The 1982 Listening Post - Solid Space - Space Museum

 Reviewed by Jim Coursey / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Released: 1982 Solid Space Space Museum Genre: Minimal Wave Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Highlights: (*** = the best of the best): Destination Moon A Darkness In My Soul *** Tenth Planet ***“ Earthshock Contemplation *** Please Don’t Fade Away “It’s definitely a moment in time. It’s two kids of 17/18 in a garden shed in Romford in Essex […], it’s a lot of spirit and a lot of naivety and innocence. That is the charm …” - Dan Goldstein, Solid Space [1] I first heard “Space Museum” – the one and only Solid Space album (cassette) – a decade or so ago, probably on some music blog or other. I was immediately taken with their somewhat gloomy space-obsessed songs that are leavened by the duo’s modest sound – a combination of rock instruments with rudimentary drum machines and synths, all sounding like a bedroom production. It’s the kind of album that uses modest tools to make something unexpected, finding the right balance between amateurishness, aspiration, and luck. Consciously or not, the duo hews to the words of Brian Eno: “Regard your limitations as secret strengths. Or as constraints that you can make use of.” [2] While two Doctor Who fanboys interweaving teenage ruminations with 60s British sci fi might not sound like the makings of a classic [3], it's hard not to get lost in the moment. Rather than write songs for whatever instruments or skills they *want* to have (imagine writing Led Zeppelin songs when all you have is a cheap drum machine), Sonic Space put together a set of songs that are built for the band they actually have. And it works. The album sets expectations from the outset, thanks to affable opening instrumental “Afghan Dance” with its chintzy, Cluster-like synths and rhythm box beat. Through the rest of the album they add vocals, guitars, bass and even woodwinds to the mix, but the rudimentary synth and drum machine combo remains essential to their sound. The album lifts off properly with “Destination Moon”, a wistfully atmospheric new wave cut. One of the most distinctive features of the song is the acoustic guitar playing the bass part – apparently the real bass was left at home the day of the recording session. [4] But maybe this was for the best. I’d argue a real bass would have been too heavy handed here, because the light touch of the acoustic guitar feels right at home next to that early 80s rhythm box. Can I pause to gripe about the sequencing though? While Solid Space’s choices are largely validated by Spotify stream data, the album feels unnecessarily backloaded to me. Case in point, their best and most popular track – million streamer "Tenth Planet" – doesn't rear its head til the middle of side B. I resequenced it for them – I'll drop my playlist in the comments in case anyone would rather start there. “A Darkness In My Soul” kicks off the better second side with the most inventive production work on the album. True to the title, the track leans a bit dark and gothy, withs swirly synths and reverb-drenched vocals offset by jangly acoustic guitar and a peppy beat. The vocal production makes the most of whatever gear they had at hand, with a constantly evolving collection of reverb treatments smartly accenting the choruses. The song makes perhaps the best case for the tone of the album, where the somewhat gloomy lyrical content could easily take a turn for the embarrassing with a more melodramatic, Bauhaus-like delivery. Instead it comes off as earnest teenage self-reflection. With the album nearly complete, “Tenth Planet” and “Contemplation” finally deliver the hooks that we’ve been waiting for. After an uncharacteristic perky intro, “Tenth Planet” sounds like one of those songs from the transitional period between Joy Division and New Order, while being a good bit better and more upbeat than most of “Movement.” Meanwhile, the bouncy synth clav of “Contemplation” is offset by the angst-ridden lyrics and yearning Andy MacKay-like clarinet for another hidden gem. If they ever fail Eno's dictum, it's on the sloppy funk of "New Statue." It's a catchy enough song, but the "snare drum" player gets lost too often and it's begging for a bigger, better band behind it. (I can imagine the Fall doing a ripping cover of it.) Somehow they stick with it for over five minutes, their longest track. Keep it simple guys! The end result sounds like a midpoint between In Phaze labelmates Marine Girls and (yes) The Legendary Pink Dots, while generally not sounding like either. Though relegated to a marginal cassette-only release in 1982, the album quietly built up enough of a cult following years later, eventually leading to a vinyl rerelease on Dark Entries in 2017. The band apparently moved on to their respective professional lives and barely looked back. Maybe they would have never been the next big thing, even if circumstances were right. But they perfectly capture that teenage moment when a world of possibilities is within your reach – it’s just a moonshot away. ********** 1. https://ifonlyuk.com/moment-time-looking-back-solid.../ 2, 4. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1195.Brian_Eno; see also, “Honor your mistake as a hidden intention.” 3. If an album inspired by Doctor Who seems goofy, remember how much mileage Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath got out of Tolkein.