Space pop
| Space rock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1960s and early 1970s, United Kingdom |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | Post-rock |
| Other topics | |
Space rock is a rock music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centred on instrumental textures that produce a hypnotic, otherwordly sound. It may feature reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drumming, languid vocals, and references to drug use. The term was initially used to describe the style of early 1970s progressive rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd who explored a "cosmic" sound. However, it now refers to a "new generation of alternative/indie bands" drawing on psychedelic rock, ambient music, experimental/avant-garde music, krautrock, classical minimalism, and noise pop. This later style was pioneered in the mid-1980s by Spacemen 3, whose "drone-heavy" sound was avowedly inspired by and intended to accommodate drug use. By the 1990s, it became associated with shoegazing and post-rock.
Man'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 man's first close encounter with alien life forms. 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 synthesizers.
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