Bailter Space

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Bailter Space


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Christchurch, New Zealand
Genre = Noise Rock
Shoegaze
Years_active = 1986 - approx. 2001
Label = Flying Nun
Matador
Turnbuckle
Associated_acts = The Gordons
The Skeptics
URL =
Current_members = Alister Parker
John Halvorsen
Brent McLachlan
Past_members = Hamish Kilgour
Ross Humphries
Glenda Bills

Bailter Space (a.k.a. Bailterspace) is an atmospheric noise rock band that formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1986 as Nelsh Bailter Space; they had previously recorded as The Gordons. Its members are Alister Parker (guitar, bass), John Halvorsen (bass, guitar), Brent McLachlan (drums/percussion, samples). After releasing seven studio albums, numerous EPs/singles and a career retrospective compilation, Bailter Space went on an extended hiatus in 2004. They returned in August of 2008 to play the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.

Early years as The Gordons

Halvorsen, Parker,and McLachlan were in a band called The Gordons in the early 1980s formed by John Halvorsen, though their style was more angular and post-punk then, lacking the textural nuances of their later work as Bailter Space. The Gordons released the three-song "Future Shock" EP in 1980, along with a video for the song "Adults And Children." Their debut self-titled LP came out in 1981. "The Gordons" was voted best album of 1981 by readers of "Rip It Up" magazine. The band then released the "Volume Two" LP in 1984, with Vince Pinker on bass in the absence of Alister, before disbanding circa 1985. Flying Nun Europe (and subsequently Flying Nun proper) reissued "The Gordons" and "Future Shock" on one CD, while "Volume Two" remains unavailable and highly sought after.

Formation of Bailter Space

Nelsh Bailter Space was formed by Parker in 1986, later shortening its name to Bailter Space. It was often spelled as Bailterspace as well; the origin of the name(s) remains an enigma. There was a shifting line-up during the late 1980s, featuring members of other New Zealand rock groups including The Clean and The Pin Group before the line-up stabilized (with the original Gordons lineup) for the "Thermos" album, recorded in 1989. It is unclear why they chose not to simply go back to using the name The Gordons.

The band's sound

Aural and lyrical consistencies which existed throughout their career include: extremely high volume (and its resultant traits of distortion and feedback), harmonics, rhythmic experimentation, and subtle use of sampling. A fascination with the interplay of technology and humanity (often played out in metaphors of space travel) mark the lyrics. For example, "Retro" has the lines, "The rockets have landed, the spacemen are stranded/ Not where they want to be." "Robot World" has him singing, "I think of a robot world with neutron decay/ All the love's taken away/ And the words you had to say/ You were a light in my darkest day." Parker's vocals are generally sung in a detached-sounding monotone, though are delivered in aggressive yells when needed. The vocals are usually treated as another musical instrument, and are featured at a lesser volume in the mix than on most bands' albums, often seeming like an ominous whisper. A subtle layer of white noise/ feedback generally bathes each song, especially in the "Thermos" through "Vortura" era, adding to their dreamy-yet-nightmarish feel. Great attention was always paid by the band to sonic details and tones. Songs such as "Control" and "Get Lost" are heavy enough to qualify as metal, yet retain Bailter Space's fluid shoegaze trademarks. "Grader Spader" and "So La" feature mutated surf-rock guitar riffs. The band's blurry, pastel-rich album artwork, always done by Parker and/or Halvorsen, corresponds with the aesthetic of their sound.

The roots of the group's sound can be found in bands such as Joy Division, Pink Floyd, and Bauhaus. Sonic contemporaries of Bailter Space included The Chameleons, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Band Of Susans, Straitjacket Fits, Plexi, Swervedriver, and Unwound. Bailter Space's influence can be heard in bands such as Southpacific, (early) Starflyer 59, Juno, Bare Minimum, Volplane/ Bright Channel, Interpol, Monsterland (who covered a Bailter Space song), and High Dependency Unit (H.D.U.).

ignificant events

After several releases on Flying Nun, fledgling New York City indie label Matador Records signed them for release in the United States, in approximately 1990. "Thermos" was actually intended to come out on Matador, and it even has a (blank) roster spot in the official Matador discography; however, Matador never released a Bailter Space full-length until "Robot World". The 1992 "The Aim" EP was the band's first official U.S. release. The band moved to New York City during the 1992 "Robot World" sessions, and would end up living there on a fairly permanent basis. The "EIP" EP was released, containing slightly-remixed versions of two "Robot World" tracks and two that would appear on the forthcoming "Vortura". "Vortura" would be their heaviest, most menacing album; however, it was followed a year later by their poppiest, most traditional album, "Wammo".

After this, their U.S. releases came out on nascent NYC-based label Turnbuckle Records, which folded circa 2002. In 2004, Matador Records deleted all Bailter Space releases from their catalog. Thus all of the band's releases are now out of print, except for in New Zealand/ Australia.

Bailter Space toured with bands such as Pavement, Helium, Spectrum, Sunday Puncher, The Grifters, High Dependency Unit, and Shallow. They were known for being one of the loudest live bands of their era.

Trivia

* The video for "Splat" shows the band playing while the world seemingly passes around them in reverse. To do this, the band learned how to play the song (and their instruments) backwards so that the people could act forwards - most effectively when a man is seen re-assembling an apple with his mouth.
* At a gig in Christchurch, NZ in 1995, Alister Parker used duct tape to cover the logo on his Marshall amplifier so that it read "Mars".
* The cover art for the "Retro" EP is a video capture of Russian space dog Strelka, taken while aboard Sputnik V.
* As The Gordons in the early '80s, "When they played at the same size venue as Motörhead they required four extra P.A. sound systems," according to Everett True of "Melody Maker".
* Towards the end of a two hour set at Indigo Bar in Wellington, New Zealand in 1998, approximately a dozen police entered the bar and stopped the concert because it was too loud and breached local noise control regulations.

Discography

Albums

EPs & Singles

External links

* [http://www.bailterspace.com/bailterspace/ Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/57749782 Myspace profile]
* [http://www.flyingnun.co.nz/viewartist.cfm?artistID=538 Biography page at Flying Nun]
* [http://www.scns.com/bailterspace Detailed fansite with original photos]
* [http://www.flyingnun.co.nz/viewartist.cfm?artistID=458 Information on The Gordons]