Church of Hawkwind
Church of Hawkwind is the eleventh studio album by the English space rock band Hawkwind, released on 14 May 1982 by RCA Records under the temporary band name Church of Hawkwind.[1] The album incorporates experimental electronic and synthesizer elements alongside the band's signature space rock sound, marking a transitional phase influenced by early 1980s music trends.[2] It originated from sessions for Hawkwind's prior album Sonic Attack in late 1981 and extended into early 1982, featuring a core lineup of Dave Brock on vocals, synthesizers, keyboards, and guitar; Harvey Bainbridge on bass and vocals; Huw Lloyd-Langton on guitars and vocals; with drumming duties split between Martin Griffin and Phil Gilbert across tracks.[3] Spanning 50 minutes, the record includes standout compositions such as "Angel Voices," "Nuclear Drive," and the title track "The Church," blending psychedelic atmospheres with hard rock and progressive structures.[4] The name change to Church of Hawkwind for this release symbolized the band's evolving lineup and sonic experimentation following internal changes, though it retained core members from the Sonic Attack era.[2] Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, the album received mixed critical reception upon release, praised for its innovative use of sequencers and atmospheric depth but critiqued for inconsistency in some tracks.[4] Subsequent remastered editions, such as the 2010 Atomhenge reissue, expanded the original twelve-track lineup with five bonus recordings, including previously unreleased material from related sessions, enhancing its appeal to collectors and fans of Hawkwind's prolific discography.[3] Overall, Church of Hawkwind exemplifies the band's adaptability in the post-punk era, bridging their 1970s psychedelic roots with more synth-driven explorations that influenced later space rock and electronic genres.[2]Background
Hawkwind's early 1980s context
In the late 1970s, Hawkwind transitioned from their prominent space rock era of the early decade, marked by albums like Space Ritual and Hall of the Mountain Grill, to a period of significant challenges. The band experienced a major split during their 1978 US tour, exacerbated by frontman Robert Calvert's mental health struggles and the end of their management contract, leading to the cancellation of remaining dates and Calvert's hospitalization.[5] This fracture resulted in a legal dispute over the band's name, prompting founder Dave Brock and Calvert to reform temporarily as Hawklords and release 25 Years On that year, which explored themes of industrial dystopia but failed to fully stabilize the group.[5] Calvert's departure shortly after, due to ongoing paranoia, further highlighted the internal volatility that had plagued the band since the mid-1970s.[5] By 1979, Brock reestablished Hawkwind with a new lineup including bassist Harvey Bainbridge, drummer Simon King, keyboardist Tim Blake, and guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, releasing the live album Live Seventy Nine to rebuild momentum.[5] This configuration evolved into their 1980 studio release Levitation, which peaked at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart and spent four weeks there, signaling a commercial resurgence.[6] The album incorporated emerging synthesizer elements alongside their signature heavy rock sound, reflecting a stylistic shift influenced by the era's electronic music trends and Brock's production vision. Drummer Ginger Baker joined for these sessions, adding a jazz-inflected propulsion, but his tenure was brief amid growing creative differences.[5] The following year's Sonic Attack further solidified this evolution, reaching No. 19 on the UK Albums Chart and charting for five weeks, their strongest UK performance since the mid-1970s.[7] By this point, the lineup had stabilized around Brock on guitar, vocals, and synthesizers; Bainbridge on bass and vocals; violinist and synth player Simon House; Lloyd-Langton on guitar; and King on drums, with Baker exiting before completion due to frustrations over the band's light shows and direction.[5][8] The album's blend of pulsating synth-driven tracks and hard-edged riffs demonstrated Hawkwind's push beyond traditional heavy rock, driven by internal tensions over maintaining relevance in a post-punk landscape.[9] This experimentation, rooted in Brock's leadership, set the stage for further electronic explorations while navigating ongoing lineup flux and band discord.[5]Album conception and name change
The album Church of Hawkwind emerged as a creative endeavor spearheaded by Hawkwind founder Dave Brock, who handled the majority of songwriting and production duties under his longstanding pseudonym "Dr. Technical." This alias, originally employed for the band's 1972 single "Silver Machine," underscored Brock's dominant creative control.[10] With contributions from band members including bassist and keyboardist Harvey Bainbridge and guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, the album represented a band effort under a temporary name.[11] The choice to brand the release as "Church of Hawkwind" stemmed from its markedly experimental electronic orientation, intended to signal a sonic shift away from Hawkwind's rock-heavy precedents like the 1981 album Sonic Attack. This pseudonym allowed the project to stand apart while evoking a ritualistic, otherworldly essence aligned with the band's space rock heritage.[2] Brock's vision emphasized futuristic textures through synthesizers and electronic effects, differentiating it from guitar-driven efforts and aiming for a more ambient, immersive quality.[12] Pre-production began in late 1981, concurrent with the wrapping of Sonic Attack, as Brock curated electronic instrumentation—including EMS synthesizers and tape loops—to amplify the album's mystical, sci-fi-infused themes. These elements built on Hawkwind's established motifs of cosmic exploration and ritual, fostering a devotional atmosphere in the music.[13][14]Recording and production
Studio sessions
The recording sessions for Church of Hawkwind took place at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, spanning from December 1981 to February 1982.[15] This three-month period allowed the band to build on material initially developed during the prior Sonic Attack sessions at the same facility earlier in 1981.[16] Dave Brock, using his production alias Dr. Technical, guided the process, ensuring a structured yet experimental approach to capturing the album's electronic soundscapes.[15] The core lineup—including Brock on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and synthesizer; Harvey Bainbridge on bass, synthesizer, keyboards, and vocals; Martin Griffin on drums; and Huw Lloyd-Langton on guitar and vocals on select tracks—formed the foundation, with sessions emphasizing layered instrumentation over roughly 10-12 weeks.[11][17] Integrating guest contributions presented logistical hurdles, as additional players recorded parts remotely or on select tracks only, such as Marc Sperhawk's bass and Captain Al Bodi's drums on "Brainbox Pollution," and Madam X's vocals on "The Church."[15] The band also navigated adaptations to expanded electronic elements, shifting from their rock-oriented roots toward denser synth arrangements.[4] Key moments included extended improvisational jams that influenced final structures, particularly in shaping atmospheric tracks like "Star Cannibal," where spontaneous interplay between synthesizers and guitars refined the evolving compositions.[2] These sessions culminated in a cohesive album that highlighted the band's transitional phase.[10]Technical production details
The mixing of Church of Hawkwind was handled by engineers Ashley Howe and Pat Moran at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, following the initial recording sessions that spanned December 1981 to January-February 1982.[18] The album's production emphasized electronic elements, with Dave Brock (credited as Dr. Technical) overseeing the integration of synthesizers and effects to create expansive soundscapes.[18] Key equipment included a range of synthesizers such as the Korg MS20, Korg Polyphonic ensemble, Roland Jupiter 4, and EMS Synthi, which provided the foundational electronic textures.[15] Effects processing featured two Roland RE-201 Space Echo units for delay and reverb, alongside the Koorlander Time Module and Multichorus Delay Module for modulated spatial effects, contributing to the album's "cosmic" atmospheres. Guitars were recorded using Westone Thunder models, enhancing sustain in distorted passages.[15][19] Production techniques involved multi-tracking to layer synthesizers and sequencers, creating dense electronic arrangements, as well as tape collage methods—including loops—for ambient and experimental sections led by Brock.[19] Early digital delay effects were incorporated to add depth to sequences and leads, marking an innovative blend of analog and emerging digital processing in rock production at the time.[19] The final mastering was performed by Ray Staff, who applied stereo panning techniques to emphasize spatial immersion, simulating a three-dimensional sonic environment.[11]Musical style and themes
Shift to electronic experimentation
The Church of Hawkwind album represented a pronounced sonic evolution for the band, transitioning from their established guitar-driven space rock foundations to synth-heavy, sequencer-based compositions that drew heavily on krautrock aesthetics, particularly the repetitive, motorik rhythms and ambient textures pioneered by groups like Tangerine Dream.[20] This departure was facilitated by the era's advancing synthesizer technology, which permitted layered electronic soundscapes and processed effects, fundamentally altering Hawkwind's sound without abandoning their cosmic ethos.[16] Structurally, the album prioritizes atmospheric instrumentals and mood pieces over traditional vocal-led songs, resulting in a predominance of spacey, electronic backdrops that occupy much of the runtime.[2] Reduced tempos and sustained drones create an immersive, hypnotic quality, emphasizing ethereal builds and subtle sequencer pulses rather than high-energy riffs, thereby fostering a sense of vast, interstellar drift.[21] This electronic pivot echoes parallels with 1980s progressive electronic works, such as early Jean-Michel Jarre's melodic sequencer explorations in albums like Oxygène, yet Church of Hawkwind distinguishes itself by infusing these elements with the band's enduring psychedelic edge—manifest through dissonant swirls and man-machine hybrid weirdness that evokes dystopian futurism.[20] The sonic framework thus amplifies the album's sci-fi conceptual undercurrents in a single, cohesive layer of experimental immersion.[22]Lyrical and conceptual elements
The lyrical and conceptual elements of Church of Hawkwind center on the "church" as a metaphorical space cult, with lyrics delving into themes of destiny, space travel, and existential fate, exemplified by references to star cannibals that portray humanity as prey in an unending cosmic predation cycle.[23] Dave Brock's songwriting employs poetic, abstract verses inspired by science fiction narratives to underscore motifs of ritual and prophecy amid interstellar journeys. The vocal delivery, handled primarily by Brock alongside sparse guest contributions, adopts an echoed and minimalistic style that emphasizes atmospheric immersion over precise articulation, enhancing the album's ethereal, incantatory quality.[24] This cohesion manifests as a "sonic mass," where tracks interconnect via fluid fades and persistent motifs of cosmic religion, creating a unified narrative of transcendent otherworldliness.[2] The supporting electronic experimentation from the album's production further amplifies these conceptual layers by simulating ritualistic, interstellar sound rituals.[2]Packaging and artwork
Cover design
The original 1982 LP cover for Church of Hawkwind was designed by Andrew Christian, with art direction and typography provided by Partridge/Rushton.[17] This design has been noted for its unusual appearance, complementing the album's eccentric title and electronic, ritualistic sound.[25] Subsequent reissues featured variations, including minor adjustments to the packaging; for instance, the 2010 Atomhenge CD edition retained the original LP sleeve design credits but incorporated new CD package design by Phil Smee, with some color and layout tweaks for the digital format.[17] These changes preserved the core visual elements while adapting to modern reproduction standards.[26]Inner sleeve and credits presentation
The original 1982 vinyl release of Church of Hawkwind included a limited-edition 12-page illustrated lyric booklet in the first 25,000 copies, featuring song lyrics alongside photographs of the band and abstract space imagery designed by Partridge/Rushton Associates.[27][13][28][29] The credits within the booklet and on the packaging detailed the recording process at Rockfield Studios from December 1981 to February 1982, listing core personnel such as Dave Brock on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and synthesizer; Huw Lloyd-Langton on guitars and vocals; Harvey Bainbridge on bass and synthesizer; and Martin Griffin on drums, along with additional credited musicians including Marc Sperhawk on bass, Captain Al Bodi on drums, and Madam X on vocals; equipment specifics including Korg 700, MS20, and Polyphonic synthesizers, Roland Jupiter 4 and SH09, and EMS Synthi units.[27] Thematic elements in the booklet incorporated a prose quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life," attributed to Dr. Technical (Dave Brock's alias), emphasizing existential themes aligned with the album's conceptual framework.[27] Subsequent reissues, such as the 2010 Atomhenge CD edition, expanded the inner materials with a deluxe booklet containing restored original artwork, additional photographs and memorabilia, and new liner notes coordinated and researched by Mark Powell, providing historical context without the limitations of the original pressing.[30][26][12]Track listing
Side one: Space
Side one of the original vinyl release, titled "Space," comprises six tracks that establish an atmospheric foundation for the album's cosmic narrative, emphasizing synthesizer-driven soundscapes and building tension through instrumental passages and rhythmic propulsion. This side shifts Hawkwind's sound toward electronic experimentation, blending space rock elements with sequencer patterns to evoke interstellar exploration.[12] The side opens with "Angel Voices" (1:21), a brief synthesizer-led instrumental featuring ethereal vocal effects by Harvey Bainbridge, setting a haunting, otherworldly tone reminiscent of a sci-fi prelude.[12][15] Following is "Nuclear Drive" (3:39), a driving track with prominent guitar riffs from Huw Lloyd-Langton and Dave Brock's synth layers, propelling the listener into a high-energy propulsion motif that underscores themes of interstellar travel.[12][11] "Star Cannibal" (5:31) serves as the side's longest piece, combining aggressive riffs and sequencer pulses to depict a predatory cosmic entity, merging traditional Hawkwind rock structures with electronic textures for a sense of vast, menacing expanse.[12][11] The instrumental "The Phenomenon of Luminosity" (2:40) follows, utilizing swirling synths to conjure luminous celestial events, contributing to the side's escalating sense of wonder and isolation in space.[12][11] "Fall of Earth City" (2:02) introduces a darker, apocalyptic edge with Bainbridge's bass and Brock's effects, evoking the collapse of terrestrial civilization as a gateway to outer realms.[12][11] Closing the side, "The Church" (3:11) features choral-like synth arrangements, acting as a transitional hymn that heightens the mystical tension before the album's second half.[12][11]Side two: Fate
Side two of the original vinyl release, subtitled "Fate," shifts from the expansive, synth-driven explorations of "Space" to a more introspective sequence contemplating destiny, mortality, and human existence. This contrast underscores the album's conceptual arc, resolving the cosmic buildup of the first side with grounded reflections on life's impermanence and foresight.[12] The tracks are as follows:- "The Joker at the Gate" (1:51)
- "Some People Never Die" (3:52)
- "Light Specific Data" (3:48)
- "Experiment With Destiny" (2:31)
- "The Last Messiah" (1:27)
- "Looking in the Future" (4:03)