychic energy generated by the audience when the
music was played at them, to create a kind of mystical space-ship, the
Starship Hawkwind, which would take the audience on a trip through a kind
of shared inner space. Sounds like twaddle? Maybe, but on acid it might
have worked and the music can certainly open one's mind just by itself, or
at least lift it out of the everyday. If you don't believe me listen to
'Space Ritual' through headphones good and loud with the lights off, and
after ten minutes just gently assess your state of mind. I find 'altered'
is the only word that expresses it.

        That's sort of one and three together. As for the variations, you
can sort of go from space to rock, I suppose. Certainly some electronic
music has a claim to be called space-rock, and the ambient movement are
operating in the same territory; at the same time, progressive rock
certainly touches space-rock in places. Farflung are an LA band that are
trying very hard to make space-rock 'progress', and they make a very
interesting noise, although they can do the basic stuff also with
admirable skill. At the other extreme, you get bands like Monster Magnet
who have a following of sorts on the metal scene, and are much more rock
(these days) than space. A Hawkwind spin-off band, Bedouin, have been
described as a psychedelic Motorhead. But they're definitely
space-rock. Ozric Tentacles get called space-rock, and they have the
repetitive/mesmeric structures that Hawkwind used. ST37, an American band,
play almost totally random music over steady bass and drums that owes more
to Krautrock than Hawkwind, but it's the same theory. The whole of the
German Krautrock phenomenon probably has a good claim to be called
space-rock, especially bands like Ash Ra Tempel and Tangerine Dream (the
early stuff) who did seem to be trying to make the music of the spheres.

        When you expand your term that widely, almost anyone making
rhythmic music with some electronics in it, about things that you'd have
to read a book or two to know about, could be accused of making
space-rock. In that case you probably need to consider what kind of effect
they're trying for. Does it achieve take-off for the brain or not? Is it
trying to? Is that what you'd call space-rock? At that sort of level it's
subjective. Hawkwind are a space-rock band. Is everything they've done
space-rock? No! 'Quark Strangness and Charm' got called new-wave pop, and
not far wrong either. Still good though. Pink Floyd did vaguely space-rock
things in a quiet way occasionally ('Set the Controls for the Heart of the
Sun') and even more rarely in a loud way ('Interstellar Overdrive'), but
they're _not_ a space-rock band. Monster Magnet played at the Reading
Festival in the UK this year, the sort of festival that has Fear Factory
and White Zombie if it can get them; but they've done lots of space-rock
things.

        So, you probably need some fairly cast-iron criteria if you're
being academic about it. Science (especially chemistry) and space in the
inspiration, and space-flight internally for the listener. Preferably
loud, guitar-based and mesmerically minimalist, with random overlays
(guitar - synth - sax, violin, flute - take your choice) to rotate the
bits of the brain that respond to treble. That unscrews the brain so it
can float on the steady bit. It does need both parts though, which is what
keeps it away from metal and minimalist electronic music.

        Or, to put it another way, 'Tubular Bells' is not space-rock. What
is? Read the above again. Then go make up your own mind. Yours,
                                                                Jon
Jarrett"

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     Jon Jarrett (01223 514989)      jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk