[Column] Spacemen 3 - Drones, minimalism, and the truth behind "Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To"
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Prologue - The band that created the universe with the “minimum”
Text: mmr｜Theme: About Spacemen 3, a band born in the British underground scene in the 1980s that redefined “psychedelic” with stripped-down repetition and noise.
The post-punk turmoil was still evident in the UK indie scene of the 1980s.
The new wave is sophisticated, Gothic deepens the shadows, Indie rock was looking for new expressions while expanding its DIY spirit.
Spacemen 3 appeared in such an era.
Their music was the exact opposite of technique.
simple code. Relentless repetition. Lasting feedback. minimal rhythm. A dangerous connection to drug culture.
But its simplicity was what made it so strange.
At a time when many rock bands created their individuality through “addition,” Spacemen 3 did a thorough “subtraction”.
The result was Even garage rock Even krautrock, It’s not traditional psychedelic either. It was a unique “floating roar”.
And in later years, The sound image is shoegaze, drone, space rock, post lock, It has even influenced contemporary ambient music.
Spacemen 3 was a rare rock band that created a huge space through “scarcity.”
Before the formation - Rugby’s sense of confinement and psychedelia
Jason Pearce and Peter Kember
The core of Spacemen 3 was Jason Pierce and It was Peter Kember.
Later, each J. Spaceman, Sonic Boom became known as.
The two are from central England. We met in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Rugby at the time was It’s not a huge music city like London.
Closed, It’s boring, It was a regional city with few options for youth culture.
However, that sense of confinement is It inspired them to explore deep music.
The two were particularly attracted to the following music.
- The Velvet Underground -The Stooges -MC5 -13th Floor Elevators -Suicide -Can
- The Modern Lovers
Of particular importance was the The repeatability of The Velvet Underground, It was the mechanical minimalism of Suicide.
Rather than “playing well”, “Sustaining the same phrase and bringing it into a trance state.”
This feeling is It will be the core of Spacemen 3.
Band formation
Around 1982, The two officially formed Spacemen 3.
Although the initial members were in flux, Eventually, the following structure will be established.
- Jason Pierce
- Peter Kember
- Will Carruthers
- Jonny Mattock
バンド名は、 It was chosen because it evokes “space” and “drug sensations.”
From the beginning they It was outside the framework of the existing lock.
Initial concept
The early characteristics of Spacemen 3 were clear.
- less code
- Loud volume
- Feedback
- Drone
- simple repetition
- Consciousness-altering sounds
At the live, It was not uncommon for them to play the same riff for long periods of time.
Spacemen 3 transformed the feeling of confinement in local cities into “repetitive sounds.”
“Sound of Confusion” – A new psyche emerging from confusion
Birth of debut album
1986, Spacemen 3 is their debut album “Sound of Confusion” will be announced.
As the title suggests, The content was “confusion” itself.
garage rock. Psych. noise. Blues. Drone.
They are colliding without being organized.
but, On the contrary, its roughness was intense.
Musical features
What the whole album has in common is that The idea is to “change your state of consciousness by repeating the same thing over and over again.”
The representative song “Ode to Street Hassle” is You can feel the strong respect for The Velvet Underground.
on the other hand, In “Little Doll” etc. Stooges-like violence is exposed.
Full-scale introduction of “Drone”
At this point, already Spacemen 3 is more than a rock band. It was close to a “drone device.”
Changes in chord progression are minimal.
instead, Dominate the space with tonal changes and a sense of continuity.
This was a feeling that was directly connected to later shoegaze.
Weirdness on stage
At the live, The members hardly move.
The lighting is also dark.
The performance is long.
There is little communication with the audience.
However, the sense of stillness was strange.
"”Sound of Confusion’’ was a 1980s reimagining of psychedelic rock.
“The Perfect Prescription” – Perfection of minimal aesthetics
1987 Turning Point
Announced in 1987 “The Perfect Prescription” teeth, This was the biggest turning point in Spacemen 3.
The roughness of the previous work has been sorted out, Instead, there was an increased sense of floating and unity.
This isn’t just a rock piece.
It was designed as an “acoustic experience.”
Extremely organized arrangement
In the album, The number of sounds has decreased further.
but, Space expanded in the opposite direction.
The reason is The key lies in the thoroughness of the repetitive structure.
Especially “Walking With Jesus” It became the template for later neo-psych and shoegaze.
“Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To”
There’s a famous phrase that symbolizes Spacemen 3.
“Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To”
This wasn’t just a provocation.
For them, music is It was a device to change one’s state of consciousness.
The important thing is that Rather than praising drugs, The point was that he was obsessed with “transformation of perception” itself.
Sound Design
During this period, Spacemen 3 focused on:
- simple repetition
- Drone
- Sustained sound
- echo
- Feedback
- sound pressure
With The Perfect Prescription, Spacemen 3 perfected their own sonic philosophy.
Equipment and sound creation - The extraordinary persuasive power of “little equipment”
Sound pressure, not technique
Spacemen 3 is It was not a technical performance group.
but, His obsession with tone design was extreme.
Equipment used
Typical equipment includes:
- Fender Jazzmaster
- Fender Jaguar -Gibson SG
- Vox Amplifier -Fender Twin Reverb
- echo unit
- Fuzz pedal
Of particular importance was the It was a “sustained sound that wasn”t clean.”
Drones and Feedback
They are Rather than treating noise as an “accident,” It was treated as “music that lasts.”
Feedback is controlled and It is maintained for a certain period of time.
the result, The entire live space becomes a vibrating body.
Persuasive power due to minimalism
Because it does not use complicated chord progressions, The texture of the sound itself becomes important.
Even slight distortion changes, It changes the entire song.
Spacemen 3 was a band that prioritized “sustainable sound” over performance technique.
“Playing with Fire” - Beauty on the verge of collapse
The beginning of internal division
in 1989 “Playing with Fire” At the time of production, The relationship between Jason Pierce and Peter Kember was deteriorating.
musical direction, Human relationships too He was already approaching his limit.
Difference in direction between the two
Jason Pierce It goes in a more emotional and gospel direction.
on the other hand, Peter Kember is I moved towards more experimental minimalism.
This division is Directly connected to Spiritualized and Spectrum later.
Famous songs
“Playing with Fire” includes: Songs representing the latter half of Spacemen 3 are lined up.
- Revolution -Honey
- Lord Can You Hear Me -Suicide
Especially “Revolution”, Their aesthetic is condensed.
simple repetition. Loud volume. Trance feeling. And elation.
Increased Gospel-ness
Jason Pierce Around this time, he began to lean toward gospel-style elation.
This will fully bloom later in Spiritualized.
"”Playing with Fire’’ was a masterpiece completed while Spacemen 3 was falling apart.
Collapse - Why did the two fall apart?
Increasing conflict
Since 1989, The confrontation between Jason Pierce and Peter Kember becomes decisive.
There is no single cause.
- Differences in musicality
- Battle for supremacy
- Human relations
- drug problem
- Recording policy
Everything was intricately intertwined.
Limitations of collaboration
In the later stages, The two began producing music separately.
within the same band Two different ideas coexisted.
“Recurring”
Announced in 1991 “Recurring” So, They are almost completely separate collections of works.
Jason’s music. Peter’s side music.
Each was recorded independently.
This was also a de facto declaration of dissolution.
dissolution
1991, Spacemen 3 is disbanded.
but, Its influence will expand from here.
The end of Spacemen 3 was the moment when the “community fantasy” reached its limit.
Spiritualized and Spectrum - Two universes after the split
Spiritualized by Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce Started Spiritualized.
Here, In addition to the drone feel of Spacemen 3,
- Gospel
- orchestra
- blues
- Seoul
- cosmic sounds
were fused.
“Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space” It became an important work of UK rock in the 1990s.
Peter Kember’s Spectrum
on the other hand, Peter Kember started Spectrum.
This is It was more minimalist and experimental.
Deepen your research into electronic acoustics and drones, In later years, he also worked as a producer.
Difference between the two
After disbanding, the two expanded their “universe” in different directions.
Influence on shoegaze
Before and after My Bloody Valentine
Spacemen 3 is It is said to be one of the direct ancestors of shoegaze.
Especially important is The idea was to use the guitar as a wall.
Generations affected
Their influence is far-reaching.
- My Bloody Valentine
- Slowdive -Ride -Loop
- Spiritualized -Flying Saucer Attack
Rock that lets you hear “space”
Traditional locks are It was centered around riffs and melodies.
But Spacemen 3 The “space itself” was the main character.
This led to later ambient rock.
Impact on drone culture
Even in modern drone music, Spacemen 3 is an important reference point.
Spacemen 3 left a legacy for subsequent generations of “how to create space within the roar.”
Live culture and cultism
Separate from commercial success
Spacemen 3 is They weren’t a huge commercial band.
but, It had an enthusiastic support base.
Reason why it became a cult
The reason was clear.
Their musical experience This is because it wasn’t “ordinary rock.”
The live is It was more like a ritual than a performance.
Music as a physical sensation
Loud volume. low frequency. Repetition. Play for a long time.
The audience is Rather than “listening” to a song, “Immerse” in the space.
Connection with modern festival culture
The current drone festival, It has also been pointed out that it was a pioneer in immersive live experiences.
Spacemen 3 presented a live experience that goes from ““watching a performance” to ““entering an acoustic space.”
Discography overview
Major studio works
| Year | Works | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Sound of Confusion | Garage + Noise + Early Drone |
| 1987 | The Perfect Prescription | Minimal aesthetics completed |
| 1989 | Playing with Fire | Gospel quality and sense of collapse |
| 1991 | Recurring | Substantial divisive work |
Live album and excavated sound source
Spacemen 3 is There are also many live albums and excavated sound sources.
Especially with live sound sources, Repetition and roar are further emphasized.
Changes for each sound source
For each work, Spacemen 3 simultaneously ““simplified” and ““expanded.”
Reason for current re-evaluation
Compatibility with the streaming era
recent years, Spacemen 3 is being reevaluated.
One of the reasons is It’s compatible with modern listening culture.
Strength as “immersive” music
Their works are In terms of BGM, It also functions as a concentrated viewing experience.
For modern listeners who listen to drone and ambient music, Spacemen 3 is naturally connected.
Minimal regression
In contemporary indie and ambient, The idea of ”“creating a space with less sound’’ is being reevaluated.
As its origin, Spacemen 3 has a huge presence.
Not nostalgic
They’re not just an “80s band.”
The very concept of acoustic design is This is because it is modern.
Spacemen 3 resonates strongly with today’s immersive listening culture.
Final chapter - Why does “repetition” go to space?
Spacemen 3’s music includes There are no fancy techniques.
There is also less complicated code.
However, Through “repetition,” they I tried to change the very sense of hearing.
This is not just a lock; It was almost like a perception experiment.
They are Transform noise into space, Turn repetition into trance, He turned a minimal performance into a gigantic universe.
That’s why, Spacemen 3 is still special.
If you look at the huge history of music, The period of activity is short.
but, The impact they left in such a short period of time was Even now, it continues to live in the midst of countless roars.
Spacemen 3 was a band that created the largest immersive space with the “minimum of rock.”
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