released April 1, 1996

Chet Santia: Bass, Guitar
Jay Swanson: Keyboards, Synth
Paul Williams: Drumming, Synth, Loops, Samples
Darren Gough: Guitar
Dave Wexler: Guitar

All Music Improvised by Quarkspace.
Produced by Lance Starbridge.
Cover art by NASA.

Reviews

Spacefolds 1

Long out-of-print, the first four "Spacefolds" releases have recently been reissued on CD by MP3 dot com. "Spacefolds 1" features 28 minutes of the band's first between-projects cassette release from 1996. Although somewhat raw and lacking in the band's current compositional brilliance, this early music displays strong prog rock tendencies pushed to the limit, spilling the tuneage into the void of outer space where it unfurls with dynamic verve.

Powerful drumming acts as a foundation here, while searing guitar spirals and keyboard sweeps cavort with engaging appeal. Basslines snake through the dense mix, rumbling with earthy tones. While the structure is often abstract, this music inevitably flows into a pulsating unity that dazzles the listener with severe peaks and emotional performance. - Matt Howarth, Sonic Curiosity


The Spacefolds series (now up to 7 CD's) is a collection of instrumental studio improvisations by Quarkspace. Some of the tracks are earlier versions of tracks that would appear later on both studio and live albums, others are unique pieces unto themselves. As such, the Spacefolds series is an important document of the ongoing development of one of the US's most exciting space rock bands of the present era.

Spacefolds 1, in particular, is an exciting re-release for Quarkspace fans. Originally released on cassette in 1996, the half-hour CD documents an earlier sound for the band, before they began to work with loops, sequences, and electronic percussion (PW - We've always used electronic percussion. There is no acoustic percussion on SF1.). As such, it has a much looser, less focused sound than later Quarkspace, but more unpredictable and progressive in nature as well.

According to the band, the three Blackhawk Circle pieces were recorded to impress Randy Meinking and Greg Gough. Even if you are not Randy or Greg, you will likely be impressed. The band skillfully shifts through spacey textures to complex, jazz-like inventions, demonstrating that first and foremost, they have always been a very tight improvisational unit. Especially impressive is Paul Williams' drumming, heard here free of the constraints of electronic loops heard on later Quarkspace releases, including a short but tasty percussive outing with two other drummers (The Drummer's Triangle). Also of interest to fans is a deep space expedition of an earlier take of Faerienot Space, which would later crop up on the Live Orion CD. - Jeff Fitzgerald, Aural Innovations


Spacefolds 1 was Quarkspace's first release. It appeared on cassette on Eternity's Jest in 1996 and was the first of a series of EP cassettes and later full-length CDs documenting the best improvisations the space rock band played. The idea was to make improvs taken from rehearsals and studio sessions available to the public as quickly as possible in order for the fan to follow the band's evolution. On Spacefolds 1, Quarkspace was still a quartet consisting of Chet Santia (bass, guitar), Jay Swanson (keyboards), Paul Williams (drums), and Darren Gough (guitar). Guitarist Dave Wexler appears only as a guest (he would become a full-time member shortly afterwards). This first volume is stronger than the next three; the band wasn't yet into loops, so the music evolves constantly and gets closer to progressive rock. Still, the band's distinctive sound was already established — medium-tempo spacey improvs with a gentle beat (no insisting pulse) and melodic guitar work. The three "Blackhawk Circle" pieces are enjoyable jams. "The Drummer's Triangle" is a short percussion-bashing fest. But the fan's attention is best directed to the last track, "Fäerienôt Space," an improvisation the band would later learn and shape into a piece; it appears on the CD Live Orion under the same title (minus the accents). This original version showcases some great drumming. As far as the public is concerned, this is the birth of Quarkspace. Spacefolds 1 was reissued on CD-R with new artwork via MP3 dot com in February 2001. - Francois Couture, All Music Guide

Spacefolds 2

This 29 minute CD features the band's second between-projects cassette release from 1997. A spacier edge is found on this release, potentially attributable to the introduction of loop-based technology to the instruments. While the percussion goes electronic (yet retaining its humanity), the guitar work steps down to intricate chords replacing astral tones. Tempering the progression of spacerock into cyclic mode, the presence of a psychedelic mood lends tasty divergence to this evolving tuneage. - Matt Howarth, Sonic Curiosity


Spacefolds 2, fairs less well, unfortunately. Not that there aren't some excellent moments, most of which occur in the first 11 minutes of the 30 minute CD, which comprise the two-part track Original Royalty. Apparently, this began as a jam based loosely on the Prince song Kiss (hence the title), and would later morph into Prince on The Hidden Moon CD. On Spacefolds 2, it's a moody experiment with loops, whooshing, bleeping electronic sounds, and fluid guitar, all of which build to a frantic and rocking finale in the second half of the track. By contrast, Ambient 1 is, well, an ambient piece, as the title so cleverly suggests. It's a pleasant, if not terribly interesting soundscape, featuring a little buzzing and gurgling along the way, until is takes a sharp left turn near the end, with an odd electronic texture from Jay Swanson (PW - that's my sample) that reminded me of the psychedelic laughter at the end of the Pink Floyd's Bike. The weak link on the CD (by the band's own admission: "The cheesiest thing we have ever done.") is Go, a funky dance number, seriously marred by an annoying sample of someone yelling the word "go" throughout. Finishing things off on this one is the chunky dance number, Quarkadelic. The song features some terrific guitar work, which, unfortunately, is buried a little too deep in the mix, a habit of Quarkspace's that I've noticed on other albums. - Jeff Fitzgerald, Aural Innovations


Spacefolds 2 appeared on cassette on Eternity's Jest in 1997. It marked two changes for the band. First, guitarist Dave Wexler had now become a full-time member. Second, from now on the music would include a bit more electronics and use loops to propel the improvisations. "Original Royalty/Touch Our Love Monkeys" is a suite; the first part, a contagious jam in 7/8 derived from Prince's "Kiss" (hence the title) would become, after extensive plastic surgery, the track "Prince" on The Hidden Moon. The second part takes space rock into dance music territory. "Ambient 1" starts ambient indeed, but takes some unexpected left turns toward the end — not a cohesive track. "Go" is, admittedly, the band's cheesiest piece. A dance groove serves as the backbone, and the insistent use of the sample of a man shouting "Go!" quickly becomes annoying. This EP ends with "Quarkadelic," another dance tune standing somewhere between Hawkwind and George Duke's late-'70s music; this one features a good guitar solo sadly buried in the mix. This release clearly stands below average. Spacefolds 2 was reissued on CD-R with new artwork via MP3 dot com in February 2001. The title of the first track has been shortened to "Original Royalty" and the piece "Ambient 1," which faded out at the end of side A and back in at the beginning of side B, is presented as one continuous track. - Francois Couture, All Music Guide

Both Albums

While the material on Quarkspace's CD release (see review in issue #11) has more of a song focus, these tapes feature the band's more improvisational and spacey side. All of the material on both Spacefolds tapes are extracts from hundreds of hours of purely instrumental space explorations by this Ohio based five-piece. In general, with Spacefolds 1, their approach is not of the driving rock type, but rather a more spaced and tnppy free-form style, that sort of half-dream state dual guitar propelled sound that one might find on early albums of Amon Duul 2, or the Grateful Dead around the time of their second or third album. A swirling maelstrom of psychedelic guitars, bass and keys, with solos floating in and out of view. The Percussive element is varied throughout, which keeps the output interesting over the duration.

On Spacefolds 2, there is a slightly more prominent role for keyboards and synths in the scheme of their improvisational style. Also, they dabble with sampled voice elements and a dancier beat on one track. In all, these are two outstanding collections, and in some ways the material here might equal or even surpasses that on their disc. Apparently the band plans for Spacefolds to be a quarterly series. Definitely should be of interest to enlightened space travelers, to whom I can recommend these highly. - Peter Thelen, Expose