When I got into spacerock, because of old bands like Eloy and Hawkwind, I thought that symphonic rock with synthesizers and sequencers and spacey stories was spacerock.

Later I got into Ozric Spacefolk and I was sold. I searched the internet up and down for spacerock.
But then I found out, anything can be spacerock these days: Radiohead, Muse, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and the whole 60's psychedelic rock movement. I'm not interested in a huge discussion about what spacerock is or is not.

Then I thought; why not focus on the instrumental bands that actually have a progressive approach instead of a stonerrock-approach. Nothing against stonerrock, by the way.
But to keep thing simple, I want to dedicate this thread to bands that are strongly influenced by Ozric Tentacles, Gong, Camel, Eloy, Pink Floyd, and have an instrumental approach with enthic and fusion influences.

 

Later on I found that another style has influences from spacerock and that is psychill/psytrance/psybient, with bands like Entheogenic, Shpongle and Eat Static. Wich have a lot of electronic but aswell analog instruments, mostly chants, percussion , guitar, flutes and ethnic influences. Quite progressive but not rock at all.

To start things off, here's a list of bands I already know:

 

First Band from Outerspace (although some songs have vocals)

Øresund Space Collective (although sometimes they sound more like stonerrock)

ColorStar (although some songs have vocals)

 

Of course the old bands, who have instrumental songs that have that specific progressive spacerock thing:

Camel (Lunar Sea, parts of Rain Dances)

Eloy (parts of Ocean, Silent Cries, Planets, Time to Turn)

Sky (really underrated band)

Kraan (another really underrated band)

Tangerine Dream (especially their Force Majeur-days)

 

As you can see, not a very broad list, and not a very popular style. Maybe people want more focus on heavy guitar riffing and vocals/lyrics.

However, I wonder if I left out some artists that really fit in the lists above. Maybe Steve Hillage or Tim Blake?

Subarachnoid Space (a sort of modern dark version of Ash Ra Tempel)

Egyptian Kings (mostly instrumental)

Here & Now (some vocals)

Wooden Baby (a Ozrics side-project, still waiting for approval by the PSIKE team ...)

 

I had something of Wooden Baby I can remember, because I collected all Ozric.

Let me remember any other sideprojects: Dream Machine, Moksha and of course Nodens Ictus (wich is really, really great stuff)

 

I will try some of the other recommendations, thank you.

Thanks for reminding me. Really great stuff.

 

Thanks. I will try it out.

 

 

and

 

 

Black Bombaim sounds a lot better, although it's basically stonerrock. Heavy, fuzzy bass and guitars. A kind of seventies feel, and not what I intended this thread for. Sorry.

 

Causa Sui isn't at all bad. They have this psychedelic jam-thing aswell, and softer parts wich work really well. They have this oldskool-Camel sound here and there. But again not what I was looking for. It's just a lot of guitars and heavy drums. No synths, no sequencers, no fusion/ethnic influences.

Basically all three bands are stonerrockbands. Please let's keep this thread for any spacerock that is not stonerrock/fuzzrock/desertrock/jamrock.
Please read my desrciption

More or less music like this:

 

 

 

 

I will try out NEU! however, because I can't remember having listened to it before. I do remember listening to Guru Guru and Faust and other spacerock/krautrock bands and although they are quite nice in their own wierd way, not what I'm looking for.

Here some more Shpongle live with the wonderful Manu Delago on hangdrum. This is what I am looking for (no fuzzy rock guitars or heavy jam-drumming). Just pure space and bliss. Something to dance to and float away.

Maat Lander  - The Birth Of Maat's Galaxy 

An Emerald City - The Fourth 

 

It's exactly how I stated it. I fell in love with the sound of Planets and Time to Turn of Eloy and Force Majeure of Tangerine Dream and went on a lifelong mission for that type of synth-driven spacerock.

When I found out that spacerock also refers to stoner/desert bands and mellotron driven fuzzguitar bands etc. I thought; how am I going to find what I want?

 

That's when I realized almost anyone on earth uses spacerock to describe different kinds of music.

You know, I have absolutely no problem with bands like Orange Goblin, Monster Magnet, Atomic Bitchwax, Greenleaf, etc. etc.

Actually they are all great bands, but not what I am looking for.

I guess my aim is the kind of spacerock that uses loads and loads of synths, sequencers, drummachines etc. and has influences from dub, reggae, jazzfusion, ethnic music.
I think Slinky  from Spirals in Hyperspace by Ozric Tentacles quite sums it up. Or the superb intro to End to an Odyssey from Time to Turn by Eloy.

 

 

 

Quantum Fantay is exactly the kind of band I was talking about. Really great stuff. Lots of flute, sequencers, synths and ethnic influences. Really great stuff!

 

My Brother the Wind are a spin-off of Anekdoten, aren't they? Massive usage of mellotrons?

 

BlandBladen is underrated and really, really great stuff. been listening to their album for maybe 10 years now. It never gets boring. Too bad, no-one knows the band.

I don't know the rest of your list, but if it's similar, I'm sure I will like it. Thanks!

Doesn't sound all that bad. More like doommetal with synths. But not what I was looking for.

No drummachines, no weird tempos. no ethnic influences, no flute, percussion etc. No sequencers.

Really, I don't want to sound mean and bash any of these bands, but I started this thread to look for bands sounding like Ozric Tentacles, Entheogenic, Shpongle, Hidria Spacefolk etc.

Not bad, sounds a lot like Pink Floyd, Airbag etc.

Not exactly what I started this thread for. And there a lot of vocals, and straightforward rhythms and no drummachines, sequencers or synths.

Finally someone who gets me.
This is stellar stuff. The Russians know what I like. Great stuff, thanks. Will download it immediately.

Although it sounds a little rough (like a demo), and the guitarsound is a bit metallish, and the drums are way too loud. It has the ingredients to become a great band.
Now I come to think of it, it sounds like a instrumental version of Riverside.

The problem with searching for spacerock on this website, is the over abundance of psychrock, krautrock etc,
Not the bands I'm looking for.

I just found this playlist on Spotify. Let's see what it brings me:

It's also a cd boxset and it starts with a Hawkwind kind of band: Ca!n. Not my cup of coffee. Let's what else it brings.

https://www.amazon.com/Space-Rock-Interstellar-Travelers-Guide/dp/B01M02RENN

 

I tried Djam Karet multiple times. I can't really like it.
Agusa I have good memories of. Listened to a lot of space/stoner 10 years ago. Now I'm not looking for stoner, but specifically for synth/sequencer driven progressive spacerock, like Ozric Tentacles.

Right now I'm kneedeep in Eloy by the way.

Although lots of vocals, I think they have the best synth-sound in the world.
Another band by the way with great synth- and guitarparts is RPWL.

 

Has some nice moments, but the drums sound awful. Sorry.

 

 

https://hidriaspacefolk.bandcamp.com/album/astronautica" rel="nofollow - https://hidriaspacefolk.bandcamp.com/album/astronautica

It's not fully instrumental (unfortunately), but I really like its synthesized soundscapes and the loud drums.

Thanks, will listen to it.

Entheogenic borders trance, ambient, progressive electronic and space music.
This is really up my creek. Love it!

Did Riverside change their sound?

I used to listen to them (horrible heavy metal drumming and not-so-great vocals).
But their aim is progmetal, not spacerock, and their use of electronica is really, really sparse...

There are some songs I actually like, because the guitarist has some nice solos and the synths are not all that bad. But only a few moments does not make a great band.

I wonder why you thought this band belongs in this thread. 

Then maybe I should give it a listen, then. I listened to their first three albums years and years ago, and then finally their was one EP wich was okay (Pink Floyd influenced) and then they released a full force progmetal album (ADHD or something) and I just quit listening.

But is it instrumental? Does it feature lengthy synthsolos and soundscapes? Drummachines? Percussion? Flute? Does it have ethnic influences?

This thread was meant for that type of spacerock, not a band that suddenly makes atmospheric music.

Edit: I have a day off, so I looked it up on Spotify and playing it now. Sounds like something totally different than their old work.

After the first page people very rarely go back and read the OP. They go by the title of the thread and then proceed to recommend.

I think the title sums it up pretty clear.

The new Riverside sounds like psytrance. I can't even imagine this is the same band as Rapid Eye Movement. Really nice...

 

 

 

Listen to the album "Beginnings", the debut work of Hungarian group RasaSound. I think this is exactly what you are looking for. 

http://rasasound.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - https://rasasound.bandcamp.com

Strange mention/post time!

Weird to see GONG's YOU, not mentioned, and it was probably the album that gave that style (can it be called that?) it's life and eventual living. You just put on the 2 long cuts, along with "Isle of Everywhere", and there you have it. 

Steve Hillage should be listed here, and I specially like the "Green" album, and its impeccable mixing and design. 

Though not for everyone, if one is into trip music, that can not be considered "progressive" in its definition, but it is experimental in its form, one should really check out Daevid Allen's excursions into the Glissando thing which is really trippy, but not a "song" per se.

Also both artists were huge influences for Ozric Tentacles etc.

 

 

 

By the way, is it okay to post full-album-YouTube clips?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c5nAA4z0BI" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c5nAA4z0BI

Probably the most progressive song is Area One: https://soundcloud.com/paraphontree/area-one

The bands that influenced me the most for this song were Riverside and Alan Parson's Project.

Leave a comment if you want :)

If you liked what you heard you can find merch (e. g. CDs) here:  https://paraphontree.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - https://paraphontree.bandcamp.com

Greets from Germany!