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Space Kelly - Come To My World: A Tribute To Sarah (Records)
Space Kelly - Come To My World: A Tribute To Sarah (Records)
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German singer and songwriter, Space Kelly, released six albums in German since 1994: two albums of well curated cover versions and, more recently, a tribute album to UK cult label, Sarah Records. With his authentic blend of Sixties Softpop and original Nineties Britpop he was one of the first musicians in Germany to lead the way for a new generation of pop artists singing in their native language.
This 2023 album is his appreciation LP to the legendary indie label, Sarah Records, from Bristol, which existed for less than a decade but still enjoys a global following today, 25 years after it shut down. More importantly, Space Kelly owes its existence directly to the label: band mastermind, Ken Steen, first picked up a guitar to play along with a 10-inch mini-album called Laurel, by the band Brighter, released by Sarah in 1991. At the time, Ken lived in Hamburg, attending as many gigs as he could afford on a student budget. Because of Hamburg’s role in the mythology of the Beatles, up-and-coming UK bands constantly came across to play little club shows in the port city. And outside the venues, a few music-obsessed locals sold 7-inch singles out of the backs of their cars, obscurities aimed at true aficionados. Ken began to buy the occasional single by Sarah bands like the Field Mice, the Sea Urchins, and Another Sunny Day.
Sarah stuff instantly stood out: for one thing, the music had a strikingly intimate and private feel. It was a unique part of the Sarah appeal: the result of writing songs in your bedroom, behind closed doors – and then recording them in basically the same form as you wrote them – was a touching vulnerability. It was clear the bands rarely played live, and that they hadn’t spent years rehearsing for maximum arena-ready impact.
Still, it wasn’t until Ken spent time in Japan in the mid-1990s, as well as frequently touring there with Space Kelly, that he grasped the full significance of the Sarah universe. With Sarah compilations being pressed in Tokyo for adoring fans there, it became clear that Sarah was an international beacon for the DIY indie-pop scene; knowing about Sarah granted you membership in a world-wide community.
Sitting alone with his guitar during lockdown, Ken was transported back to those days, back to playing along with that Brighter record, back to the moment he first connected with Sarah. “I realized I had to do this,” he says. One of the reasons Sarah releases received essentially no radio play was the rudimentary quality of the recordings, done on a shoestring budget. Space Kelly refreshed songs by the above-mentioned bands as well as Heavenly, the Springfields, the Sugargliders, and East River Pipe, in ways not available to the original bands, bringing in real drums, real horns, real strings, properly mixing and mastering his versions, making them more approachable for a new audience.
At the same time, he wanted his love and respect for the originals to shine through, which led to his contacting label co- founder Matt Haynes along with many of the original artists, whose support and encouragement reassured him.
Space Kelly embodies Sarah’s international DIY aesthetic, embracing the world while operating within a tight-knit community. And Space Kelly’s new album is a heart-felt tribute, full of reverence while reasserting the magic and beauty of these songs for a new generation of listeners.
This 2023 album is his appreciation LP to the legendary indie label, Sarah Records, from Bristol, which existed for less than a decade but still enjoys a global following today, 25 years after it shut down. More importantly, Space Kelly owes its existence directly to the label: band mastermind, Ken Steen, first picked up a guitar to play along with a 10-inch mini-album called Laurel, by the band Brighter, released by Sarah in 1991. At the time, Ken lived in Hamburg, attending as many gigs as he could afford on a student budget. Because of Hamburg’s role in the mythology of the Beatles, up-and-coming UK bands constantly came across to play little club shows in the port city. And outside the venues, a few music-obsessed locals sold 7-inch singles out of the backs of their cars, obscurities aimed at true aficionados. Ken began to buy the occasional single by Sarah bands like the Field Mice, the Sea Urchins, and Another Sunny Day.
Sarah stuff instantly stood out: for one thing, the music had a strikingly intimate and private feel. It was a unique part of the Sarah appeal: the result of writing songs in your bedroom, behind closed doors – and then recording them in basically the same form as you wrote them – was a touching vulnerability. It was clear the bands rarely played live, and that they hadn’t spent years rehearsing for maximum arena-ready impact.
Still, it wasn’t until Ken spent time in Japan in the mid-1990s, as well as frequently touring there with Space Kelly, that he grasped the full significance of the Sarah universe. With Sarah compilations being pressed in Tokyo for adoring fans there, it became clear that Sarah was an international beacon for the DIY indie-pop scene; knowing about Sarah granted you membership in a world-wide community.
Sitting alone with his guitar during lockdown, Ken was transported back to those days, back to playing along with that Brighter record, back to the moment he first connected with Sarah. “I realized I had to do this,” he says. One of the reasons Sarah releases received essentially no radio play was the rudimentary quality of the recordings, done on a shoestring budget. Space Kelly refreshed songs by the above-mentioned bands as well as Heavenly, the Springfields, the Sugargliders, and East River Pipe, in ways not available to the original bands, bringing in real drums, real horns, real strings, properly mixing and mastering his versions, making them more approachable for a new audience.
At the same time, he wanted his love and respect for the originals to shine through, which led to his contacting label co- founder Matt Haynes along with many of the original artists, whose support and encouragement reassured him.
Space Kelly embodies Sarah’s international DIY aesthetic, embracing the world while operating within a tight-knit community. And Space Kelly’s new album is a heart-felt tribute, full of reverence while reasserting the magic and beauty of these songs for a new generation of listeners.
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