Space March
Encyclopedia
Space March is the creative project of Australian musician, artist and designer – Craig Simmons. As a musician, Simmons is best known for his three Space March albums which feature strongly melodic synthpop
, contrasting synthetic and organic sounding elements.
as a US import release in 2004. Space March received critical acclaim in the Chicago Reader's 2004 year-end newspaper feature – The Best Music of 2004 with Music Critic, Ann Sterzinger, ranking the release number one in her top ten albums for that year. Sterzinger's top vote was similarly cast in The Village Voice
Pazz & Jop
poll for 2004. The debut Space March album was quite organic sounding for a synthpop album, combining Beatlesque Britpop and psychedelic electronics, with the Chicago Reader describing the album as mixing "The Magnetic Fields
, Erasure
, and a dollop of Momus
".
Ninthwave Records
digitally released the follow-up Space March album Without This You Can Never Change in 2006. The following year, the labels Ninthwave Records and Death By Karaoke released a remixed and repackaged version of the album both digitally and on CD. Without This You Can Never Change was more electro orientated than the debut but still retained an organic heart.
The third Space March album, Monumental, was released in September 2011. For this album, Simmons collaborated with multi-platinum record producer/mixer Mark Saunders
whose production credits include: Erasure
Wild!
; The Cure
Wish; Tricky
Maxinquaye
; A-ha
Foot Of The Mountain. On Monumental, Saunders contributed mixing and additional production for seven tracks on the album as well as his New York based studio mastering the entire album.
Prior to Space March, Simmons was half of the synthpop duo, ElectroSquad which released two albums: Espionage (2000) and Operation: k (2001) on Hark Records. Simmons' first album on Hark Records was an instrumental dance release in 1996 called Suffocating Sally under the name Chiba.
online music store for Sony Music, which was launched in Australia in 2008 and in several other countries over the following years.
Early in his design career, Simmons contributed graphic design and illustration to Midnight Oil
's internationally released Earth and Sun and Moon
Album.
In September 2011, Space March exhibited a series of large canvas artworks for each song on the Monumental album at blank_space Gallery in Sydney
. Space March Art mixes modernism, geometry, graphics and pop art.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, contrasting synthetic and organic sounding elements.
Music Career
The debut self-titled Space March album was released in Australia in 2003 and picked-up by synthpop label, Ninthwave RecordsNinthwave Records
Ninthwave Records is a U.S. synthpop record label founded in 2001.-History:Ninthwave Records is an independent record company specializing in electronic pop. It was founded in 2001 as part of Lexicon Magazine but was made a separate company upon the magazine's demise...
as a US import release in 2004. Space March received critical acclaim in the Chicago Reader's 2004 year-end newspaper feature – The Best Music of 2004 with Music Critic, Ann Sterzinger, ranking the release number one in her top ten albums for that year. Sterzinger's top vote was similarly cast in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
poll for 2004. The debut Space March album was quite organic sounding for a synthpop album, combining Beatlesque Britpop and psychedelic electronics, with the Chicago Reader describing the album as mixing "The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
, Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, and a dollop of Momus
Momus
Momus or Momos was in Greek mythology the god of satire, mockery, censure, writers, poets; a spirit of evil-spirited blame and unfair criticism. His name is related to , meaning 'blame' or 'censure'. He is depicted in classical art as lifting a mask from his face.-In classical literature:Hesiod...
".
Ninthwave Records
Ninthwave Records
Ninthwave Records is a U.S. synthpop record label founded in 2001.-History:Ninthwave Records is an independent record company specializing in electronic pop. It was founded in 2001 as part of Lexicon Magazine but was made a separate company upon the magazine's demise...
digitally released the follow-up Space March album Without This You Can Never Change in 2006. The following year, the labels Ninthwave Records and Death By Karaoke released a remixed and repackaged version of the album both digitally and on CD. Without This You Can Never Change was more electro orientated than the debut but still retained an organic heart.
The third Space March album, Monumental, was released in September 2011. For this album, Simmons collaborated with multi-platinum record producer/mixer Mark Saunders
Mark Saunders
Mark Saunders, is a British record producer who has worked on a number of albums. He relocated to New York City in 1996 and currently works from his facility in Manhattan - Beat360 Studios....
whose production credits include: Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
Wild!
Wild!
Wild! is the fourth studio album by British band Erasure. Released in 1989, it was the follow-up album to their 1988 breakthrough The Innocents...
; The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
Wish; Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
Maxinquaye
Maxinquaye
Maxinquaye is the debut album of the English musician and actor Tricky, released in 1995. Expanding on the sonic template of fellow Bristolians Massive Attack, and featuring then-girlfriend Martina Topley-Bird on vocals, Maxinquaye is a dark, mysterious album featuring a combination of hip-hop,...
; A-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
Foot Of The Mountain. On Monumental, Saunders contributed mixing and additional production for seven tracks on the album as well as his New York based studio mastering the entire album.
Prior to Space March, Simmons was half of the synthpop duo, ElectroSquad which released two albums: Espionage (2000) and Operation: k (2001) on Hark Records. Simmons' first album on Hark Records was an instrumental dance release in 1996 called Suffocating Sally under the name Chiba.
Studio Albums
- Space March (2003 Australia / 2004 US)
- Without This You Can Never Change (2006 - version 1)
- Without This You Can Never Change (2007 - version 2)
- Monumental (2011)
Art and Design Career
Craig Simmons co-created the bandit.fmBandit.fm
Bandit.fm is an online music store owned by the Sony corporation. As of August 2011, Bandit.fm is only available to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Singapore.-History:...
online music store for Sony Music, which was launched in Australia in 2008 and in several other countries over the following years.
Early in his design career, Simmons contributed graphic design and illustration to Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
's internationally released Earth and Sun and Moon
Earth and Sun and Moon
Earth and Sun and Moon is an album by Midnight Oil that was released in 1993 under the Columbia Records label.-Reception:-Track listing:# "Feeding Frenzy" – 5:07# "My Country" – 4:51...
Album.
In September 2011, Space March exhibited a series of large canvas artworks for each song on the Monumental album at blank_space Gallery in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Space March Art mixes modernism, geometry, graphics and pop art.