ALPHA STONE Soulweed 1997

 

Discogs

 

Alpha Stone Biography by Richie Unterberger

Pete Bain was an original member of Spacemen 3 (although hardly the best known). As Pete Bassman, he's the key figure in Alpha Stone, which in his words (according to a label press release) is "like a less sublime, more groovy, danceable Spiritualized; the band merges spacy riffs with urban samples and mechanical drumbeats." Fair enough; certainly the music has strong connections to the vibe of Spacemen 3 and that group's various spinoffs, melding repetitive riffs both to snaky, early Pink Floydish psychedelic guitar riffs and electronic washes/rhythms. It's psychedelic music for the '90s, for listeners who want something that's neither consciously retro nor as cold as techno. Whether it's your bag or not depends very much on individual taste; for every listener that finds the groove hypnotic, another will find it unbearably tedious.

 

Tracklist

1		Vesuvio One	2:30
2		Soulless Zone	6:46
3		You're Not Foolin Me	6:49
4		Swamp Gas	7:27
5		Ghost House	11:13
6		Soulweed	6:11
7		Slow Motion Mind	6:53
8		Vesuvio Two	5:14
9		You're Not Foolin' Me	6:33

 

I WOULDN'T PISS ON IT IF IT WAS ON FIRE Various Artists 1998

 

Discogs

 

UK release
'Fire Records dedicates this collection to the memory of its co-founder and great friend Johnny Waller, who was tragically killed in a cycling accident last year and whose inspiration, energy, intelligence, support and wit, long after the days of his involvement in the label, will for ever (sic) be missed.'

 

Tracklist

1-1

The Perfect Disaster–

Hey Now!

1-2	Spacemen 3–	Walkin' With Jesus
1-3	Blue Aeroplanes*–	Ups
1-4	Close Lobsters–	Let's Make Some Plans
1-5	The Rose Of Avalanche–	L.A. Rain
1-6	The Very Things–	This Is Motortown
1-7	Walkingseeds*–	Gates Of Freedom
1-8	The Parachute Men–	Mr. Gas
1-9	Harbourkings–	Big Kahuna
1-10	Chuck Prophet–	Rage And Storm
1-11	Dave Graney–	You Could Be Mine
1-12	Pulp–	My Legendary Girlfriend
1-13	Television Personalities–	My Very First Nervous Breakdown
1-14	Midway Still–	I Won't Try
1-15	Leatherface–	I Want The Moon
1-16	Gumball (2)–	This Town
1-17	Anastasia Screamed–	Notown
2-1	The Pastels–	Truck Train Tractor
2-2	Teenage Fanclub–	God Knows It's True
2-3	Eugenius (2)–	Breakfast
2-4	Manifesto (3)–	Pattern 26
2-5	Gigolo Aunts–	Where I Find My Heaven
2-6	Thrum–	So Glad
2-7	H.P. Zinker With Evan Dando–	To One In Paradise
2-8	Urge Overkill–	Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
2-9	The Nightblooms–	Butterfly Girl
2-10	Telstar Ponies–	Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight
2-11	Moles*–	Raymond, Did You See The Red Queen?
2-12	Built To Spill–	Nowhere Nuthin' Fuck Up
2-13	The Halo Benders–	Can't Believe It's True
2-14	Neutral Milk Hotel–	Everything Is
2-15	Sammy (4)–	Babe Come Down
2-16	Cottonmouth–	Something Scratching
2-17	Half Japanese*–	U.S. Teens Are Spoiled Bums
2-18	Supermodel–	Penis Size And Cars
2-19	Mega City 4*–	Android Dreams
2-20	Everclear–	Fire Maple Song

SONIC BOOM Loser 7 inch 1994

 

Discogs

Sonic Boom Biography by Jason Ankeny

Over the course of a long career, Sonic Boom's unvarying desire to explore the beauty and power of repetition through hypnotic, sometimes abrasive sound has made him a legendary figure. Whether utilizing guitars and drug imagery as part of the influential group Spacemen 3, digging into electronic noise and avant-garde sounds with the Experimental Audio Research collective, or fronting his vintage synth-driven pop unit Spectrum, his devotion to his aural ideals earned him an impressive following in the late '80s and '90s. He turned his focus toward production and collaboration after that, working with important artists like Panda Bear and MGMT and underground artists like Cheval Sombre. In the late 2010s, he returned to making music, collaborating on an EP with No Joy in 2018 and two years later releasing the quintessentially hypnotic All Things Being Equal. In 2022, Sonic Boom teamed up with longtime collaborator Panda Bear for the joint album Reset. A holiday album with Dean & Britta, A Peace of Us, arrived in 2024.

Tracklist

A		Mechanical Man (Kozik Version)
B		Mechanical Man (Sonic Boom Version)

EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH Phenomena 256 1996

 

Discogs

	Moniker of the British musician and producer Pete Kember, born 1965-11-19 in Rugby, England. Sonic Boom is the founder of three acts: Spacemen 3 (co-founded by Jason Pierce), Spectrum (4) and Experimental Audio Research (E.A.R.).

Experimental Audio Research Biography by Jason Ankeny

Experimental Audio Research -- E.A.R. for short -- was a loosely affiliated assembly of performers primarily spearheaded by Spectrum frontman Sonic Boom; from time to time, the group also included, among others, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields, God's Kevin Martin, and AMM's Eddie Prevost. As a revolving exercise in guitar-based noise, each E.A.R. release radically differed from the ones preceding it, spanning the divide between weightless ambience and dense sheets of feedback; the project was introduced via 1994's Mesmerised, and was followed a few months later by Pocket Symphony, released solely on 5" vinyl. (As befitting Sonic Boom's own affection for record collecting, the releases that followed in 1995 -- Hydroponic and an untitled effort -- appeared only as a 10" and 8" picture-disc recording, respectively.) Although released in 1996, the Beyond the Pale LP was originally intended as the first Experimental Audio Research release, and was actually recorded in 1992; Phenomena 256 followed that August. Next up was 1997's The Köner Experiment, a nod to minimalist Thomas Köner, who also appeared on the disc; Millennium Music followed in 1998, with subsequent releases including Data Rape.

Tracklist

1. Delta 6 (Hydroponic)
2. Space Themes Part 1 & 2 (Tribute To John Cage In C, A, G, E)
3. Sub Aqua (Left Channel) • Tidal (Centre Channel) • Lunar (Right Channel)
4. Ring Modulator
5. As The Night Starts Closing In
6. Phenomena 256 (3 Piece Suite)
7. Spacestation
8. Mood For A Summer Sundown

SPECTRUM California Lullabye 10 inch 1994

 

Discogs

 

Band started by Pete Kember a.k.a. Sonic Boom (2) after Spacemen 3. Kember recruited new musicians Richard Formby, who had previously contributed guitar and keyboards to Sonic Boom's side of the final Spacemen 3 album Spacemen 3 - Recurring (1990) and Mike Stout for the group Spectrum in 1991. Initial Spectrum releases carried on from the sound of late-period Spacemen 3, featuring conventional songs and a regular band. 1991's "How You Satisfy Me" single was an original composition by Kember and Formby reminiscent of 1960s garage bands, based as it was upon the Chip Taylor-penned pop hit "Can't Let Go". 

 

Tracklist

A1 California Lullabye
A2 It's Alright
B1 Indian Summer
B2 True Love Will Find You In The End
B3 Thru The Rhythm

THE DARKSIDE All That Noise 1990

 

Discogs

 

Artist Biography

by Jason Ankeny

One of the many projects to emerge from the groundbreaking efforts of drone-rock avatars Spacemen 3, the Darkside was led by Pete Bain (a.k.a. Pete Bassman), who had left the Spacemen prior to their 1989 LP Playing with Fire. Upon returning to his hometown of Rugby, England, Bain encountered vocalist Nick Hayden, who asked him to join the Darkside; soon the revitalized group was performing locally and cutting demos, but after signing a record deal their drummer exited, to be replaced another Spacemen 3 alum, Stewart "Rosco" Roswell, for their 1990 debut single "Highrise Love." Then, in the midst of a British tour, Hayden abruptly left the Darkside, forcing Bain to assume vocal duties; it was a line-up of Bain, Roswell and guitarist Kevin Cowan which recorded the group's 1990 LP All That Noise. Continuing their constant state of flux, Roswell announced he was rejecting the drums in favor of keyboards, heralding the arrival of new percussionist Craig Wagstaff for the 1991 limited-edition live LP Psychedelicise Suburbia. When Cowan quit after recording 1992's Melomania, Roswell took over guitar chores and the Darkside recorded another EP, Mayhem to Meditate; after demos for a third LP were cut but rejected by the label, the group finally disbanded. 

 

Tracklist

1		Guitar Voodoo	6:18
2		Found Love	2:53
3		She Don't Come	2:27
4		Good For Me	2:38
5		Love In A Burning Universe	6:09
6		All That Noise	1:44
7		Spend Some Time	3:11
8		Don't Stop The Rain	3:24
9		Soul Deep	7:00
10		Waiting For The Angels (12" Mix)

5:15

 

SPACEMEN 3 The Singles 1995

Discogs

Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Spacemen 3 were psychedelic in the loosest sense of the word; their guitar explorations were colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s. Instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia, relying on heavily distorted guitars to clash and produce their own harmonic overtones; frequently, they would lead up to walls of distortion with overamplified acoustic guitars and synths. Often the band would jam on one chord or play a series of songs, all in the same tempo and key. Though this approach was challenging, often bordering on the avant-garde, Spacemen 3 nevertheless gained a dedicated cult following. After releasing several albums in the late '80s, the band fell apart after in 1991.

In 1982, Sonic Boom (guitar, organ, vocals; born Pete Kember on November 19, 1965) and Jason Pierce (guitar, organ, vocals; also born November 19, 1965) formed Spacemen 3 in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Sonic Boom and Pierce added a rhythm section comprised of Pete Baines and Rosco, and spent the next four years rehearsing and jamming. In 1986, the group released its debut album, Sound of Confusion, on Glass Records. At first the band sounded a bit like a punked-up garage rock band, but their music quickly evolved into their signature trance-like neo-psychedelia. Spacemen 3's second album, 1987's The Perfect Prescription, was the first to capture the group's distinctive style.

Following 1989's Playing With Fire, Baines and Rosco left the group to form their own band, the Darkside. They were replaced by Will Carruthers and Jon Mattock. Despite the addition of new blood to its lineup, the band was beginning to fray because of in-fighting between Sonic Boom and Pierce, as well as the former's increasing drug dependency. The new lineup struggled through a final album, 1991's Recurring, which featured Boom's songs on side one and Pierce's on side two. By the time of the release of Recurring, Pierce was performing with Carruthers and Mattock in a new band called Spiritualized. Shortly after the release of Recurring, Spacemen 3 split, and Spiritualized became Pierce's full-time band, eventually earning a cult following of its own.

Tracklist  

1	Walkin' With Jesus (Sound Of Confusion)	5:52
2	Rollercoaster	13:35
3	Feel So Good	4:55
4	Transparent Radiation	4:05
5	Ecstasy Symphony	9:19
6	Transparent Radiation (Flashback)	7:29
7	Things'll Never Be The Same	6:08
8	Starship	11:26
9	Take Me To The Other Side	4:37
10	Soul 1	5:39
11	That's Just Fine	6:48

MY CHEREE AMOUR Various Artists 1991

by request

 

Discogs

 

Tracklist

1	–The Pooh Sticks	Who Loves You	3:11
2	–Beautiful Happiness	Something Sonic	5:44
3	–Bark Psychosis	I Know	4:10
4	–The Sea Urchins	Please Don't Cry	3:04
5	–Whipping Boy	Highwayman	5:06
6	–Fury Things	Flame	6:23
7	–Hooverman	Oh Pie	2:26
8	–Beautiful Happiness	Sunday Sundown	4:35
9	–Whipping Boy	Sugar I Swear	5:15
10	–Bark Psychosis	All Different Things	8:10
11	–Spacemen 3	Extract From An Evening On Contemporary Sitar Music	6:51

 

SLIPSTREAM Slipstream 1995

by request

 

 

Discogs 

 

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Slipstream was one of the many projects to emerge from the Spacemen 3 drone-rock camp -- singer/guitarist Mark Refoy first appeared on the Spacemen's 1991 finale Recurring, and later co-founded Spirtualized with Jason Pierce. After the completion of the 1992 Spiritualized masterpiece Lazer Guided Melodies, Refoy exited the group to form Slipstream, a more pop-oriented concern also comprising fellow Spiritualized alum Jon Mattock on percussion as well as guitarist Ian Anderson, bassist Steve New and drummer Steve Bes; the group debuted in the summer of 1994 with the single "Sundown," following with a series of seven-inch releases before recording their 1995 self-titled debut. A singles collection, Side Effects, appeared later that same year, and in 1997 Slipstream released their second proper LP, Be Groovy or Leave. 

Tracklist  

1	Harmony	4:17
2	Riverside	3:48
3	Pulsebeat	4:06
4	One Step Ahead	2:52
5	Sensurround	5:25
6	Computer Love	4:43
7	Sweet Mercy	3:36
8	Feel Good Again	3:31
9	Sundown	3:51
10	She Passes By	5:27
11	Feel Good Again 2	3:12
12	Drone In 'A'	4:13