spiritualized

Spirtualized: Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating through space

From the album Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating through space (1997).

Composed in “round” format, where each sung line overlaps another in a recursive way, Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating through space is a science and technology-era mantra, a chant to the lords of pharmaceutically-inspired altered states and a wistful, strung-out love song.

This is seriously space out, and transcendental, trance-inducing music, but it trades in new-age ethereality for the cold science (exemplified by the interspersion of NASA beeps) of modern progress. In steep contrast though, the lyrics reveal a tenderness and longing for love.

[audio:070619Ladiesandgentlemen.mp3]

What I Love: The song’s out-of-focus dreaminess.

let it come down on me

Spiritualized

every time i run across spiritualized, i enjoy it that much more. and the funny thing is, i’ve never really sat down and given the group the attention it deserves. like passing acquaintances from a bar scene, i’ve only bumped into the band’s music a handful of times, despite having it in my library for nigh on five years now.

it’s a real shame too, because i should have been a better friend to the group. i got let it come down and ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space in quick succession during the great music dump of 2001, an event that i’m still dealing with in terms of listenage. it was a year of seismic change in my musical listening patterns and spiritualized got lost in all the, well, noise (that’s a pun, if you aren’t familiar with the band’s music.)

but that goes back to one of the reasons why i am undergoing this tunequest: to unearth my lost musical treasures.

oh, this music will pin you to your chair there’s so much sound.

Spiritualized, Stereolab, This Heat, more

Here are some quickies; enjoy:
Spiritualized, some drifty, hazy, drugged-out psychedelia. Lots of fuzz.

The Aluminum Tunes album is nothing special, but anything by stereolab is worth listening to.

I didn’t know anything about this heat other than I enjoyed their album Deceit until I checked out the wikipedia, which pretty much reflects the album. Based on their sound, I would have pegged them as German, except for the lyrics to Independence, in which they sing the American Declaration of Independence. Given that, I was surprised to discover the group is British. hat tip to jon for this.

A strong showing from The Chemical Brothers on come with us, especially My Elastic Eye which seems to be inspired by the castle theme to Dragon Warrior.