History
Halvorsen, Parker, and McLachlan were in a band called The Gordons formed by John Halvorsen in 1980. The Gordons released the three-song Future Shock EP in 1981, along with a video for the song "Adults And Children". Their debut self-titled LP came out later that year. The band then released the Volume Two LP in 1984, with Vince Pinker on bass in the absence of Alister, before disbanding circa 1985. Flying Nun Europe (and subsequently Flying Nun proper) reissued The Gordons and Future Shock on one CD, while Volume Two remains unavailable.
Nelsh Bailter Space was formed by Parker and former Clean drummer Kilgour in 1987, initially completing the line-up with Glenda Bills on keyboards and Ross Humphries (also of The Terminals, and formerly of The Pin Group), later shortening its name to Bailter Space. After a couple of singles, Bills and Humphreys left, with Halvorsen joining on bass, this line-up recording the Tanker album and the "Grader Spader" single, both produced by Brent McLachlan. The band travelled to the United States where they played at the New Music Seminar in 1989, and when they returned, Kilgour opted to stay there with his new wife and form a new band, Monsterland. Parker and Halvorsen recruited Mclachlan as the new drummer, recreating the original Gordons lineup. This line-up debuted with the Thermos album, recorded in 1989.
After several releases on Flying Nun, and after changing base several times between New Zealand, Germany, and the US, New York City indie label Matador Records signed them for release in the United States, in approximately 1990. The 1992 The Aim EP was the band's first official U.S. release, and was released as two separate 7-inch singles in the UK, with both awarded "Single of the Week" by Melody Maker. The band moved to New York City during the 1993 Robot World sessions. The EIP EP was released, containing slightly-remixed versions of two Robot World tracks and two that would appear on the forthcoming Vortura. Vortura would be followed a year later by Wammo.
After this, their U.S. releases came out on NYC-based label Turnbuckle Records, which folded circa 2002. In 2004, Matador Records deleted all Bailter Space releases from their catalog. The band's releases are now out of print, except for in New Zealand / Australia.
A career-spanning retrospective, Bailter Space, was issued in 2004.
In August 2008, Bailter Space emerged from a 4-year hiatus to perform live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. They were joined by new recruit Ian Ljungquist filling in on the bass.
A new album entitled Strobosphere was released in New Zealand on 13 August 2012 and in the United States on 21 August 2012.
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