Space rock is a music genre characterised by loose and lengthy song structures that focus on instrumental textures to create a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It often features distorted and reverberation-heavy guitars, minimal drumming, slow vocals, synthesizers, and lyrical themes related to outer space and science fiction.
The genre originated in the late 1960s with psychedelic and progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and Gong, who explored a "cosmic" sound. Similar styles were developed in the early 1970s within the West German kosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene. In the mid-1980s, Spacemen 3 adopted the style, creating a "drone-heavy" sound influenced by and intended to complement drug use. By the 1990s, space rock evolved into shoegaze and post-rock, with bands such as the Verve and Flying Saucer Attack drawing from its elements.
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