About Bailter Space

Bailter Space (aka Bailterspace) is a noise rock group formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1987. Its members are Alister Parker (guitar, bass), John Halvorsen (bass, guitar) and Brent McLachlan (drums, samples). The sound of Bailter Space changed several times between 1987 and 2003 but certain aural and lyrical consistencies existed throughout. High volume, distortion, harmonics, rhythmic experimentation and subtle use of sampling mark the sound, while ambivalent fascination with the interplay of technology and humanity (often played out in metaphors of space travel) mark the lyrics. Bailter Space are sometimes compared with My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Skeptics, and High Dependency Unit. Sometimes they are referred to as "the Sonic Youth of the Southern Hemisphere". Fairly well-known and well-received albums include Robot World, Vortura, and Wammo, all released in the Antipodes through Flying Nun, and in the States through Matador. After thirteen years with no new material, Bailter Space returned with Strobosphere in 2012, and followed that up quickly with Trinine in 2013 There was a shifting line-up during the late 1980s of members of other New Zealand rock groups including The Clean and Pin Group before the line-up stabilized for the Thermos album in 1990. Alister Parker, John Halvorsen, and Brent McLachlan were previously the three members of The Gordons, an early-1980s New Zealand noise rock group, and two were members of The Skeptics. In 2004 they released a thus-far retrospective compilation via Flying Nun, and it is an excellent introduction to their material.