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Hannah M.G. Shapero
3/15/02
Summer Town
By “Spacecraft”
SpaceforMusic.com Records, 2001
http://www.SpaceForMusic.com
“Spacecraft” occupies a musical position in between ambient and rock, and
unlike many ambient groups or composers, they emphasize live performance.
The group features Tony Gerber on guitars and vocals, the veteran Giles
Reaves on percussion and processing, John Rose on flute or vocals, and Diane
Timmons, also on flute or vocals. And each one of them plays synthesizers,
so they’re a well-equipped band. In 2000, they took their act to a place
where the spirit of the ‘60s never ended, the commune and experimental
community called simply “The Farm,” located in the appropriately named
Summertown, Tenn. This utopia was founded by hippies in 1971 and is still
active 30 years later. Listening to this music, it’s clear that “Spacecraft”
were caught up in that ‘60s early ‘70s feeling.
According to the liner notes, this 55-minute sound environment was played
live on a Sunday morning while Farm members did their morning yoga and
meditation exercises. Spacecraft often plays at planetarium shows, rousing
up starry excitement, but this musical event was meant as a background
soundtrack for meditation or other relaxation-type activities. Therefore it’
s soft and unobtrusive, except for a few passages here and there where the
singers wail. Melodically it rambles aimlessly, about one mode, even one
note, and in one key, without getting into too much rhythm. This isn’t for
dancing, it’s for sitting.
It reminds me of nothing less than the famous jams that the Grateful Dead
used to play in between their song sets, a passage they simply called
“Space.” In the case of the Dead, the audience would alter their
consciousness in more chemical ways than with yoga and meditation, but the
effect is the same. It’s definitely tie-dye time when you listen to this
stuff. And, much like a Dead show, this sound by itself isn’t that
effective; you really have to be there, or at least be doing something that
goes along with it.
HMGS rating: 5 out of 10
8/17/01
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Spacecraft: Inside the Inside: Live at the Gathering Concert Series 32
Spacecraft is the ultimate space music ensemble. Tony Gerber, Giles
Reaves, John Rose and Diane Timmons are consummate professional
electronicians. The only thing surer than that is their devotion to God and
spirituality.
Inside the Inside: Live at the Gathering Concert Series 32 is a deep
ambient space set as only this quartet performs. While there are certainly
similarities to other artists, Tony, Giles, John and Diane have a style that is
instantly recognizable and captivating.
This disc embraces haunting atmospheres, foggy sequences and meditative mists.
These folks have always promoted healing through music. This disc is not as
overt as some of their others but it has healing and biorhythmic qualities
nonetheless.
Deep sequenced rhythms surround Diane's wordless chants in the ultimate
paradox. The subtle chant is an absolute highlight but the music overpowers
the chant. Deep listeners will feel the warmth of the chant's embrace and
succumb to its healing prowess.
This is one of many excellent Spacecraft CD's. It is a superb
compliment to their discography.
~ Jim Brenholts, EER-MUSIC.com
Cybersphere
by Spacecraft
SpaceForMusic.com Records, 2001
http://www.spaceformusic.com/spacecraft.html
“Spacecraft” have been around for at least ten years, specializing in
composing background music for planetarium shows. This album, as the liner
notes inform us, contains music from shows at the “Cybersphere Planetarium”
in Nashville, Tennessee. A tiny picture of the wild futuristic building
appears on the CD papers.
The group contains some veteran prog-rock and spacemusic players such as
Tony Gerber and Giles Reaves. They play a professional and polished mix of
modal, synthesizer-led rock in the classic German style, well-evident in
track 1, “Creative Acceleration.” Electronic sequencers keep things moving
smoothly and mechanically in the rhythmic sections. In slower moments, they
also explore psychedelic soundspaces in passages reminiscent of the Grateful
Dead’s famous instrumental “space” interludes. In other moments, they can
crank out a good old Pink Floyd wall ‘o’ sound. They flirt with “Gothic”
style, complete with synthesized pipe organ, in track 5, “House of Gaudi,”
while track 6, “Blue Planet Blue” has spaceyform echoes of country music and
blues. A soaring, wordless female voice (Diane Timmons) lends a
Hollywood-style transcendence in many starlit passages.
I would love to see the planetarium show that goes along with this music
it must be grand. Until then, I’ll have to imagine my own universe to go
along with it.
Tony Gerber: Blue Western Sky (CD, 62:25); Lektronic Soundscapes LS-94006-CD, 1994
Lektronic Soundscapes
1200 Broad Street Suite 203
Durham, NC 27705 USA
Ph: 919-416-9454
FAX: 919-286-1788
Email: LEKSOUND@AOL.COM
Cyberhome: http://spaceformusic.com/leksound.html
This is one of those electronic, ambient, spaced synth, harps, and guitar releases that you can
free fall in and find hidden places in your soul and psyche. This is bliss and the purest of light in
sound that warms like the afternoon sun and the spectral zephyrs of daydream. Gerber has crafted
a gem here. If you liked Ash Ra Tempel's guitarist/synthman's New Age of Earth or Reaves' Sea
of Glass then you'll love this. The super-sustain guitars and dreamy keys send you off in relaxing,
deep breathing exhalations, of absolute peace. Gerber's works are a reverie in sound. This is
splendid thought-stream music done just right. If you collect well-done ambient works, want to
deep dream, and enjoy creatively original music -- FIND THIS! Superb, supreme, schweet stuff! I
listen often, to this, since it arrived. It has sensitivities that span the best of the '70s and the
technological expertise of the '90s. Highest of recommendations.
~ John W. Patterson
Tony Gerber, Chris Blazen, John Rose, Diane Timmons: Spacecraft (CD, 63:52);
Lektronic Soundscapes LS-97009-CD, 1997
Lektronic Soundscapes
1200 Broad Street Suite 203
Durham, NC 27705 USA
Ph: 919-416-9454
FAX: 919-286-1788
Email: LEKSOUND@AOL.COM
Cyberhome: http://spaceformusic.com/leksound.html
Take the data transmissions of Voyager to NASA from Jupiter, gravitational wave audio
studies, and NASA imagery -- mix it with the imaginative minds of four talented people and you
get Spacecraft. Seven space music, electro-ambient, journeys await you. This is not your typical
synth project of quaint melodies and soothing textures. This is a '90s culmination of things early
Tangerine Dream or Ash Ra Tempel projects were merely reaching for.
Chris Blazen on Electric Sustaining Koto, Akai Sampler, Tony Gerber on Memorymoog,
Minimoog, JD800 Synths, John Rose and his wife, Diane Timmons, on Roland synths pull the
stars and solar storms down to your living room. This is less music than it is an experience in
space-visions. You have got to love electronic music and all its unexplored nether regions to fully
appreciate the worlds of Spacecraft. Think Eno's Apollo space sounds, Roach's miasmas of the
universe's breathing in The Magnificent Void, the avant garde works of Subotonik, and Salvador
Dali on lysergic acid. You are now approaching the strange dimensions of Spacecraft. Only on the
last track, "Destination Infinity" do we gain a sense of resolution, a signature Gerberian area I'll
call, "the final answer revealed."
This is trippy stuff, drenched in creative vision, pulsing with the droning hymns of cyborg
priests evangelizing distant worlds. Take a chance and wander the unknown. This release is ripe
pickings for any of you budding sci-fi movie makers for soundtrack material. Cool, very cool.
Recommended for cosmic dreaming. ~ John W. Patterson
Tony Gerber, John Rose, Diane Timmons: Hummel (LIVE) (CD, 69:04);
Lektronic Soundscapes LS-1012-CD, 1998
Lektronic Soundscapes
1200 Broad Street Suite 203
Durham, NC 27705 USA
Ph: 919-416-9454
FAX: 919-286-1788
Email: LEKSOUND@AOL.COM
Cyberhome: http://spaceformusic.com/leksound.html
This live recording at Eastern Kentucky University's Hummel Planetarium captures the
music reflecting and directing laser light refracting within the sky-vault dome. Those of us
fortunate enough to have come across Tony Gerber's Blue Western Sky will hear a strong echo of
that earlier work here. Joining Gerber is John Rose and Diane Timmons on synthesizers. And
going a delightful step further we have Timmons' angelic, wordless choir vocals adding an
ethereal human dimension
There is a definite Tangerine Dream sequenced Tangram structure to "The Summon"
which comes off quite well. "Explorations In Space" is more of a Jonn Serrie/Steve Roach thing
but evokes strongly the darker galactic atmospherics of Spacecraft, another Gerber, Rose,
Timmons, et al project. "Galileo" returns to a sequenced T. Dream/ Kitaro snippet. "Hummel",
the title track opens with phased cosmic winds and a very Edgar Froese solo feel. I heard Aqua,
Stuntman, and even that T. Dream classic, Rubycon. This is a great track, letting one hear what
Tangerine Dream could be doing if they weren't noodling around doing dance mixes or worse.
Gerber adds guitar in this track's outro.
"Dialogues of Energy" is a percussive, ethnic-tribal, chime-vibes, Water Music-ish piece
with Nik Tyndall tendencies that is a nice rhythmic change-of-pace. A bit of Peter Buffet piano is
woven into the crystalline passages. "Astrollenium" crawls all over you in the thick heaviness of a
droning, resonant mass. Gerber solos on an overdriven, infinite-sustain guitar. The effects on your
head with this one are near maddening with delight. When you think you can stand no more
ecstasy, Timmons' lilting and haunting voice peels away another layer of your spinal column. This
is the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. Timmons' voice is like a riding out a positive NDE. "Oh
man, this is good!" We are treated to more of Timmons on "De Profundis" as she chant-sings in
Latin, a psalm to the reigning King of the Universe, Jehovah God, Yahweh of Israel. Beautiful
synth keys accompany her in a David Lanz, Peter Buffet, T. Dream style with the slightest touch
of reggae mixed with a sombre Middle Eastern flair. Very nice. I'll save the last track, "Domes of
Light" for you to experience without any of my opinion. Enjoy!
This is a wonderful way to experience ambience and electronic music. I heartily
recommend this offering. Folks, this is a must-have. ~ John W. Patterson
Earthtime Tapestry
by Spacecraft
Lektronic Soundscapes, 1999
http://www.spaceformusic.com/leksound.html
If there can be such a paradoxical thing as "retro" or "nostalgic"
spacemusic, then this album is it. The main player in "Spacecraft" is the
young, but veteran synthesist Giles Reaves, who is assisted by space sidemen
Tony Gerber, John Rose, and Diane Timmons. Much of it was recorded live at
the Hummel Planetarium in Kentucky (there is soft applause after the last
piece on the album). Indeed, this music is very much in the genre of
"planetarium music" as popularized by electronic composers such as Jonn
Serrie, Tim Clark, and Michael Stearns. I think of it as "retro" because
most of the sounds, though probably produced on the most up-to-date
electronic equipment, sound simpler than modern electronic sound materials -
as if they were produced 30 years ago on the old analog synthesizers now
considered "vintage collectors' items." There is also the usual vast reverb
and starry sparkling, as well as the requisite wordless soprano-lady
wailing. The track titles are strictly generic "New Age:" "Living World,"
"Cycles" (there ALWAYS seems to be a track on a spacemusic album called
"Cycles"), "Beyond," "Homage to Gaia."
It's certainly pleasant and listenable. When they do get into a rhythmic
sequence, it chugs energetically along, just like some of their famous
European predecessors from the 70s like Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel
Jarre. But there is little in this music that makes my hair stand on end the
way Stearns' or Roach's sounds do, and nothing much to remember about it. It
is more background music (probably to the voice narration at a planetarium
show) than powerful listening. The harmonies are almost entirely modal, if
not minor-key, with a pop music sensibility which is friendly, rather than
chilling or awe-inspiring. If any music could make the terrifying depths of
deep space feel comforting, this would be it.
HMGS rating: 5
Hannah M.G.Shapero
6/8/00
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