Photo by Barry Plummer
Photo by Barry Plummer
Nik Turner, founding member of Hawkwind who contributed saxophone, flute and vocals to the group’s first seven albums as well as co-writing some of their most beloved songs, passed away in the evening of November 10th.
His family posted this message earlier today:
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik Turner – The Might Thunder Rider, who passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening. He has moved onto the next phase of his Cosmic Journey, guided by the love of his family, friends and fans.
Turner was simply one of the most creative minds of his generation. His tenure with Hawkwind was just the beginning of his journey to the outer reaches of the rock music universe as Turner would go on to release an astoundingly adventurous and diverse catalog of solo albums as well. His collaborations with everyone from UK Subs guitarist Nicky Garratt to Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger to Todd Rundgren along with Steve Hillage of Gong, Amon Düül II founder John Weinzierl, Die Krupps leader Jürgen Engler and so many more expanded his creative energy and brought new generations of music fans into his audience. Just this year saw the reissue of Turner’s incredible concert
extravaganza, Space Ritual 1994, as both a CD/DVD set as well as a 3LP set, which features guests Helios Creed of Chrome and Psychic TV’s Genesis P-Orridge as well as
Hawkwind alumni Del Dettmar and Alan Powell.
Cleopatra Records would like to offer our deepest condolences to Nik’s family and friends. We always felt Nik to be a part of our family, and we will continue to remember him and honor him as such.
An intergalactic roadmap to the most mind-blowing sounds in the Universe – 6CDs of the best Space Rock including Hawkwind, Amon Düül II, Gong, Can, Guru Guru, Tangerine Dream, Ozric Tentacles, Nik Turner, Popol Vuh, Alice Cooper, Nektar, Chrome, and more!
Each CD comes in its own individually designed jacket and housed in a deluxe 7″x7″ box with oversized booklet featuring liner notes, band biographies, photos, and out of this world artwork!
DISC 1
1. Can – All Gates Open
2. Hedersleben – Gulf Of Lost Souls
3. Øresund Space Collective – The Trichophantic Spire
4. Popol Vuh – Steh Auf, Zieh Mich Dir Nach
5. Joel Vandroogenbroeck – Sign From Space
6. Ozric Tentacles – Space Out
7. Secret Saucer – Lift Off
8. An Emerald City – Seizuretron
9. Nik Turner – Out Of Control
10. Melting Euphoria – Flying Eyes Like Saucers
11. Guru Guru Groove Band – UFOlove
12. Maat Lander – The Comet Rider
13. Gong – Fohat Digs Holes In Space (Live Paris 1972)
DISC 2
1. Tangerine Dream – Ultima Thule Part 1
2. Brainticket – Watchin’ You
3. Faust – Parasiten
4. Pyramidal – Black Land
5. Shawn Lee – Low Riders In Space
6. Hydravion – Passadena Airport
7. Pressurehed – Altitude
8. Het Droste Effect – You Know That I Knew
9. German Oak – Shadows Of War (A. Rain Of Destruction / B. B1 To London)
10. Daevid Allen Weird Quartet – The Cold Stuffings Of November
11. Omega – Don’t Keep On Me Waitin’
12. Kalutaliksuak – What Are Your Feet Eating?
13. Oranssi Pazuzu – Reikä Maisemassa
DISC 3
1. Steve Hillage & William Shatner – Rocket Man (Alternate Mix)
2. Black Rainbows – Hawkdope
3. Guru Freakout – Notre Dame (Mothership) [Edit]
4. XYNN – Lost In Space (English Version)
5. The Spacelords – Pyroclastic Monster
6. Aqua Nebula Oscillator – Human Toad (Live)
7. Magic Wands – Jupiter
8. Atomic Simao – Descending
9. White Manna – We Pretend Space Isn’t There
10. Yuri Gagarin – At The Center Of All Infinity
11. Federico Farnè – What Illuminates The Night
DISC 4
1. Guru Guru – Spaceship (Edit)
2. Hawkwind – Seeing It As You Really Are
3. It’s Not Night: It’s Space – Vibration Eater4. Earthling Society – EA1729
5. Robert Calvert – Lemmy & I Swallowed Massive Amounts Of Drugs
6. Gilli Smyth – What Do You Really Want (Live)
7. The Re-Stoned – Faces Of Earth
8. The Dunes – Badlands
9. Exxasens – Helios
10. Oranjjoolius – Tiki Sleep Cycle
11. Equations – SSSUUUNNN
12. Secret Symbol Society – Canes Venatici
13. Lord Fuzz – The Freak
DISC 5
1. Amon Düül II – Archangels Thunderbird
2. Naxatra – Space Tunnel
3. Celestial Bums – Child of the Moon
4. Dark Buddha Rising – L
5. My Education / Theta Naught Sound Mass – End Masse
6. Sun Araw – Deep Temple
7. Hidria Spacefolk – Kaneh Bosm
8. Dasputnik – Orbitary Volcano
9. Ava Cherry – Highway Blues
10. Orlando Monday – Moonchild
11. MKM – Retorn Al Planeta Imaginari
12. Sons Of Hippies – Spaceship Ride
DISC 6
1. Nektar – Astronaut’s Nightmare
2. Chrome – Eyes In The Center
3. Space Debris – Phonomorph
4. Leroy Powell And The Messengers – Weightlessness
5. Electric Orange – Meals Of Confusion
6. Floorian – Overruled
7. Alice Cooper – B.B. On Mars (Live 1969)
8. Gdeva – Autobahn
9. Vespero – Vision 7. Kidish Hail
10. ST 37 – The ‘In’ Crowd
11. Nik Turner – 1975 Interview
Joel Vandroogenbroeck was a musical pioneer in every sense of the phrase. His classical and jazz training combined with his passion for computers and electronic synthesizers united the digital and analog worlds, creating some of the most forward-thinking music of the 1970s. Born in Brussels, Vandroogenbroeck earned numerous accolades as a young pianist and was touring Europe by the time he was a teenager. But as the musical and cultural explosion brought on by the ‘60s spread throughout the world, Vandroogenbroeck found himself drifting further outside of the mainstream to a place of exploration and experimentation in psychedelic music inspired by bands such as Tangerine Dream and Amon Duul II. He formed his own band, Brainticket, and released the highly regarded debut album Cottonwoodhill in 1971. Psychonaut followed the next year and the epic Celestial Ocean capped things off in 1973. These early albums along with the later period Brainticket recordings constitute some of the finest electronic psych music ever laid down.
Vandroogenbroeck teamed with Los Angeles-based indie label Cleopatra Records to reissue his catalog of albums along with unreleased and rare live recordings for Cleopatra’s Purple Pyramid imprint. He also revived Brainticket in 2015 with what will be their final album Past, Present & Future helped by the likes of UK Subs guitarist Nicky Garratt and German industrial artist Jürgen Engler of Die Krupps.
“I am honored & lucky to have known him. He was such a gifted & talented person, he will be truly missed by everyone at Cleopatra & all who loved his music†– Brian Perera, Cleopatra Records
The Cleopatra Records family will greatly miss Joel Vandroogenbroeck and would like to extend its deepest condolences to his friends and loved ones.