Spectrum (4)

Band started by Pete Kember a.k.a. Sonic Boom (2) after Spacemen 3. Kember recruited new musicians Richard Formby, who had previously contributed guitar and keyboards to Sonic Boom's side of the final Spacemen 3 album [m31548] (1990) and Mike Stout for the group Spectrum in 1991. Initial Spectrum releases carried on from the sound of late-period Spacemen 3, featuring conventional songs and a regular band. 1991's "How You Satisfy Me" single was an original composition by Kember and Formby reminiscent of 1960s garage bands, based as it was upon the Chip Taylor-penned pop hit "Can't Let Go". 1992's "Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)" debut album was split between songs and longer experimental pieces featuring drones and repetition. Another single from the album, a cover version of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You In The End" reached number 70 on the UK singles charts. Formby departed the band as soon as the album was released and Stout left not long after. 'Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows' (1994) featured a new line-up including former Spacemen 3 bass player Pete Bassman (Pete Bain), was also mainly song-oriented. Since 1996 the Spectrum name has been used for Kember's solo work, sometimes with Bain and with recording engineer / musician Alf Hardy. The music made with Bain and Hardy was often in the same vein as Experimental Audio Research (E.A.R.), reflecting an increased interest in vintage analogue synthesizers, especially those made by EMS. After issuing 1997's "Forever Alien" album, there were no further releases of new material under the Spectrum moniker until the [m1716485] collaboration with Jim Dickinson in 2008. Kember has also worked with Füxa's Randall Nieman. During 2008-11, a four-piece Spectrum toured extensively in America and Europe. This included providing main support for the 2008 reformation tour of My Bloody Valentine, and a performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2011.