Flying Saucer Attack
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 in Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Founder | David Pearce |
| Headquarters | Bristol , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Flying Saucer Attack is a British space rock ensemble established in Bristol in 1992, spearheaded by songwriter David Pearce. In the early stages, Rachel Brook (now Rachel Coe) from Movietone was part of the lineup; additional collaborators included Rocker (formerly of the Flatmates), Matt Elliott—also known as the Third Eye Foundation—and Sam Jones from Crescent.
The band fused elements of krautrock, folk, and dream pop, coining their homemade sound as "rural psychedelia." They were associated with the then-emerging post-rock and shoegaze movements. Known for cultivating a loyal following, they predominantly recorded their material in home studios rather than conventional recording facilities.
History
Before forming Flying Saucer Attack, Pearce was involved with Ha Ha Ha, which released the Up and Down EP in 1985. He subsequently created Rosemary's Children, producing the 1986 single "Southern Fields" and the 1987 album Kings and Princes. While attending art school in Farnham, he connected with musicians from Bristol and participated in several bands during the early 1990s, including the Secret Garden, the Distance, and Linda's Strange Vacation.
In 1992, Flying Saucer Attack emerged as a flexible collective centered around Pearce and Brook. Their debut single, "Soaring High," was issued in January 1993 through their own label, FSA Records. This was followed by the release of "Wish" in June. Both singles were limited edition 7-inch vinyl records featuring handcrafted packaging.
The band's self-titled debut album (sometimes referred to as Rural Psychedelia) appeared in 1993. It included a noisy rendition of Suede's single "The Drowners," which attracted media attention. Issued on vinyl only via FSA Records under Heartbeat Productions, its US release by VHF Records in early 1994 came on both CD and vinyl formats. The CDs carried provocative statements such as "compact discs are a major cause of the breakdown of society."
Flying Saucer Attack signed with Domino Recording Company to release Distance in October 1994—a compilation featuring early singles and unreleased tracks—which also saw a US release through VHF. Their first release on the US label Drag City was the non-album single "Land Beyond the Sun," issued in September 1994 and later reissued by Domino.
Their sophomore studio album, Further, was launched on 17 April 1995 via Domino and Drag City. That same year, they released a cover of Wire’s "Outdoor Miner" as a single. November 1995 saw the release of Chorus, a singles compilation that signified what was described as “the end of FSA phase one.” Following this period, Brook departed from the group to concentrate on Movietone.
In November 1996, the folk track "Sally Free and Easy" was initially available exclusively on CD; a US vinyl edition followed using a monaural master. Additional releases that year included In Search of Spaces, an album comprising early live recordings issued by Bruce Russell’s Corpus Hermeticum, alongside Distant Station, featuring two extended tracks created by Domino act Tele:Funken using samples from Flying Saucer Attack.
January 1997 brought forth the three-track "Goodbye" EP on VHF Records, blending both new and older material; one song featured New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery.
Flying Saucer Attack’s third studio album, New Lands, arrived in October 1997 and was regarded as “phase two,” continuing their signature mix of intense feedback with folk-inspired melodies. After releasing New Lands and their last vinyl-only single "Coming Home" in 1997, Pearce parted ways with Domino.
The lineup from “phase two” contributed to Birdman Records’ tribute album More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (July 1999), performing "Grey - Afro."
Their fourth studio effort, Mirror, was released on 17 January 2000 through FSA Records, marking an extended hiatus exceeding fifteen years. During this interval, Pearce collaborated with Jessica Bailiff under the name Clear Horizon, releasing a self-titled album via Kranky in 2003.
While inactive as Flying Saucer Attack, they participated in a two-disc compilation by Fire Records in 2008 that set all poems from James Joyce’s Chamber Music to music performed by contemporary alternative artists.
After a fifteen-year absence, Flying Saucer Attack returned with the album Instrumentals 2015, released on 17 July 2015.
Musical style
Their sound is characterized by elements of space rock, post-rock, shoegaze, and dream pop.
Studio albums
- Flying Saucer Attack (1993, released through FSA Records)
- Further (1995, issued by Domino Records and Drag City)
- New Lands (1997, Domino Records/Drag City)
- Mirror (2000, FSA Records/Drag City)
- Instrumentals 2015 (2015, Domino Records/Drag City)
Singles and EPs
- "Soaring High" (1993, FSA Records)
- "Wish" (1993, FSA Records)
- "Crystal Shade" (1994, FSA Records)
- "Land Beyond the Sun" (1994, Domino Records/Drag City)
- "Beach Red Lullaby" (1995, Planet Records)
- "Outdoor Miner" (1995, Domino Records)
- "At Night" split release with Jessamine (1996, Enraptured)
- "Sally Free and Easy" (1996, Domino Records/Drag City)
- "Goodbye" featuring Roy Montgomery (1997, VHF Records)
- "Up in Her Eyes" (1997, Stop Smiling)
- "Coming Home" (1997, Domino Records)
Live albums
- In Search of Spaces (1996, Corpus Hermeticum)
Compilation albums
- Distance (1994, Domino/VHF Records)
- Chorus (1995, Domino/Drag City)
- Mort Aux Vaches collaboration with Main and White Winged Moth (2000, Mort Aux Vaches)
- P.A. Blues (2004, VHF Records)
- Heartbeat / Complete (2012, Weltraum)
Collaboration albums
- Distant Station joint project with Tele:Funken (1996, Domino/Drag City)
Compilation appearances
- Contributions on Harmony of the Spheres (1996, Drunken Fish Records)
- "Grey - Afro" featured on More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (1999, Birdman Records)
- "XXIV Silently She's Combing" included in Chamber Music: James Joyce (2008, Fire Records)
See also
References
External links
- FAQ – contributions by Dave Pearce