Gong was a French–Anglo musical collective that existed through numerous iterations over a four-decade period, starting in 1969. During the first half of the 1970s, the band operated as a space-rock performance act under the leadership of Australian-born guitarist–vocalist Daevid Allen. Later in the decade, Gong steered toward jazz-rock with drummer–percussionist Pierre Moerlen affixed to […]
Hawkwind are an English space-rock band, originally led by guitarist Dave Brock and reedist Nik Turner. They released six albums on United Artists, including the popular 1971–75 titles In Search of Space, Doremi Fasol Latido, Hall of the Mountain Grill, Warrior on the Edge of Time, and the singles “Silver Machine” and “Urban Guerrilla.” Their […]
Clearlight was a French space-rock ensemble that released the 1975 Virgin albums Clearlight Symphony and Forever Blowing Bubbles. Group mastermind Cyrille Verdeaux also co-led the soundtrack project Delired Cameleon Family and continued Clearlight with the 1976–78 albums Les Contes du Singe Fou and Visions. Members: Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, keyboards) Background Cyrille Verdeaux was born in […]
Tim Blake (born Feb. 6, 1952) is an English electronic musician from London who played in Gong between 1973 and 1975 under the alias Hi. T. Moonweed, appearing on the albums Flying Teapot, Angel’s Egg, and You. In 1977, he released the album Crystal Machine on Barclay-subsidiary Egg. After a second solo album for the […]
Clear Light Symphony is the debut album by the French-English electronic space-rock collective Clearlight, released in early 1975 for Virgin Records. Composed and arranged by keyboardist Cyrille Verdeaux, Clearlight Symphony unfolds as a continuous forty-minute instrumental suite in two extended movements. Recorded across 1973–74 with two distinct ensembles—members of Gong on the first side and […]
Les Contes du Singe Fou is the third album by French/English symphonic/space collective Clearlight, released in 1976 on Isadora. Following Forever Blowing Bubbles, keyboardist Cyrille Verdeaux redefined Clearlight as a tighter ensemble centered on piano, violin, and rhythm section rather than the expansive, guest-filled orchestrations of earlier albums. Recorded in late 1976, Les Contes du […]
You is the sixth album by Anglo/French space-rock ensemble Gong, released in 1974 on Virgin. Completing the band’s Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, the album is their final TriMax studio release with founder/frontman Daevid Allen. Tracklist: A1. “Thought for Naught” (1:30) A2. “A P.H.P.’s Advice” (1:37) A3. “Magick Mother Invocation” (2:11) A4. “Master Builder” (6:09) A5. […]
Crystal Machine is a solo album by English electronic musician Tim Blake, released in 1977 on Barclay-subsidiary Egg. Tracklist: A1. “Midnight” (6:22) A2. “Metro/Logic” (6:28) A3. “Last Ride of the Boogie Child” (7:50) B1. “Synthèse intemporelle” (15:52) B2. “Crystal Presence” (1:28) Credits: Lighting [Spectra Physics 164 Argon Laser, Crystal Machine Projectors] – Patrice Warrener Photography […]
