The Telescopes
'beyond the realm of natural vision'
Formed in 1987 by Stephen Lawr… Read Full Bio ↴'beyond the realm of natural vision'
Formed in 1987 by Stephen Lawrie, The Telescopes have been mining a unique anti-myopian seam of drone/dream noise & psych for over 20 years. Their first release was a split flexi disc with Loop on the Cheree label in 1988, followed by the snarling 7 inch "Kick the Wall", and the pounding "7th# Disaster" EP.
They moved to What Goes On Records in 1989 and stormed the independent charts with stream of output, including a livid debut LP "Taste" and "The Perfect Needle" EP, which captured the hearts of a grateful nation. A live album appeared on Fierce Records and after signing to Creation Records, a more psyche induced sound followed with singles like "Flying", and their "#Untitled Second" album. Now perceived by many as a lost classic, the record was a commercial failure at the time and in 1994 the band disappeared from the public eye.
After an 8-year void The Telescopes returned as an 11 piece featuring core members Stephen Lawrie & Jo Doran with a new album "Third Wave" on NYC label Double Agent. John Peel, who said he was both "amazed and glad they were still practicing their mysterious art", championed the album.
In 2003 the group scaled down to four and toured the UK and Italy improvising free drone noise pieces, culminating in the Winter EP on Hungry Audio, regarded by many as one of the groups finest.
At the Audioscope festival in 2004 The Telescopes finished their set by drilling through gtr pickups. The Fourier Transform label released a recording of the event as a ltd edition, hand numbered, blue vinyl split 10" single, with Vibracathedral Orchestra on the flipside.
Re-issues of early material followed, on great labels like Rev-ola, Spaceage, Midsummer Madness and The Committee To Keep Music Evil, bringing their sound to a new generation of ears, and prompting the NME to declare 'the genius of The Telescopes'.
The Telescopes 4th album was released on their own Antenna label in 2005: "in another universe altogether... incredible" (Nat Cramp NME); "Sublimely present music, knowingly spontaneous". (Frances May Morgan, Plan B). They embarked on a UK tour with support from Experimental Audio Research. And despite incarceration, deportation and escape from a burning car wreck, made it back to the studio to record a mesmerizing acoustic session for Double Agent entitled 'Auditory Illusions', featuring a video by Dan Hopkins.
After a second tour of Italy and a handful of UK appearances came The Telescopes Hungry Audio Tapes, a fabulous mini album for Hungry Audio, and the alluring Night Terrors EP. The first in a series of ltd edition 7"s for the Trensmat label: "it has a very real & crazy originality that carries fat tons of wallop" (The Wire); "check out the telescopes' excellent 7", which contains two epic funereal dirges". (Julian Cope). During this period the line up disintegrated.
In 2006 Bridget Hayden joined. An artist in her own right, Bridget was also a co founder of Vibracathedral Orchestra. Both Hayden and Lawrie were shocked by the intensity of their first jam, and the collaboration continues to confuse and electrify: "Together they harness a primeval drone, rich in texture, and build it beautifully in unison with soaring feedback, guitar manipulation & viola which forever spiral outward, fractal and hypnotic - a bed of noise percolating at the edges of audition."
As a volcanic two piece they toured Europe, Scandinavia, the West Coast of America and released two 7"s for Trensmat. The Wire magazine described "Psychic Viewfinder" as "A great feedback symphony and "Another Whip" as "Another amazing single by the revived Telescopes; the new version of this outfit has been consistently spectacular". Both records sold out within an hour of pre-release.
In 2008 they unleashed "Infinite Suns" on the Textile label. The Telescopes 6th album is a selection of analogue tape recordings taken in a room used for seances, with a multi directional microphone used to capture environmental response. Recording levels were set close to saturation, allowing for chance interaction with the tape machine. Side one closes with an improvisation anchored on a lock-groove from the final throes of "Taste". It is locked again to play endlessly.
Bridget & Stephen continue to play together sporadically, either as The Telescopes or Infinite Suns. A new single "Landing Shadows" is scheduled for release on the Champion Version label in March. All copies have sold out in advance.
The Telescopes live experience is currently Stephen Lawrie and members of either The Fauns, or One Unique Signal. The live album "Live. Aftertaste" is scheduled for release in March, on the Static Charge label. It is a livid document, recorded in past/present/future tense; a rare and memorable glimpse into the waves beyond the realm of natural vision that first inspired Lawrie to write the original back in 1988.
Most recently, "Taste" has been reissued by BOMP! along with the tracks from The Perfect Needle EP. Trensmat has issued the Black Eyed Dog 7" (2012), and Neon Sigh has issued the 7th LP from The Telescopes, entitled "HARM", in late 2013. The Telescopes project is currently performing shows internationally and more singles are scheduled to follow in 2014.
Formed in 1987 by Stephen Lawr… Read Full Bio ↴'beyond the realm of natural vision'
Formed in 1987 by Stephen Lawrie, The Telescopes have been mining a unique anti-myopian seam of drone/dream noise & psych for over 20 years. Their first release was a split flexi disc with Loop on the Cheree label in 1988, followed by the snarling 7 inch "Kick the Wall", and the pounding "7th# Disaster" EP.
They moved to What Goes On Records in 1989 and stormed the independent charts with stream of output, including a livid debut LP "Taste" and "The Perfect Needle" EP, which captured the hearts of a grateful nation. A live album appeared on Fierce Records and after signing to Creation Records, a more psyche induced sound followed with singles like "Flying", and their "#Untitled Second" album. Now perceived by many as a lost classic, the record was a commercial failure at the time and in 1994 the band disappeared from the public eye.
After an 8-year void The Telescopes returned as an 11 piece featuring core members Stephen Lawrie & Jo Doran with a new album "Third Wave" on NYC label Double Agent. John Peel, who said he was both "amazed and glad they were still practicing their mysterious art", championed the album.
In 2003 the group scaled down to four and toured the UK and Italy improvising free drone noise pieces, culminating in the Winter EP on Hungry Audio, regarded by many as one of the groups finest.
At the Audioscope festival in 2004 The Telescopes finished their set by drilling through gtr pickups. The Fourier Transform label released a recording of the event as a ltd edition, hand numbered, blue vinyl split 10" single, with Vibracathedral Orchestra on the flipside.
Re-issues of early material followed, on great labels like Rev-ola, Spaceage, Midsummer Madness and The Committee To Keep Music Evil, bringing their sound to a new generation of ears, and prompting the NME to declare 'the genius of The Telescopes'.
The Telescopes 4th album was released on their own Antenna label in 2005: "in another universe altogether... incredible" (Nat Cramp NME); "Sublimely present music, knowingly spontaneous". (Frances May Morgan, Plan B). They embarked on a UK tour with support from Experimental Audio Research. And despite incarceration, deportation and escape from a burning car wreck, made it back to the studio to record a mesmerizing acoustic session for Double Agent entitled 'Auditory Illusions', featuring a video by Dan Hopkins.
After a second tour of Italy and a handful of UK appearances came The Telescopes Hungry Audio Tapes, a fabulous mini album for Hungry Audio, and the alluring Night Terrors EP. The first in a series of ltd edition 7"s for the Trensmat label: "it has a very real & crazy originality that carries fat tons of wallop" (The Wire); "check out the telescopes' excellent 7", which contains two epic funereal dirges". (Julian Cope). During this period the line up disintegrated.
In 2006 Bridget Hayden joined. An artist in her own right, Bridget was also a co founder of Vibracathedral Orchestra. Both Hayden and Lawrie were shocked by the intensity of their first jam, and the collaboration continues to confuse and electrify: "Together they harness a primeval drone, rich in texture, and build it beautifully in unison with soaring feedback, guitar manipulation & viola which forever spiral outward, fractal and hypnotic - a bed of noise percolating at the edges of audition."
As a volcanic two piece they toured Europe, Scandinavia, the West Coast of America and released two 7"s for Trensmat. The Wire magazine described "Psychic Viewfinder" as "A great feedback symphony and "Another Whip" as "Another amazing single by the revived Telescopes; the new version of this outfit has been consistently spectacular". Both records sold out within an hour of pre-release.
In 2008 they unleashed "Infinite Suns" on the Textile label. The Telescopes 6th album is a selection of analogue tape recordings taken in a room used for seances, with a multi directional microphone used to capture environmental response. Recording levels were set close to saturation, allowing for chance interaction with the tape machine. Side one closes with an improvisation anchored on a lock-groove from the final throes of "Taste". It is locked again to play endlessly.
Bridget & Stephen continue to play together sporadically, either as The Telescopes or Infinite Suns. A new single "Landing Shadows" is scheduled for release on the Champion Version label in March. All copies have sold out in advance.
The Telescopes live experience is currently Stephen Lawrie and members of either The Fauns, or One Unique Signal. The live album "Live. Aftertaste" is scheduled for release in March, on the Static Charge label. It is a livid document, recorded in past/present/future tense; a rare and memorable glimpse into the waves beyond the realm of natural vision that first inspired Lawrie to write the original back in 1988.
Most recently, "Taste" has been reissued by BOMP! along with the tracks from The Perfect Needle EP. Trensmat has issued the Black Eyed Dog 7" (2012), and Neon Sigh has issued the 7th LP from The Telescopes, entitled "HARM", in late 2013. The Telescopes project is currently performing shows internationally and more singles are scheduled to follow in 2014.
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The Telescopes Lyrics
(The Other Side) Knowing the sea Knowing the stars Knowing me Knowing who you…
7th #Disaster High heel kickin high heel queenslut child of angels I put…
All a Dreams Oh, nevermore, through your eyes, through your eyes Oh, she…
And It could neverYour Grace Your Grace Be true now Never bel…
And Let Me Drift Away ...and let me drift away Time of indifference and Time j…
Anticipating Nowhere Now is only never When I thought I heard you screaming Put…
Candy Says Candy says, "I've come to hate my body And all that…
Celeste Hey, hey, the more I see I see the less I…
Deep Hole Ends My heaven, washes over me Sleeps in doorways, just for me …
Everso Colours fade, fade colours Spinning round, dizzy, round Ev…
Everything Belongs All is unfolding, as it should Everything belongs No more or…
Flying You are part of the sky, fly away, away, awa, Don't…
Forever Now I ride today and shine tomorrow Tomorrow will be tomorrow …
High on Fire Release your sails, arise, forever, sanctify yourself once m…
I Fall She Screams This gun is loaded Ah hey Fellate the barrel Suck bullets…
i sense Live with your children And your children won't be harmed …
never hurt you Touch self touch, sometimes I think like you Oh but as…
Ocean Drive When your tired Illusions shine their rays, they glow insid…
Oil Seed Rape The open window Haunts the cradle Kill the crow Black eye…
Only Lovers Know Oh come my love Away with me Where only lovers go Belong wit…
Please Before You Go I'm on top of a mountain with you I'm an elevator I'm…
Please Tell Mother You lift and you dive My oh my... you should not…
precious little Precious little look outside the sea crashes for you Beneat…
Pure Sweetest Ocean She painfully glides upon me Exploding oh give me away And…
Sadness Pale Sleeping little child little sleeping little child Little i…
shc burn You watch me burn my hands Stand by the brocken door Smoke…
Silent Water I'm like a stone in water Drowning, i can't breathe and…
Soul Full of Tears See the way the lights all glow today They glow they…
Spaceships Thrown away, returned, became your sunflower Only growin up…
Splashdown Revelations comin' and comin', Glad it's too late for me to…
Suffercation Don't let me loose it My hold on me that you…
Suicide Tastes so... All things ever by Stephen Lawrie All words…
The Perfect Needle Cerise, release and so much more With perfect needle, hits …
The Presence of Your Grace Supposin we're all wished right out of space S'alright, we …
The Sleepwalk Don't take a walk down where the beaches are frozen Bleach…
There Is No Floor Riot sister riot throw down riot sister fall Come on, nowé…
Threadbare You twisted whore i love you You freezing mutilation Your …
To Kill a Slow Girl Walking Don't walk away Just slip away Just thinking about Lines …
To the Shore Washed me down Just slipped a day or so you Watered me…
Treasure Riverboats and bridges Down by the river haunts you Enclos…
Violence Sick and intervening as she's hiding from the Shrill and pi…
Wish of You And I'm kissed by you And I'm kissed by you Sun kissed…
Yeah Snowdrop Your complaining heart Beats me too hard It may …
You It's been a long time Since you've been gone I still can't…
You Can Not Be Sure Revolving ups and downs of thoughts decayed by time Telling…
You Set My Soul For heaven's sake May come to you All for goodness sake F…