Dr Space (alias of Scott Heller) of Øresund Space Collective and Craig Williamson from Lamp of the Universe collaborated on a project that began with an informal suggestion to exchange musical ideas.

Dr. Space sent Craig various synth improvisations, which Craig interpreted and expanded upon, inspired by early 70s Krautrock and Berlin school electronic music. The creative process was highly spontaneous, with Craig piecing together parts and improvising over them, while incorporating drums and guitars to complement Dr. Space’s synth work. Shane Beck’s spoken words were added to enhance the narrative on Side B, an idea suggested by Dr. Space. The collaboration was characterized by a deep mutual respect and a seamless blending of their musical styles, resulting in two long-form, side-length pieces. Despite the physical distance between their studios in New Zealand and Portugal, the project culminated in a vinyl release, emphasizing the importance of physical formats for the artists.

“It wasn’t anything planned”

How did the idea of collaborating come about? What drew you both to each other’s musical endeavors?

Craig: From memory, it was Scott who suggested sending me something. He sent me a fair bit of stuff too, which was awesome. We’d been in touch for ages, so it was just an informal “see what happens” kind of thing.

Dr Space: I am a big fan of Arc of Ascent and Lamp of the Universe, so I always felt that Craig was a guy who has a similar musical vision. I thought what I do would meld well with what he does as a multi-instrumentalist.

Could you share the genesis of this collaboration, from inception to the forthcoming vinyl release?

Craig: It wasn’t anything planned. The synth stuff I received from Scott was quite open to be interpreted in whatever way I felt like taking it. I’ve always been a fan of early 70s Krautrock and Berlin school electronic music, so I decided to do two long-form, side-length pieces, and stretch out the tranced-out thing a bit more.

Dr Space: It started when I asked Craig if he was interested in collaborating. After that, I went to the studio and created some long pieces of music that left a lot of space for Craig to intersperse his ideas. Then it was left to him to add his parts and magic.

Describe the creative process behind crafting this sonic odyssey. How did your respective styles intertwine?

Craig: I pieced together various parts I liked and improvised over them, changing and moving as I felt the piece needed, so it grew from there. If I felt it needed something, I’d go back to Scott’s improvisations and add things or add them myself. The drums and guitars I did were based on the vibe of Scott’s work, and as the recordings progressed, it took on a life of its own.

Dr Space: For me, I have eight keyboards-synths set up in the studio so I can record whenever I want. For our collaboration, I felt it would work best with album-long side tracks, so I created long synth improvs with open areas. I did not suggest instruments or any ideas but just let Craig do his thing.

With Dr. Space’s analog synthesis and Lamp of the Universe’s multifaceted instrumentation, what were the challenges and triumphs in merging these elements?

Craig: The only challenge for me was finding parts that went together cohesively. Once I had all of Scott’s synth parts sorted into one piece, I began to feel out where it needed to go. There were many “triumphs” with these sessions, as the basic tracks I had were multifaceted, and the universe revealed itself to me.

Dr Space: This is mostly for Craig, as his challenges were probably many, like playing drums at a certain tempo with some of the arpeggiated synths, etc. I laid the groundwork only.

The album features extensive improvisations. How did spontaneity influence the recording sessions?

Craig: Completely. Nothing was really set in stone or talked about that much. Scott had a few suggestions along the way, but there was no direction that came up. Completely natural.

Dr Space: I created my tracks completely improvised in one go for each track. There were no overdubs added on my part.

Can you walk us through a memorable moment of improvisation during the making of the album?

Craig: There are many actually. The tranced-out middle section of ‘Enters Your Somas’ or the cut-back space-drone spoken word parts on ‘Infiltrates Your Mind’ are highlights.

Dr. Space: Not sure I really can. Like I mentioned before, I just have my synths set up and have an idea in my head and perhaps a few presets on the Novation and Nord Leads thought about in advance, but I just go with the flow once I get something started.

Shane Beck’s spoken words grace Side B of the album. What led to this collaboration, and how did it enhance the album’s narrative?

Craig: That was Scott’s idea to bring him in. I think I mentioned that there was a cool spot for “something spoken” on ‘Infiltrates Your Mind,’ and he suggested him. Turned out very cool, I must say.

Dr Space: I had worked with Shane before and he is an old fan and friend. We had this long spaced-out section in the second side track, and I suggested to Craig that maybe we should get Shane to do something, and he did!

Reflecting on the collaborative process, what insights did you gain about your own musical identities?

Craig: That Scott certainly is “Dr Space,” and I’m just pleased I could make some cool music with him. My musical identity is probably all over the show if you ask people. I’m not sure where I fit in, to be honest; I don’t really think about these things too much. I’d say that it’s given me a good insight to be able to do more projects like this in the future.

Dr Space: For myself, I am always striving to try different things and keys, achieve different sounds and feelings, and keep moving forward. Due to my lack of real musical skill, I am limited. When I create a piece of music with a collaboration in mind, I try to leave enough open spaces for the collaborator to do what they like and feel fits with the vibe. I think I have my own style of making music now, though.

From DS Studios in Hamilton to Éstudio Paraíso Nas Nuvens Studio in Central Portugal, the album underwent a transformative journey. How did these studio environments influence the final product?

Craig: As far as I know, there was no real influence. The real influences came from the individual and their creations, as it should be.

Dr Space: I have never seen the place where Craig makes his magic and vice versa. It would have been more fun to do this in the same room, but the distance between us is pretty immense. I laid the first layer down in my studio, then Craig did his stuff and mixed, and then I did the mastering to give it the final full sound. It was fun.

David Graham’s mesmerizing artwork adorns the album cover. How does visual art intersect with your sonic landscapes?

Craig: That was Scott’s idea to use him. I’d never heard of him before, but it fits perfectly with the music and is a great piece.

Dr Space: David is really a visionary artist. So creative, and he uses a lot of images from his photography and manipulates them in Photoshop and sometimes using AI tools, though none were used in this cover. He and I have worked closely for more than ten years on lots of artwork. I often let him hear the music to inspire him to create. He’s a great human.

In what ways does the album’s visual aesthetic complement its auditory experience?

Craig: You can lose yourself in the artwork while listening to the music; I certainly did. I think that connection between music and art has been lost a bit these days. I guess it’s a bit of an old-school thing now to sit without distraction and take in the audio and visual elements that come with the LP format.

Dr Space: If you buy the LP and listen while sitting with the album, perhaps you can gain something extra out of it. It is just great to have a nice, visually striking art for your LP. Makes me proud.

The album is dedicated to Anders Broström, a fellow musician. How did his legacy inspire or influence your creative process?

Dr Space: Anders is a guy who I met a few times at ØSC concerts in Stockholm, and I really like his solo project, Domboshawa. We had talked about collaborating as well, and then I was so sad to hear that he had died in Dec 2023. What a loss. Our album was finished before I got the news, so he had no influence on the creative process beyond me being a fan of his music.

What message or sentiment do you hope to convey through this dedication?

Dr Space: It is always sad when we lose a talented musician, and it is more personal when you have actually met or know the person. He was a good human and had a lot of fans. I just hope everyone will enjoy a bit of his music and the legacy he left us.

What significance does vinyl as a format hold for you as an artist?

Dr Space: For me, releasing a physical item like an LP, CD, or tape is really important. You can hold it, read it, and appreciate the artwork in a totally different way than just a digital release. I really appreciate the support of these small labels and amazing, dedicated people like Sound Effect that release our music. It means a lot to me.

What lies ahead for Dr. Space and Lamp of the Universe? Are there any future collaborations or solo projects on the horizon?

Craig: For me, there’s always music coming. Whether it gets released or not is another question entirely. It takes a long time to get something out these days, so we’ll see. I have some reissues coming, slowly, from Lamp of the Universe and Datura, but when they see the light of day is really up to the record labels.

Dr Space: Craig and I have not really discussed further collaborations, but if this one is a success and people want to hear another, I am sure we would make some more music. It could be fun to do it the other way around, with Craig sending me some tracks and I put the layers on. Time will tell. As for other solo projects, I have released ‘Dr Space meets Mr. Mekon’ on tape in May, I have finished my next solo album, ‘Music to Make You Disappear,’ and am waiting for collaborators to send their guitar parts for another Dr Space’s Alien Planet Trip Volume with guitars. Hasse Horrigmoe (Tangle Edge, ØSC) and I have completed ‘Space with Bass IV’ as well. So lots of projects.

What else currently occupies your life?

Craig: Music and work, basically.

Dr Space: Gardening and maintaining the lands at the moment and packaging orders! We grow a lot of our own food in the summer, which is really nice, rewarding, and healthy! Not many bands are using the studio sadly, but I am working on completing a few other ØSC DVDs and studio albums as well as solo material.

Klemen Breznikar

Lamp of the Universe Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Dr Space Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Sound Effect Records Official Website / Facebook