Space
Quirky, cinematic pop that pairs lounge-lizard cool with dark, B-movie storytelling. It is catchy, slightly unsettling, and perfect for late-night urban wandering.
Quirky, cinematic pop that pairs lounge-lizard cool with dark, B-movie storytelling. It is catchy, slightly unsettling, and perfect for late-night urban wandering.
Space sounds like a technicolor fever dream of 1960s lounge music filtered through the cynical lens of 1990s Liverpool. Their music is a lush tapestry of shimmering synthesizers, hip-hop-inflected drum loops, and surf-rock guitar twang, all served with a side of theatrical camp. It is the kind of sound that feels both expensive and wonderfully trashy, like a high-budget film score for a movie that only exists in a bargain bin.
What truly sets them apart is the 'queasy' quality of their pop. While their melodies are undeniably infectious, the lyrics often dive into the macabre, exploring the lives of social outcasts, serial killers, and the mentally frayed with a sharp, satirical wit. This juxtaposition of upbeat, danceable arrangements and dark, narrative storytelling creates a unique tension that most Britpop contemporaries avoided.
Start with their 1996 debut, Spiders. It perfectly captures their peak era, blending chart-topping hooks with the eccentric, sample-heavy production that defined their 'queasy listening' reputation. It is an essential document of 90s alternative music that refuses to play by the rules of traditional guitar pop.
Space are a band from Liverpool, England, who formed in 1992 initially as a trio of Tommy Scott (vocals, bass, guitar), Jamie Murphy (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Island (drums), who was later replaced by Andy Parle in 1993. Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia. Space pursued an eclectic sound dubbed "queasy listening" by critics, embracing electronica and sampling in their work and drawing from genres as diverse as hip hop, techno, post-punk, ska, lounge music, easy listening and film scores, the result of the difference in tastes between band members. The group were also noted for their deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dark-humoured lyrics inspired by films, which frequently deal with topics such as serial killers, failed relationships, social outcasts, and mental illness. Whilst Space's eclecticism and camp humour polarised listeners and critics, they have maintained a devoted cult following. Space experienced several lineup changes, with Scott being the only consistent member. Their first two albums, Spiders (1996) and Tin Planet (1998), achieved great success and went platinum in the UK, along with scoring eight UK Top 40 singles. Work on their proposed third album, Love You More than Football, was marred by difficulties, and it was eventually shelved once the band were released from their contract with Gut. The band disbanded in 2005, following low sales and a lukewarm reception of their fourth album Suburban Rock 'n' Roll (2004), which was nonetheless acclaimed by fans. Scott went on to form The Drellas, which in 2011 morphed into the second incarnation of Space after Griffiths (and briefly Murphy) joined the group. Space have continued to perform live and release studio albums, including Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab (2014) and Give Me Your Future (2017). In 2019, twenty years after it was recorded, Love You More than Football was officially released as part of a career-spanning Anthology boxset. The band's seventh album, Music for Pleasure Music for Pain, was released in 2021.
Shares alternative rock, britpop, art pop (subgenres); sample based, studio polished, layered dense (production style)
Shares sample based, studio polished, layered dense (production style); urban night, dive bar, road trip (atmosphere)
Shares sample based, layered dense, drum machine (production style); deadpan, harmonized, nasal (vocal style)
Shares alternative rock, indie pop, art pop (subgenres); playful, wistful, rebellious (moods)
Shares sample based, layered dense, studio polished (production style); trip-hop, alternative rock, art pop (subgenres)
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