Wireless Archive

A brief history of Armchair Astronaut

Armchair astronaut is the current branch of an evolving family tree. It stretches back to the late Eighties when Richard Miles [a walking sound librarian] and Marcus Ripley [human drum machine], found themselves working together in Brahma Chop, a shifting collective of musicians, mystics and misanthropes, seeking the extraordinary, and led by the visionary hell- fire poet Peter Pick.

Their creative link developed and strengthened throughout the Nineties, culminating in a series of recordings and live performances with Jake Rousham under the name Honey Bee.

Jake and Marcus were founder members and full term veterans of Hooflung, a sprawling psychedelic dance band, hosting their own club-Hoof nights at the original Concord Club in Brighton.

Honey Bee had a remit of musically responding to challenges as they occurred, resulting in a number of divergent and somewhat esoteric releases.

Brought in to play drums for a couple of Boho gigs, Marcus formed a creative link with Ben Abbo [keyboard scientist] and Paul Harrison [mad professor gadget inventor]. With a desire to totally improvise and explore some of the outer edges of experimental music, they teamed up with Richard Miles and Louis May and performed their debut live performance under the name Wireless.

With a game-plan of free experimental improvisation, Wireless soon needed a cover title for their extremely diverse output. Thus Armchair Astronaut was formed to facilitate the many- faceted beast which Wireless had became.

With the arrival of Darius Akashic to the Armchair family, everything turned several corners, and new agendas formed. Wireless metamorphosed into Under Mother Bungalow, this is the current manifestation of Armchair Astronaut.

Armchair Astronaut is proud to represent, and foist upon the world the various states of being known as : Under Mother Bungalow : Wireless : Honey Bee : Xpiano : Tomas Hiltz and The Acroanaut, and is the first point of contact for these future and past manifestations of ourselves.