Phenomenon Otyken

Guitarist Michael Schenker's impact upon UFO's career cannot be overestimated. Before the German teenager's arrival (he was only 19 when he jumped ship from the Scorpions), the British rockers' early albums of half-baked space rock had been completely ignored everywhere but Japan. But with Schenker on board, the group's sound received a well-needed attitude injection, veering toward the Anglo-hard rock style that would make them famous. That is not to say that their first collaboration, Phenomenon, was an instant home run. Quite the contrary, as the band seemed a tad wary of giving Schenker's more aggressive style complete freedom to roam, reining in the budding guitar hero just enough to stunt the impact of promising rockers like "Oh My and "Too Young to Know"…

The Alien Abduction Phenomenon features Syndromeda, nee Danny Budts, doing what he does best. This densely atmospheric and heavily sequenced CD is another sci-fi soundscape with massive walls of sound and expansive passages of dark minimalism. Danny weaves a tale of space exploration and the unknown dangers therein. Deep listeners will take the journey as well, carried by the rhythm. The rhythm is either overt (sequenced) or self-generated (minimal). It is always there. A deep synth drone provides continuity for the thematic integrity as listeners explore the mystic worlds of abduction. The dark minimalism forebodes mystery and, perhaps, danger lurking in the shadows.

The fourth Sphäre Sechs album was recorded during improvised studio sessions. Using a selected set of analog instruments Christian Stritzel and Martin Stürtzer have put together a mystic, slowly evolving ambient sound. A warm cocoon in cold space longing for the enigmas of the solar system and beyond.
Transient Lunar Phenomena are changes in appearance on the lunar surface of unknown origin. Light signals and color changes have been observed since the 6th century. The lunar events were officially cataloged in NASA technical report TR R-277 in 1968. Recommended for fans of dark space ambient and analog drone.

Vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker formed the British space metal outfit UFO in 1969. Originally known as Hocus Pocus, the group, which took the name UFO in honor of a London club, debuted in 1971 with UFO 1…

One of the most revered and oft-overlooked bands to emerge from the fertile '70s English hard rock scene, shape-shifting space metal veterans UFO have issued their fair share of compilations, but this ten-piece box set from Rhino leaves little to the imagination. The Complete Studio Albums 1974-1986 includes the records Phenomenon (1974), Force It (1975), No Heavy Petting (1976), Lights Out (1977), Obsession (1978), No Place to Run (1980), The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent (1981), Mechanix (1982), Making Contact (1983), and Misdemeanor (1985) in their entireties.

Few observers expected that Whitney Houston's first big-screen role in 1992's The Bodyguard would generate a phenomenon. Not that the film itself was a phenomenon – it was a healthy success, due not only to Houston, but to her co-star Kevin Costner's drawing power – but the soundtrack's success was astonishing. The Bodyguard followed Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" to the top of the charts, and once they got there, neither the single nor the album budged for weeks. "I Will Always Love You" spent a record-shattering 14 weeks in the top slot, while The Bodyguard spent 20 weeks at number one, eventually selling over 15 million copies and winning the Grammy award for Album of the Year.