Outer Space

Cleveland-based synthesizer specialist John Elliott directs a range of endeavors that include Outer Space, although he gained widest recognition as co-founder of the ambient trio Emeralds and as curator of Spectrum Spools, an Editions Mego sublabel. Releases under the Outer Space name routinely explore themes of stars, planets, and galaxies, and the corresponding music spans zoned-out territory from abrasive extraterrestrial textures to hypnotic ambient techno. Elliott has most often realized the project alone or with Andrew Veres, while additional frequent contributors have been Jeff Hatfield, Adam Miller, Drew McDowall, and Ralph Hausmann.

Elliott first applied the Outer Space name in 2007. Across 2008 and 2009 a succession of limited cassettes and CD-Rs containing flowing, weightless electronics—commonly captured live to tape—surfaced on imprints including Wagon and Arbor, among them two split releases shared with Oneohtrix Point Never. The project reached vinyl for the first time in 2010 via a self-titled LP on Arbor and a split LP with Raglani issued by Nihilist; by then Outer Space had adopted a more melodic, arpeggio-driven approach akin to contemporaneous Emeralds material. Wagon followed in 2011 with Last Vacuum Demos, Vol. 1, a limited LP of earlier recordings. In 2012 Spectrum Spools and Blast First Petite brought out the respective LPs Akashic Record (Events: 1986-1990), emphasizing melody, and II, favoring abstraction and minimalism.

Thereafter Outer Space veered toward techno inflections, first appearing on a 2013 remix EP by Ectomorph’s Erika Sherman and then issuing the Phantom Center 12" on Editions Mego in 2014. A further remix featured on Cloud Nothings’ Here and Nowhere Else Remixed, released by Northern Spy in April 2015 to mark Record Store Day. Amethyst Sunset issued the Gemini Suite LP in November 2016.