The Space Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Space Brothers are a UK
trance music
act comprising Ricky Simmonds and Stephen Jones, noted for producing
under a variety of pseudonym
s such as Chakra, Lustral
, Ascension, Essence, Ultra High and The Realm.
interest and reached number 36 in the UK Singles Chart
in December 1995. Whereas "Stay With Me" epitomised the hardbag
sound, their next release "I Am" (as Chakra) was to showcase a darker, ethereal and more progressive trance based sound. "I Am" caught the ears of Sasha
and John Digweed
(the latter of whom submitted a remix
of the track alongside Nick Muir
in their Bedrock
guise). "I Am" peaked at number #24 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1997.
Despite having signed to Paul Oakenfold
's Perfecto
imprint for the release of "Someone" - Ascension and WEA
for the release of their Chakra material, the Space Brothers elected to make Manifesto Records
their home, and their first Space Brothers single "Shine", soared into the UK charts having been Pete Tong
's 'essential new tune'.
The second Space Brothers release was "Forgiven (I Feel Your Love)" in November 1997. It spent a total of seven weeks in the UK chart over the course of the festive period that year. 1998 witnessed the temporary abandonment of the Space Brothers moniker, and Simmonds and Jones instead elected to focus on the output of their other sobriquets Essence, Lustral and Force Majeure. The following year saw the release of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" in July 1999. Featuring the vocals of Kate Cameron
as well as a remix by Matt Darey
, it reached number 31 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1999.
Shortly after the release of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" the Space Brothers unveiled their debut album
Shine. To complement the album a remix disc was included in the package featuring reworked Space Brothers tracks (mostly unreleased) mixed by Paul Oakenfold. The second single from the album was "Heaven Will Come", which was released in October 1999 featuring mixes by Lange and Olmec Heads. Following the commercial success of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" and "Heaven Will Come", coupled with their album "Shine", the Space Brothers decided to take a hiatus, returning only briefly in 2001 with the Push remixed "Everywhere I Go".
The Space Brothers sobriquet has been largely inactive since this time; however, Simmonds and Jones have continued to release tracks under guises such as Ascension, The Realm, Chakra, Quadraphonic and Lamai
. In late 2002 a new Space Brothers track "One More Chance" appeared as a 12" and digital download release. Recent promos circulated have featured remixes of "Everywhere I Go" and "Forgiven" (as remixed by Ian Knowles and DJ Demand) on the Liverpool
based 3 Beat Records
subsidiary label, Boss Records.
Most Space Brothers tracks feature the vocals
of Kate Cameron, aside from "Shine" and "Forgiven (I Feel Your Love)" (Joanna Law) and "Everywhere I Go" (Talya).
2006 saw Simmonds and Jones launching the online download music store, www.audiojelly.com, where all their productions and side projects are available, along with a broad range of other dance artists and releases. 2007 saw the duo mainly active in the guise of Lustral with the release of the download album Deepest, Darkest Secrets and the double remix CD Deeper, Darker Secrets.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
act comprising Ricky Simmonds and Stephen Jones, noted for producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
under a variety of pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s such as Chakra, Lustral
Lustral (band)
Lustral is a British electronic music project, by Stephen Jones and Ricky Simmonds . The Space Brothers are UK trance music producers, renowned for recording and releasing under a variety of sobriquets such as Ascension, Lamai, Chakra and Ultrahigh.-Career:In 1997, they appropriated Pfizer's...
, Ascension, Essence, Ultra High and The Realm.
Career
Their debut production "Stay With Me" (released as Ultra High) garnered clubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
interest and reached number 36 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in December 1995. Whereas "Stay With Me" epitomised the hardbag
Hardbag
Hardbag was a genre of electronic dance music popular in the mid 1990s. Having evolved out of the handbag house scene in 1993-1994, the genre enjoyed massive, albeit brief, popularity, with several hardbag releases achieving positions in the upper echelons of the UK chart...
sound, their next release "I Am" (as Chakra) was to showcase a darker, ethereal and more progressive trance based sound. "I Am" caught the ears of Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
and John Digweed
John Digweed
John Digweed is an English DJ, record producer and acclaimed actor.-Biography:John Digweed began DJing around age 4...
(the latter of whom submitted a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the track alongside Nick Muir
Nick Muir
Nick Muir is a musician, composer and electronic music producer. He is best known as one half of the production team Bedrock, which consists of himself and DJ John Digweed, although he has enjoyed considerable success as an artist in his own right....
in their Bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
guise). "I Am" peaked at number #24 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1997.
Despite having signed to Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
's Perfecto
Perfecto Records
Perfecto Records is a United Kingdom based Trance record label founded by Paul Oakenfold in 1989.-History:Perfecto was founded by electronic music record producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold in 1989...
imprint for the release of "Someone" - Ascension and WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
for the release of their Chakra material, the Space Brothers elected to make Manifesto Records
Manifesto Records
Manifesto Records is the name of an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California that has released records by The Wedding Present, Dead Kennedys, Tom Waits, Tim Buckley, Lilys, Concrete Blonde, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and others. Manifesto released the entire catalogue of Dead Kennedys...
their home, and their first Space Brothers single "Shine", soared into the UK charts having been Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
's 'essential new tune'.
The second Space Brothers release was "Forgiven (I Feel Your Love)" in November 1997. It spent a total of seven weeks in the UK chart over the course of the festive period that year. 1998 witnessed the temporary abandonment of the Space Brothers moniker, and Simmonds and Jones instead elected to focus on the output of their other sobriquets Essence, Lustral and Force Majeure. The following year saw the release of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" in July 1999. Featuring the vocals of Kate Cameron
Kate Cameron
Kate Cameron is an English house and trance music singer with an alto voice.Initially coming to prominence via her involvement in Norman Cook's Freak Power outfit, Kate Cameron has subsequent made a name for herself as credited guest vocalist on a multitude of releases.The first notable release...
as well as a remix by Matt Darey
Matt Darey
Matthew Jonathan "Matt" Darey has been a trance music producer since 1994. He is also a member of Lost Tribe with Red Jerry. He is perhaps best known for his work in the Euphoria trance series and for 'Gamemaster' and his remixes of Agnelli & Nelson's "El Niño". In 2005, his first major U.S...
, it reached number 31 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1999.
Shortly after the release of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" the Space Brothers unveiled their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Shine. To complement the album a remix disc was included in the package featuring reworked Space Brothers tracks (mostly unreleased) mixed by Paul Oakenfold. The second single from the album was "Heaven Will Come", which was released in October 1999 featuring mixes by Lange and Olmec Heads. Following the commercial success of "Legacy (Show Me Love)" and "Heaven Will Come", coupled with their album "Shine", the Space Brothers decided to take a hiatus, returning only briefly in 2001 with the Push remixed "Everywhere I Go".
The Space Brothers sobriquet has been largely inactive since this time; however, Simmonds and Jones have continued to release tracks under guises such as Ascension, The Realm, Chakra, Quadraphonic and Lamai
Lamai
Lamlai is a town and a nagar panchayat in Imphal East district in the Indian state of Manipur.-Demographics: India census, Lamlai had a population of 4077. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Lamlai has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...
. In late 2002 a new Space Brothers track "One More Chance" appeared as a 12" and digital download release. Recent promos circulated have featured remixes of "Everywhere I Go" and "Forgiven" (as remixed by Ian Knowles and DJ Demand) on the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
based 3 Beat Records
3 Beat Records
3 Beat Records is a British record shop and independent record label which was founded by Jon Barlow in 1989.-History:3 Beat Records was founded as a dance music record shop in 1989 by Jon Barlow, Dave Nicholl, Phil Southall and later joined by Phil Beddard and Hywell Williams who were students at...
subsidiary label, Boss Records.
Most Space Brothers tracks feature the vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
of Kate Cameron, aside from "Shine" and "Forgiven (I Feel Your Love)" (Joanna Law) and "Everywhere I Go" (Talya).
2006 saw Simmonds and Jones launching the online download music store, www.audiojelly.com, where all their productions and side projects are available, along with a broad range of other dance artists and releases. 2007 saw the duo mainly active in the guise of Lustral with the release of the download album Deepest, Darkest Secrets and the double remix CD Deeper, Darker Secrets.
Albums
- Shine (Manifesto 1999 (UK) (featuring bonus disc mixed by Paul Oakenfold containing unreleased remixes from Medway, Planet Heaven, Lange and Matt Darey)
Singles
- May 1997 "Shine" (#23 UK)
- December 1997 "Forgiven (I Feel Your Love)" (#27 UK)
- July 1999 "Legacy (Show Me Love)" (#31 UK)
- October 1999 "Heaven Will Come" (#25 UK)
- January 2000 "Shine 2000" (re-mix) (#18 UK)
- September 2001 "Everywhere I Go"
- November 2002 "One More Chance"
- August 2005 "Forgiven 2005"
- November 2005 "Everywhere I Go 2005"