Introducing…. Øresund Space Collective
Dr Space, the driving force behind Øresund Space Collective, reflects on his journey from experimenting with synthesizers in 1999 to forming a band that has now released over 30 studio albums. Rooted in pure improvisation, ØSC has evolved from heavier space rock into a genre-blurring soundscape incorporating sitar, saxophone, and a rotating lineup of over 100 musicians. Inspired by artists like Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and Tangerine Dream, Dr Space continues to push musical boundaries through modular synthesis and unconventional studio techniques. With a commitment to taking listeners on an immersive sonic journey, ØSC thrives on spontaneity, ensuring every performance is a one-of-a-kind experience. Looking ahead, the band is set to celebrate 20 years of live shows with a special event in Copenhagen, alongside multiple new album releases and festival appearances in 2025.
Click Roll Boom: Tell me about how you got started
Dr Space: I got started playing music in 1999 when my friend Magnus invited me to mess about with his OSCar synth while his band, Mantric Muse (DK), jammed. It was fun and I got hooked and bought my own synth by the end of the year. My first gig was in 2000 playing my friend Juha´s band, Pseudo Sun (Sweden) at a festival in Hamburg! In 2001 I was managing and then started playing with the Danish band, Gas Giant, This lasted until 2004 and I had no band anymore so I started some jam sessions with the guys in Mantric Muse and the guys in Bland Bladen, across the Øresund bridge in Malmo, Sweden. That was how it all started. In 2005 we decided on a name to play our first live gig, so Øresund Space Collective began.
CRB: How would you describe your sound, and how has it evolved since you first started?
DS: Our sound has evolved a lot in the last 20 years and 33 studio albums. In the start, we were a bit heavier space rock. Over the years, we have incorporated lots of instruments like sitar, sax, congas, and 113 different musicians have jammed with us, so they all bring their own special styles and inspirations. One of the most defining changes came when Jonathan Segel (Sista Maj, Camper van Beethoven) joined playing violin, guitar and lots of other instruments and Hasse Horrigmoe (Tangle Edge) on bass. This pushed us into longer more adventurous pieces of proggy, psychy, territory. We keep trying to move into new areas and look forward and not backwards.
CRB: Who or what have been some of your biggest influences, musically and beyond?
DS: The bands that influenced me the most are bands like Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Alien Planetscapes, Ozric Tentacles, Fela Kuti, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Miles Davis and Allman Brothers, etc.. My friend Doug Walker (RIP) from Alien Planetscapes was a huge inspiration for me as he was such a master at the synth and we got on very well at a personal and intellectual level. Still miss him. These days, I work a lot in my own studio and am exploring the MOOG and modular synthesis and expanding what I can and will do in music.
CRB: What does your songwriting process typically look like – is it a more individual or collaborative effort?
DS: ØSC is pretty unique as we do not write music and every piece is a collaborative effort as we make music by pure improvisation. So each person's contribution is unique and we try to explore odd keys, time changes and new ways of making sound and songs. There are also new people coming in every year that bring new ideas and energy.
CRB: How do you approach experimenting with new sounds or ideas when creating music?
DS: As I mentioned above, since our music is all made up on the spot, it is pretty unique but we are never afraid to try new ideas. In the studio sessions for Orgone Unicorn, we a track called Red Panda in Rhodes, which involved the guitar pedal, space echo and Fender Rhodes piano (which we had not had on any of the albums since the first couple) to get a unique sound and vibe. Luis Simões (Saturnia) also showed up with a noise box and GONG and these were explored in many creative ways during the sessions. In the latest studio sessions we had in Stockholm at Roth Handle studios, I did not bring any of my normal synths and used only what was in the studio and the new MOOG spectravox so I had totally new sounds from any of our other sessions. We also experimented with making music in improvised layers and this was exciting.
CRB: What’s been one of the most memorable moments in your journey so far?
DS: That is a tough question. I have been making music since 2000 and played on about 180 albums, I guess. Each time there is a new release, this is a great memory for me and makes me proud. Playing some of these bigger festivals has been quite special for us like Roadburn, Freak Valley, Burg Herzberg, Reverence Festival, etc..) as we are not like a normal band where you go and will hear songs you know, you never know what you will get with us as all the music is improvised and made up on the spot so every show is special and unique.
CRB: How do you prepare for live shows, and what do you aim to bring to your performances?
DS: The aim of the live performance is to take the audience on a musical journey so they can forget about the crazy fucked up world and just disappear into the music…. Since we play totally improvised music, the only thing we will prepare in advance is how to start the show. If we play on our own, we usually start with something up tempo to get things going but if we played on a bill (or festival) with a really heavy band, we might choose to start with a slow spacey number.
CRB: How do you balance creative expression with staying connected to your audience?
DS: I am really tired of computers and the internet and prefer to hide away in the studio but I know how important it is to be present for the fans but just am not that good at it. I try to send out a few newsletters and we have 2-3-4 releases a year, so we are always promoting something.
CRB: What do you hope listeners take away from your work?
DS: Our music is good for relaxing and just disappearing into. We have tracks that can last more than an hour and rarely any less than 10mins, so it is music to be listened to. We also spend a lot of time getting the mixes just right. It is super important that our music sounds amazing. We also have a huge diversity from the heavy space rock of the Black Tomato, to the proggy Orgone Unicorn to the sitar driven jams of Hallucinations inside the Oracle and many more directions.
CRB: What does the future hold for you – any plans or goals you’re excited about?
DS: We are celebrating 20 years of playing live in April in Copenhagen on the 11th and 12th. It will be four sets with 4 different band line ups and an epic night. Lots of fun. Tickets are still available. We will also have 3 new albums and at least one DVD out in 2025. In April, we will have our next studio album out called Alotta hella down in Estrela on Space Rock Productions and will play two concerts in Hamburg Germany on the Spaceboat. I suspect the Ode to a Blackhole DVD (live in the studio mixed in 5.1) will be out as well but then. We have two festival gigs in Germany in July and one private party gig in Sweden in August and 3 gigs in Sept in Germany and Holland. We also have a new live DVD from Kozfest UK out in Feb 2025 and our bandcamp subscribers will have two more releases in 2025 as well. Thank you for this opportunity, Have a good new year. Peace.
http://oresundspacecollective.com
http://oresundspacecollective.bandcamp.com
http://doctorsofspace.bandcamp.com
