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, with techno producer Derrick May, and 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 entirely unaware of Hillage's presence until he approached Paterson in the DJ booth.

This classic album dates from well before that phase of his career, the fruits of a one-off ambient detour from the late 70's made after Hillage left Gong. Co-produce with Giraudy and containing two colourful side-long meditations in a quasi new age style, this is 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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