S.P.O.C.K


S.P.O.C.K is a Swedish synthpop band which formed around 1988.
WWW Official Site

Background

The band's original lineup was songwriter Eddie Bengtsson, Finn Albertsson, and vocalist Alexander Hofman. Over time the members of the band have shifted: Johan Billing was a member of the band from 1994 to 1998, but with the release of S.P.O.C.K: 1999 the band's lineup changed to one with Alexander Hofman, Johan Malmgren and Christer Hermodsson.
In 1988, Eddie Bengtsson wrote a handful of songs to be performed at Finn Albertsson's birthday party, with Alexander Hofman performing vocals; the three young men dubbed the band Mr. Spock. After the performance at the party, the band continued for several months to play at other house parties, but soon managed to secure some event bookings. In 1989, the band members contacted Paramount Pictures for permission to use the name "Mr. Spock". When Paramount demanded a heavy compensation for the privilege, the band renamed themselves using the initials S.P.O.C.K, which are an acronym for Star Pilot On Channel K.
S.P.O.C.K's commercial success began in 1990 when the Swedish record label Accelerating Blue Fish published "Silicon Dream" as a limited-edition 7-inch single. The lyrical subject matter of S.P.O.C.K's songs frequently centers on science fiction stories,. Other topics include alien-human relations and life in space. Representative songs include: "Alien Attack", "E.T. Phone Home", "Never Trust a Klingon", "Not Human", "In Space No One Can Hear You Scream", "Mr. Spock's Brain", "Dr. McCoy" and "Astrogirl".
On stage the band members adopted a cyberpunk/sci-fi-esque personae, with Eddie Bengtsson calling himself "Eddie B. Kirk", Alexander Hofman as "Android", and Finn Albertsson as "Cybernoid". Together with such bands as Page, Elegant Machinery, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez, S.P.O.C.K helped to define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.
In 1997, members of S.P.O.C.K started their own recording label SubSpace Communications. The band's 1999 album, 1999, ranked #25 on the German Alternative Chart's 1999 Top 50 Albums chart.
In 2010 Christer Hermodsson left the band in order to focus on other musical endeavors. He was then replaced by Valdi Solemo. The band's current line up is vocalist Alexander Hofman, keyboardist Valdi Solemo, and keyboardist Johan Malmgren.
During the last years S.P.O.C.K has focused more on live gigs. Mostly in Germany, but also in Sweden, Canada, Estonia, Mexico, United Kingdom & the Czech Republic.
Johan Malmgren and Eskil Simonsson of the band Covenant formed the band Aaron Sutcliffe in 1999 to perform synthpop covers of Elvis Presley songs.

Discography

Albums

Five Year Mission – CD Energy RekordsAlien Worlds – CD Energy RekordsAssignment: Earth – CD SubSpace Communications/VISION Records/TCM Musikproduktionsgesellschaft mbH • CD SubSpace Communications – #16 CMJ RPM Charts S.P.O.C.K: 1999 – CD SubSpace Communications/VISION Records – #29 CMJ RPM Charts ; #25 DAC 2001: A S.P.O.C.K Odyssey – CD Bloodline/SubSpace Communications

Compilation Albums

A Piece of the Action – 2xCD Ltd. Edition Energy RekordsEarth Orbit: Live – CD SubSpace Communications/VISION RecordsAnother Piece of the Action – CD and Vinyl SubSpace Communications

Self-Releases

Official Fan Club – CD no labelDemo – CD no label

Singles

Silicon Dream – 7" Accelerating Blue FishNever Trust a Klingon – CD Single Energy RekordsStrange Dimensions – CD Single Energy RekordsNever Trust a Klingon – CD Single Energy RekordsAstrogirl – CD Single Energy RekordsAll E.T:s Aren't Nice – CD Single Energy RekordsAlien Attack – CD Single SubSpace Communications/VISION RecordsE.T. Phone Home – CD Single SubSpace Communications/VISION RecordsSpeed of Light – CD Single SubSpace CommunicationsDr. McCoy – CD Single SubSpace CommunicationsKlingon 2000 – CD Single Bloodline/SubSpace Communications – #93 DAC Top Singles 2000Where Rockets Fly – CD Single Bloodline/SubSpace CommunicationsQueen of Space – CD Single SubSpace CommunicationsSatellites – CD Single Bloodline/SubSpace Communications

Videos

Live At Virtual X-Mas 93 – VHS Energy Rekords

Compilation appearances

I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous - A Swedish Tribute To Depeche Mode – CD track No. 10 "Ice Machine" - Depeche Mode cover Energy RekordsVirtual X-mas 92 – CD track No. 5 "White Christmas" Energy RekordsTechnopolis Vol. VII – CD track No. 8 "Never Trust a Klingon " Back In Black - Unofficial ReleaseTo Be Stun – CD track No. 8 "E-lectric" Rayher DiscMoonraker – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 7 "Never Trust a Klingon" Sub TerraneanVirtual Energy - Volume Two – CD track No. 6 "Beam Me Up " Energy RekordsVirtual X-mas 94 – CD track No. 1f "Never Trust a Klingon", No. 1g "E-lectric" and No. 1h "Strange Dimensions" Energy RekordsTo Cut A Long Story Short - A Tribute to the Pioneers of Electronic Pop – CD track No. 2 "Planet Earth" Energy RekordsEnergy Rekords & Beat That! Records 1996 – CD track No. 9 "Astrogirl " and No. 10 "Trouble With Tribbles" Energy RekordsPopnation - Best of Blekingska Nationen 1994-1996 – CD track No. 19 "Astrogirl" Beat That!Electric Ballroom – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 5 "Stranged " Sub TerraneanNeurostyle Vol. VII – CD track No. 6 "Not Human" Sub TerraneanSauna - Hösten 1997 – CD track No. 6 "Not Human" Suana MagazineSound-Line Vol. 6 – CD track No. 12 "E.T. Phone Home" Side-LineA RefleXion of Synthpop Volume 1 – CD track No. 2 "Human Decision Required " Maschinenwelt RecordsBest of Electronic Music – 2xCD Ltd. Edition disc No. 1 track No. 7 "Dr. McCoy" TCM Musikproduktionsgesellschaft mbHBinary Application Extension 05 – CD track No. 15 "Force of Life" Genocide ProjectDeejay Tribe – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 9 "Speed of Light" CredoWe Came to Watch Part 1 – VHS "E.T. Phone Home" Credo/Nova TekkEBM Club Classics – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 6 "Never Trust a Klingon " Synthetic SymphonyPleasure & Pain Volume One – CD track No. 3 "Alien Attack" and track No. 10 "All the Children Shall Lead" TCM Musikproduktionsgesellschaft mbHPublic Communication 1 – CD track No. 3 "Spacewalk" SubSpace CommunicationsStrange Love 2 – CD track No. 13 "Speed of Light" OrkusBest of Electronic Music Vol. 2 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 12 "Never Trust a Klingon " TCM Musikproduktionsgesellschaft mbHDion Fortune Sampler Vol. VI – CD track No. 17 "E.T. Phone Home" Dion FortuneElegy - Numéro 4 – CD track No. 5 "E.T. Phone Home " Dion FortuneWellenreiter In Schwarz Vol. 3 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 13 "Dr. McCoy " Credo/Nova TekkWorld of Synthpop – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 1 "Spacewalk" Sterntaler/Zoomshot Media EntertainmentXtra Compilation II – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 6 "Spacewalk" AngelwingsZillo Club Hits – CD track No. 13 "Dr. McCoy " ZilloZillo Festival Sampler 1999 – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 8 "Out There" ZilloZilloScope: New Signs & Sounds 04/99 – CD track No. 7 "Star Pilot On Channel K" ZilloCover Classics Volume Two – CD track No. 4 "I Don't Know What It Is" - Pete Shelly cover VISION RecordsCyberl@b V2.0 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 7 "Dr. McCoy " Matrix CubeElectro Club Attack - Shot Three – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 6 "Klingon 2000 " XXC/Zoomshot Media EntertainmentElectroManiac Vol. 1 – CD track No. 4 "Out There" BloodlineGothic Compilation Part XII – CD track No. 8 "Where Rockets Fly " Batbeliever ReleasesThe Best of Loves - A Tribute to Depeche Mode – CD track No. 10 "Ice Machine" - Depeche Mode cover Energy RekordsWorld of Synthpop 2 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 4 "Out There" SterntalerBest of Electronic Music Vol. 3 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 7 "Satellites " BloodlineClubline Volume 2 – CD track No. 3 "Queen of Space " BloodlineClubline Volume 3 – CD track No. 1 "Reactivated" BloodlineD-Side 2 – CD track No. 12 "Where Rockets Fly " D-SideElectro Club Attack - Shot Four – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 7 "Where Rockets Fly" XXC/Zoomshot Media EntertainmentEuro Rock Fest VL 2001 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 9 "Where Rockets Fly " Angelwings/Zoomshot Media EntertainmentGhosts from the Darkside Vol. 3 – 2xCD "Klingon 2000 " Purple FlowerM'era Luna Festival 2001 – 2xCD disc No. 2 track No. 9 "Queen of Space " OblivionNew Forms of Synthetic Pop V.2.0 – CD track No. 8 "Satellites" BloodlinePleasure and Pain Volume Two – CD track#1 "I Don't Know What it Is" and track No. 9 "Star Pilot On Channel K" BloodlinePRGDA vs. SSC – CD track No. 1 "Astrogirl's Secret" SubSpace CommunicationsSonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. XII – CD + VCD, video No. 9 "Take Me to the Stars" and video No. 10 "Interview" Sonic SeducerStrange Love 5 – CD track No. 12 "Satellites " OrkusVolume 6 – CD track No. 5 "Satellites " Prospective Music MagazineWorld of Synthpop 3 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 5 "Reactivated" Sterntaler/Zoomshot Media EntertainmentZillo Club Hits 6 – CD track No. 11 "Queen of Space" ZilloClubline Volume 1 – CD track No. 7 "Klingon 2000" BloodlineWorld of Synthpop 4 – 2xCD disc No. 1 track No. 4 "Babylon 5" Sterntaler/Zoomshot Media Entertainment