Flying Saucer Attack: Further
In the early ’90s, the Bristol, England shop Revolver Records served as an informal hub for bands who were picking up where Loveless left off. Foremost in this loose scene were Flying Saucer Attack; on their early 7'' singles, the duo of Dave Pearce and Rachel Brook explored a sound that broadened the immersive guitar whorls of traditional shoegaze to encompass elements of krautrock and British folk. It was a style neatly summed up by the alternate title listed on FSA’s 1993 self-titled album: “rural psychedelia.”
Further, FSA’s 1995 Domino debut, best encapsulates their approach, with feedback squalls, fingerpicked lullabies, and throbbing low-end falling equally into place in a gorgeous, heavily textured expanse. It isn’t hard to hear links to Further in an impressively varied array of acts, from the misty electronics of Boards of Canada to the avant-folk of Richard Youngs, from the skyscraping interludes of early Deerhunter to the abstracted intimacy of Grouper. FSA continued to refine their sound on later albums, despite Brook’s mid-’90s departure, and last year, Pearce returned with the first FSA album in 15 years, Instrumentals 2015. Still, Further remains their apex. –Marc Hogan
Listen: Flying Saucer Attack: “Still Point”