Bailter Space
Encyclopedia
Bailter Space is an atmospheric noise rock
band that formed in Christchurch
, New Zealand in 1987 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 2008 to play the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.
in 1981, along with a video for the song "Adults And Children". Their debut self-titled LP came out later that year. 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.
Nelsh Bailter Space was formed by Parker and former Clean
drummer Kilgour in 1987, initially completing the line-up with Glenda Bills on keyboards and Ross Humphries (also of The Terminals, and formerly of The Pin Group), later shortening its name to Bailter Space. After a couple of singles, Bills and Humphreys left, with Halvorsen joining on bass, this line-up recording the Tanker album and the "Grader Spader" single, both produced by Brent McLachlan. The band travelled to the United States where they played at the New Music Seminar
in 1989, and when they returned, Kilgour opted to stay there with his new wife and form a new band, Monsterland. Parker and Halvorsen recruited Mclachlan as the new drummer, recreating the original Gordons lineup. This line-up debuted with the Thermos album, recorded in 1989.
After several releases on Flying Nun, and after changing base several times between New Zealand, Germany, and the US, New York City
indie label Matador Records signed them for release in the United States, in approximately 1990. The 1992 The Aim
EP was the band's first official U.S. release, and was released as two separate 7-inch singles in the UK, with both awarded "Single of the Week" by Melody Maker
. The band moved to New York City during the 1993 Robot World sessions. 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 followed a year later by Wammo.
After this, their U.S. releases came out on NYC-based label Turnbuckle Records, which folded circa 2002. In 2004, Matador Records deleted all Bailter Space releases from their catalog. The band's releases are now out of print, except for in New Zealand / Australia.
A career-spanning retrospective, Bailter Space
, was issued in 2004.
In August 2008, Bailter Space emerged from a 4-year hiatus to perform live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. They were joined by new recruit Ian Ljungquist filling in on the bass.
, and they were once described as "The Sonic Youth of the Southern Hemisphere", with Trouser Press
describing their early sound as "hard, droning, unforgiving guitar music with occasional lapses into verse/chorus regularity". By Tanker their sound had become more conventional. With their relocation to New York, their sound also shifted, with the band's next releases described as "an unholy collision between Beatle
harmonies and Velvet Underground dissonance", with Parker stating at the time that the band were getting into "the harmonic value of distortion; we started to be very particular about where we set the instruments up and the angles the sounds were bouncing at. From these harmonic experiments I became more interested in the actual melodic content of the music". Pitchfork Media
described them in 1999 as "a huge mess of sound that's simultaneously beautiful, jagged, atonal, and supremely melodic", while another review in the same year described their sound as "one part Superchunk
, one part Pixies
, and one part Dinosaur Jr."
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
band that formed in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand in 1987 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 2008 to play the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.
History
Halvorsen, Parker, and McLachlan were in a band called The Gordons formed by John Halvorsen in 1980. The Gordons released the three-song Future Shock EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1981, along with a video for the song "Adults And Children". Their debut self-titled LP came out later that year. 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.
Nelsh Bailter Space was formed by Parker and former Clean
The Clean
The Clean are an influential Indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978. Led through a number of early rotating line-ups by brothers Hamish and David Kilgour, the band settled down to their well-known and current line-up with bassist Robert Scott...
drummer Kilgour in 1987, initially completing the line-up with Glenda Bills on keyboards and Ross Humphries (also of The Terminals, and formerly of The Pin Group), later shortening its name to Bailter Space. After a couple of singles, Bills and Humphreys left, with Halvorsen joining on bass, this line-up recording the Tanker album and the "Grader Spader" single, both produced by Brent McLachlan. The band travelled to the United States where they played at the New Music Seminar
New Music Seminar
The New Music Seminar was a series of multi-venue music showcases held annually in New York City, in the month of June, from 1980 to 1995, then relaunched in 2009....
in 1989, and when they returned, Kilgour opted to stay there with his new wife and form a new band, Monsterland. Parker and Halvorsen recruited Mclachlan as the new drummer, recreating the original Gordons lineup. This line-up debuted with the Thermos album, recorded in 1989.
After several releases on Flying Nun, and after changing base several times between New Zealand, Germany, and the US, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
indie label Matador Records signed them for release in the United States, in approximately 1990. The 1992 The Aim
The Aim
"The Aim" is a CD EP by New Zealand band, Bailter Space released in 1992. It was their first U.S. release, and was a compilation of two vinyl singles.-Song information:...
EP was the band's first official U.S. release, and was released as two separate 7-inch singles in the UK, with both awarded "Single of the Week" by Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
. The band moved to New York City during the 1993 Robot World sessions. 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 followed a year later by Wammo.
After this, their U.S. releases came out on NYC-based label Turnbuckle Records, which folded circa 2002. In 2004, Matador Records deleted all Bailter Space releases from their catalog. The band's releases are now out of print, except for in New Zealand / Australia.
A career-spanning retrospective, Bailter Space
Bailterspace (album)
Bailterspace is a best-of compilation album by New Zealand band, Bailter Space released in 2004. "Glimmer Dot" comes from the 1994 double 7-inch Dope Guns 'N Fucking In The Streets Vol. Nine, released on Amphetamine Reptile Records; it featured three other bands...
, was issued in 2004.
In August 2008, Bailter Space emerged from a 4-year hiatus to perform live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. They were joined by new recruit Ian Ljungquist filling in on the bass.
Musical style
The band have often been compared to Sonic YouthSonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, and they were once described as "The Sonic Youth of the Southern Hemisphere", with Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
describing their early sound as "hard, droning, unforgiving guitar music with occasional lapses into verse/chorus regularity". By Tanker their sound had become more conventional. With their relocation to New York, their sound also shifted, with the band's next releases described as "an unholy collision between Beatle
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
harmonies and Velvet Underground dissonance", with Parker stating at the time that the band were getting into "the harmonic value of distortion; we started to be very particular about where we set the instruments up and the angles the sounds were bouncing at. From these harmonic experiments I became more interested in the actual melodic content of the music". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
described them in 1999 as "a huge mess of sound that's simultaneously beautiful, jagged, atonal, and supremely melodic", while another review in the same year described their sound as "one part Superchunk
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
, one part Pixies
Pixies (band)
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group consists of Black Francis , Joey Santiago , Kim Deal , and David Lovering . While the Pixies found only modest success in their home country, they were significantly more successful in the United...
, and one part Dinosaur Jr."
Albums
| Date | Title | Label | Charted | Certification | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 1988 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert.... |
Tanker Tanker (Bailter Space album) Tanker is the debut album by New Zealand band, Bailter Space, released in 1988. It features more minimalist playing and a less claustrophobic/dense overall sound than the band's later releases... |
Flying Nun Records Flying Nun Records Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s... (reissued on Matador Records Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have... with Nelsh EP on one CD, 1995) |
- | - | FNCD107, OLE 136 |
| 1990 1990 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze... |
Thermos Thermos (Bailter Space album) Thermos is an album by New Zealand band, Bailter Space, released on LP in 1990. Matador Records reissued it on CD in 1995.-Track listing:# "Fish Eye"# "Zero Return"# "Fused"# "The State"# "Earth Fed"# "Hard Wired"# "Ad Man"# "Skin"# "Present"... |
Flying Nun (reissued on Matador, 1995) | - | - | FNCD142, OLE 135 |
| 1993 1993 in music This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992.... |
Robot World Robot World Robot World is the third album by New Zealand band Bailter Space released in 1993. It was their first full-length album to be officially released in the U.S., and was distributed by WEA under Matador's first major-label deal Robot World is the third album by New Zealand band Bailter Space released... |
Matador/ Flying Nun | - | - | FNCD259, OLE 50 |
| 1994 1994 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so.... |
Vortura Vortura Vortura is the fourth album by New Zealand band, Bailter Space released in 1994. The songs were recorded at five different studios, with all of the songs engineered by Bailter Space... |
Matador/ Flying Nun | - | - | FNCD295, OLE 93 |
| 1995 1995 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident.... |
Wammo | Matador/ Flying Nun | - | - | FNCD325, OLE 142 |
| 1997 1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy... |
Capsul Capsul -Track listing:# "Shield"# "Pass It Up"# "Sola"# "Dome"# "Capsule"# "Tag"# "Collider"# "Velo"# "Picking Up"# "Argonaut"# "II"# "The Sun"# "Shades"# "GA9"... |
Turnbuckle Records | - | - | TR 5, FNCD375 |
| 1999 1999 in music -Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia.... |
Solar.3 | Turnbuckle | - | - | TR 17 |
| 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
Bailterspace Bailterspace (album) Bailterspace is a best-of compilation album by New Zealand band, Bailter Space released in 2004. "Glimmer Dot" comes from the 1994 double 7-inch Dope Guns 'N Fucking In The Streets Vol. Nine, released on Amphetamine Reptile Records; it featured three other bands... |
Flying Nun | - | - | FNCD484 |
EPs & Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "New Man" b/w "In A City Wardrobe" 7" | 1 from Nelsh Bailter Space | - | - |
| 1987 | Nelsh Bailter Space 12" | - | - | - |
| 1988 | Grader Spader 12" | Tanker | - | - |
| 1991 | "Shine" b/w "The Unseen" 7" | - | - | - |
| 1992 | "The Aim" b/w "We Know" 7" | "The Aim" is a remake of band's '87 song "Our Aim" | - | - |
| 1992 | The Aim The Aim "The Aim" is a CD EP by New Zealand band, Bailter Space released in 1992. It was their first U.S. release, and was a compilation of two vinyl singles.-Song information:... CD EP |
compiles the two previous 7"s onto one CD | - | - |
| 1994 | B.E.I.P. CD EP | 2 from Robot World, 2 from Vortura | - | - |
| 1995 | "Splat" b/w "At Five" & "Fascination" 7" | 2 from Wammo, 1 from Robot World | - | - |
| 1995 | Retro CD EP | Wammo studio track + two '95 live tracks | - | - |
| 1997 | "Capsule" b/w "Argonaut" 7" | Capsul | - | - |
| 1998 | Photon CD EP/ mini album | - | - | - |