artist: Steve Hillage country of origin: UK style(s): Ambient, psychedelia, environmental essential releases: Rainbow Dome Musick (1979, Caroline/Virgin)

This hippie rocker from 70's UK-French spacerock band Gong staged a surprising comeback via dance music in the 90's and beyond. He collaborated with The Orb and also formed his own psychedelic dance and ambient outfit System 7 with longtime musical partner Miquette Giraudy. That comeback was sparked by a chance meeting in the chilllout space of a London nightclub in the late 1980's. The Orb's Dr Alex Paterson was spinning sounds from Rainbow Dome Musick and was entirely unaware of Hillage's presence until he approached Paterson in the DJ booth.

Rainbow Dome Musick dates from well before the comeback phase of his career. It's the fruits of a one-off ambient detour taken in the late 70's after Hillage left Gong. Co-produced with Giraudy and containing two colourful side-long meditations in a quasi new age style, it's superior electro-acoustic ambience with a flowing, expansive quality and wave upon wave of celestial electronic sounds. Featured instruments include Hillage's distinctive "gliss" electric guitar, ARP synth, Tibetan bells and Moog synth. The music was originally commissioned for use in the Rainbow Dome at a 1979 Mind-Body-Spirit festival in London.

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