Peter Kember (born 19 November 1965), also known by his stage name Sonic Boom, is an English singer and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. He was a founding member, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist of alternative rock band

Spacemen 3 Spacemen 3 were an English neo-psychedelia space rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of " ...

, lasting from 1982 until the band's dissolution in 1991. He is now based in

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...

, Portugal. He provided the production on

MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...

's second album ''

Congratulations Congratulations may refer to: Film and television *'' Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest'', 2005 television programme to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary Music Albums * ''Congratulations'' (album), an album by ...

,''

Panda Bear The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes ...

's albums ''

Tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

'' and ''

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper ''Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper'' is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox). Coproduced by Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3, it was released on January 9, 2015, by the Domino Recording Company. ''Panda Bear Mee ...

'', and

Beach House Beach House is an American musical duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2004. The band consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals). Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 to ...

's album '' 7''. As a solo artist, Kember has recorded as Spectrum and E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research), parallel musical projects with recordings under both names occasionally only featuring Kember. He has occasionally performed live under both monikers, most recently in 2008–11 as Spectrum, touring as a band in America and Europe. Kember has played and collaborated with a number of artists, including

Stereolab Stereolab are an Anglo- French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repetit ...

and

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James McNew ...

Music career

Influences

In discussing music that was important to him, Kember mentioned

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

Pierre Henry Henry at his home (January 2008) Pierre Georges Albert François Henry (; 9 December 1927 – 5 July 2017) was a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète. Biography Henry was born in Paris, France, and began experimenting at the age of ...

Michel Colombier Michel Colombier (23 May 1939 – 14 November 2004) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor. Career Colombier wrote the scores of several motion pictures and TV productions. He also wrote chamber music and ballets. With composer Pierre H ...

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

the Sandpipers The Sandpipers were an American easy listening trio who carved a niche in 1960s folk rock with their vocals and innovative arrangements of international ballads and pop standards. They are best remembered for their cover version of "Guantanamera ...

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...

(OMD) and

George Faith Earl George Lawrence (1946–2003), also known as George Faith, Earl George and George Earl, was a Jamaican reggae singer best known for his work in the 1970s with producers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bunny Lee. Biography Born in Rae Town, ...

Spacemen 3

Kember initially came to prominence as a member of the outfit Spacemen 3.

Sonic Boom

Kember's first solo album, ''Spectrum'', was recorded in 1989 while Spacemen 3 were still a going concern, and featured the other members of the group. A second album, ''All Things Being Equal'', was released in 2020. Peter kember

Spectrum

Kember recruited new musicians Richard Formby, who had previously contributed guitar and keyboards to Sonic Boom's side of the final Spacemen 3 album ''

Recurring Recurring means occurring repeatedly and can refer to several different things: Mathematics and finance *Recurring expense, an ongoing (continual) expenditure *Repeating decimal, or recurring decimal, a real number in the decimal numeral syste ...

'', and Mike Stout for the group Spectrum in 1991. Initial Spectrum releases carried on from the sound of late-period Spacemen 3, featuring conventional songs and a regular band. First single "How You Satisfy Me" was an original composition by Kember and Formby reminiscent of 1960s

garage band Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

s, based as it was upon the Chip Taylor-penned pop hit "Can't Let Go". 1992's ''Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)'' album was split between songs and longer experimental pieces featuring

drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

s and repetition. Another single from the album, a cover version of

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...

's "True Love Will Find You in the End" reached number 70 on the UK singles charts. Formby departed the band as soon as the album was released and Stout left not long after. ''Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows'' (1994) featured a new line-up including former Spacemen 3 bass player Pete Bassman (Pete Bain), was also mainly song-oriented. Kember has occasionally collaborated with Jessamine and

Silver Apples Silver Apples were an American electronic rock group from New York, active between 1967 and 1970, before reforming in the mid-1990s. It was composed of Simeon (born Simeon Oliver Coxe III, June 4, 1938 – September 8, 2020), who performed o ...

under the Spectrum name. Since 1996 the Spectrum name has been used for Kember's solo work, sometimes with Bain and

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

/musician Alf Hardy. The music made with Bain and Hardy was often in the same vein as E.A.R., reflecting an increased interest in vintage analogue synthesizers, especially those made by EMS. After issuing 1997's ''

Forever Alien ''Forever Alien'' is the third studio album by British space rock band Peter Kember, Spectrum, a project led by Peter Kember under the pseudonym Sonic Boom. It was released in August 1997 by Space Age Records. After the band's preceding EP ''Son ...

'' album, there were no further releases of new material under the Spectrum moniker until 2008's ''Indian Giver'' collaboration with

Jim Dickinson James Luther Dickinson (November 15, 1941 – August 15, 2009) was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the band Mud Boy and the Neutrons, based in Memphis, Tennessee. Biography Dickinson was born in Lit ...

. Kember has also worked with

Füxa Füxa (pronounced like the color fuchsia) is an American rock band. Füxa was formed in Detroit in 1994 by musicians Randall Nieman (formerly of Windy & Carl) and Ryan Anderson (formerly of Asha Vida and later to join Delta Waves). Band memb ...

's Randall Nieman. During 2008–11, a four-piece Spectrum toured extensively in America and Europe. This included providing main support for the 2008 reformation tour of My Bloody Valentine, and a performance at the

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

festival in May 2011. An EP, ''War Sucks'', was released in 2009.

E.A.R.

Although the first E.A.R. album to be released (''Mesmerised'', 1994) was Kember on his own, the initial intention of E.A.R. was to record experimental "soundscape" music with collaborators. The second album, ''Beyond the Pale'' (1996), which was actually the first to be recorded, in 1992, included

Kevin Shields Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an American-born Irish musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and producer, best known as the vocalist and guitarist of the band My Bloody Valentine. They became influential on the evolution of alter ...

of My Bloody Valentine, Kevin Martin and AMM's

Eddie Prévost Edwin John Prévost (born 22 June 1942) is an English percussionist who founded the free improvisation group, AMM. Early years Of Huguenot heritage, Prévost's silk weaving ancestors moved to Spitalfields in the late 17th century. He was bor ...

. The album was remixed by German musician

Thomas Köner Thomas Köner (born 1965 in Bochum, West Germany) is a multimedia artist whose main interest lies in combining visual and auditory experiences. The BBC, in a review of Köner's work in 1997, calls him a "media artist," one who works between instal ...

in 1997, and released as ''The Köner Experiment''. Prévost also appeared on ''Phenomena 256'' (1996) and ''Millennium Music'' (1998), both of which included a larger group of musicians. ''Data Rape'' (1998) was recorded solely by Kember, using the technique of

circuit bending Circuit bending is the creative, chance-based customization of the circuits within electronic devices such as low-voltage, battery-powered guitar effects, children's toys and digital synthesizers to create new musical or visual instruments and ...

, which he continued to use on the ''Vibrations'' EP (2000) and ''Continuum'' album (2001). The latter two releases were made with assistance from

Delia Derbyshire Delia Ann Derbyshire (5 May 1937 – 3 July 2001) was an English musician and composer of electronic music. She carried out notable work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the 1960s, including her electronic arrangement of the theme ...

, formerly of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering work in electroni ...

, who also had a track named after her on the Spectrum album ''Forever Alien''. The most recent E.A.R. release is ''Worn to a Shadow'' (2005).

Other musical collaborations

Kember has also played and collaborated with Birmingham band

Magnétophone Magnétophone are an electronic/art rock band originating from Birmingham, England, composed of Matthew J Saunders (born 1972) and John Hanson (born 1973). Since their inception in the mid-1990s they have released two albums, ''I Guess Som ...

who were signed to 4AD Records, performing with them live on European tours between 2006 & 2007 (he also managed them during this period), The Field Trip,

Britta Phillips Britta Phillips (born June 11, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress. Phillips' music career spans more than 30 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s as the singing voice of the title character ...

and

Dean Wareham Dean Wareham (born 1 August 1963) is an American musician and actor who formed the band Galaxie 500 in 1987. He left Galaxie 500 in April 1991 and founded the band Luna. Since Luna's breakup in 2005, Wareham has released albums with fellow Lun ...

, Cheval Sombre,

Cloudland Canyon Cloudland Canyon State Park is a Georgia state park located near Trenton and Cooper Heights on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. One of the largest and most scenic parks in Georgia, it contains rugged geology, and offers visitors a rang ...

, and

Pat Fish Patrick Huntrods (20 December 1957 – 5 October 2021), known as Pat Fish, was an English musician best known for his work as a member of the band The Jazz Butcher. (The name "Jazz Butcher" has been applied ambiguously both to Fish and the whole ...

The Jazz Butcher The Jazz Butcher was the alias of British singer/songwriter Pat Fish (Patrick Huntrods). It also served as the name of the band, though adjuncts were frequently used to distinguish between Fish’s persona and band itself (The Jazz Butcher Consp ...

, The Fields of Hay and with the Italian band Julie's Haircut. 2006 saw Kember mentor

The Flowers of Hell The Flowers of Hell are a transatlantic experimental orchestra made up of a revolving line-up of 16 or so independent musicians based in Toronto and London. Their mostly instrumental sound builds bridges between classical music and post-rock, ...

through the creation of their self-titled debut, mixing and performing on a track and returning to do the same on the group's 2009

Come Hell or High Water ''Come Hell or High Water'' is a CD and DVD by the hard rock group Deep Purple. It was recorded on 16 October 1993 at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany and at the NEC in Birmingham on 9 November. The album is one of the las ...

album.

Work as a producer

Kember produced Blair 1523's debut album, ''Beautiful Debris''. He remixed Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham's ''L'Avventura'' album, releasing ''Sonic Souvenirs'' in 2003. In 2010, Kember undertook superervisory production on

's second album, titled ''

''. In 2011, he mixed and mastered

's fourth album, ''

''. In 2012 he produced TEEN's record ''In Limbo''. In 2015, he co-produced Panda Bear's fifth album, ''

''. He also did mixing work on Deakin's first solo work, ''

Sleep Cycle The sleep cycle is an oscillation between the slow-wave and REM (paradoxical) phases of sleep. It is sometimes called the ultradian sleep cycle, sleep–dream cycle, or REM-NREM cycle, to distinguish it from the circadian alternation between s ...

'', in 2016. Kember collaborated in the production of '' 7'', the

album released on 11 May 2018. He mixed Moon Duo's 2019 album, ''Stars Are the Light''

Discography

As Sonic Boom

Albums: *''Spectrum'' (1990) *'' All Things Being Equal'' (2020) *'' Reset'' (2022; collaboration with

) Singles/EPs: *''Angel'' (1989) *''Octaves/Tremolos'' (1990) *''Drone Dream'' (1991) *''Mechanical Man'' (1994) *''The Sundowner'' (2000)

As Spectrum

Albums: *''Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)'' (1992) *''Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows'' (1994) *''

'' (1997) *''A Lake of Teardrops pectrum & Silver Apples LP' (1999) (with

) Compilations and special releases: *''What Came Before After'' (1994) ompilation*''A Lake of Teardrops'' (1999) *''Live Chronicles Vol. 1'' (2001) ive recordings*''Live Chronicles Vol. 2'' (2001) ive recordings*''Refractions: Thru the Rhythms of Time 1989–1997'' (2004) ompilation*''Indian Giver: Spectrum meets Cpt. Memphis'' (2008) [with

] Singles/EPs: *''How You Satisfy Me'' (1992) *''True Love Will Find You in the End'' (1992) * ''Super Sympathy Spectrum Stocking Stuffer'' (1992) [split EP with The Field Trip] *''Indian Summer'' (1993) *''Undo the Taboo'' (1994) *''California Lullabye'' (1994) *''Songs for Owsley P' (1996) *''A Pox on You pectrum and Jessamine EP' (1996) ith Jessamine*''Feels Like I'm Slipping Away'' (1997) *''Interface/Come Out to Play'' (1999) plit EP with Imajinery Friends*''War Sucks P' (2009)

As E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research)

Albums, etc.: *''Mesmerised'' (1994) *''Beyond the Pale'' (1996, recorded 1992) ith Kevin Shields*''Phenomena 256'' (1996) *''The Köner Experiment'' (1997) *''Millennium Music'' (1998) *''Data Rape'' (1998) *''Living Sound .A.R. & Jessamine' (1999) *''Pestrepeller'' (1999) (Limited to 1900 copies) *''Vibrations'' (2000) *''Continuum'' (2001) *''Worn to a Shadow'' (2005)

Packaging and formats

Spectrum and E.A.R. releases have often featured elaborate packaging, unusual formats, or limited editions. Some notable examples are: * The LP version of the Sonic Boom album ''Spectrum'' came with a revolving "

Op art Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Op artworks are abstract, with many better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images ...

" sleeve. 2000 copies came with a slip allowing purchasers to also buy a limited 10" coloured vinyl EP. The EP contained experimental drone recordings, with instructions to play at 16, 33, 45 or 78

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

. * The group Spectrum's first album ''Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)'' was originally released in a transparent PVC sleeve, with a blue oil and water mixture contained within it. (These notoriously burst when being shipped to record store). The LP was pressed on transparent vinyl. * E.A.R.'s first single release was ''Pocket Symphony'', a 5" vinyl record with cover art by

Anthony Ausgang Anthony Ausgang (born Anthony Charles Grant Thompson, May 22, 1959) is an artist and writer born in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago in 1959 who lives and works in Los Angeles.''Vacation from Reality: The Art of Anthony Ausgang'' () Ausgang ...

. * E.A.R.'s "Sub Aqua / Tidal / Lunar" (1995) was an 8" vinyl release, a

picture disc Picture discs are gramophone (phonograph) records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term picture disc for records with graphics that extend at lea ...

with a

locked groove The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes (7, 10, or 12 inches), playback speeds (33, 45, or 78 RPM), and appearance (round black discs). However, since the commercial adoption of the gramophone record (ca ...

at the end of the second side. * "Sputnik" (1997), a split single with

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moo ...

and Don Fleming on the other side, was pressed on glittery 7" vinyl. * Another 7" single, "Data Rape (Part 9)" has a drawing by artist

Savage Pencil Edwin Pouncey (born June 1951), also known by the '' nom de plume'' Savage Pencil, is an English comics artist, musician, and music journalist. Biography As Savage Pencil and otherwise, Pouncey has contributed to magazines such as '' Sounds' ...

scratched onto the B-side instead of music. * 1998's "Death of a Robot" is pressed on 9" clear vinyl.

References

External links

Official website

3ammagazine.com 2002 interview

Rockedition.com interview, 2011

Alteredzones.com interview, 2011

interview with Peter Kember in Spain, c. 2010 (Youtube video)

interview with Peter Kember, c. 2010 (Youtube video)

'Soul Kiss (Glide Divine), Spectrum’s timeless masterpiece dismantled…'
– Interview with Kember about the LP, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kember, Peter 1965 births Living people English rock guitarists English rock keyboardists People from Rugby, Warwickshire People from Sintra Space rock musicians Spacemen 3 members