Korgscrew
Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999 |
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Posted: Nov. 27 2003, 17:40 |
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Yes, Steve is indeed still going strong with System 7, together with Miquette Giraudy - the old team is still there. He took a break from music during the 80s, but was encouraged to try ambient techno, after becoming interested in it when he heard 'Rainbow Dome Musick' being played in a London club (the DJ that night was Alex Paterson of The Orb, who was responsible for doing much of the encouraging).
I believe that their work is quite well respected amongst dance music circles (I seem to remember one critic mentioning System 7 in connection with one of Mike's dance-influenced works, with the critic suggesting that System 7 showed how that sort of music should have been done...). They play festivals every now and then, and have appeared at Glastonbury a few times.
I'd not say their material bears a huge resemblance to Hillage's 70s work, but the more floaty, ambient aspect of some of his longer instrumental tracks is often evident. I have to say I miss the whacky new age edge that the 70s stuff had, my favourite moment being in 'Light in the Sky' from Motivation Radio, where Miquette Giraudy announces in a squeaky voice "It's a blimp Frank, it's a blimp!". Funny that, towards the late 70s, when Virgin were beginning to hint that Mike's albums were becoming uncommercial, there was Steve Hillage writing songs about talking to trees, and UFOs...
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