Spiritualized

From the rubble of former band Spaceman 3, Jason Pierce's sonic vision for a grand big band orchestra in the mold of Sun Ra and Duke Ellington came to life with the spaced-out, psychedelic dreamy pop of Spiritualized, a band he founded in 1990. Taking the experiments of the Velvet Underground, Phil Spector's ‘Wall of Sound’ and the psyched-out jams of Jefferson Airplane, Jason Pierce finally realized that vision on the classic third album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997). The album became a magnus opus of gospel choirs, orchestras and the piano skills of New Orleans voodoo jazz legend Dr John and was named Album of the Year by NME. Pierce then sacked the entire band in 1999 but went on to release the Number 3 album Let It Come Down (2001), the acclaimed Amazing Grace (2003) and Songs in A&E (2008). In search of new sonic highs, the band went on to play at London's Royal Albert Hall and Manchester's legendary Hacienda nightclub and set the record for the highest show on Earth by performing on the 114th floor of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. In 2012, Pierce revealed that he had been undergoing experimental chemotherapy while he was writing their seventh album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light (2012). The album charted at Number 9 on the US Independent Albums Chart and paved the way for a more pop sound and vibe. They followed this with the album And Nothing Hurt (2018), which reached Number 7 on the UK Independent Albums chart and Number 11 on the UK Albums chart. After a four year wait, Spiritualized returned in April 2022 with the album Everything Was Beautiful. The album was a success in the UK, climbing to Number 5 on the UK Albums chart, their highest placing in two decades.