Alexander Hofman (Android) Valdi Solemo (Val Solo) Johan Malmgren (Yo-Haan)
Past members
Johan Billing (Plasteroid) Finn Albertsson (Cybernoid) Eddie Bengtsson (Eddie B. Kirk) Christer Hermodsson (Crull-E)
S.P.O.C.K (aka Star Pilot On Channel K) is a Swedishsynthpop band which formed around 1988.
Background
The band's original lineup was songwriter Eddie Bengtsson (formerly a founding member of Page), Finn Albertsson, and vocalist Alexander Hofman. Over time the members of the band have shifted: Johan Billing was a member of the band from 1994 to 1998, but with the release of S.P.O.C.K: 1999 (in 1999) the band's lineup changed to one with Alexander Hofman (the band's only remaining founding member), Johan Malmgren (former member of Elegant Machinery and Aaron Sutcliffe) and Christer Hermodsson.[1]
In 1988, Eddie Bengtsson wrote a handful of songs to be performed at Finn Albertsson's birthday party, with Alexander Hofman performing vocals; the three young men dubbed the band Mr. Spock (after the name for the character Spock of Star Trek). After the performance at the party, the band continued for several months to play at other house parties, but soon managed to secure some event bookings. In 1989, the band members contacted Paramount Pictures for permission to use the name "Mr. Spock". When Paramount demanded a heavy compensation for the privilege, the band renamed themselves using the initialsS.P.O.C.K, which are an acronym for Star Pilot On Channel K.[2]
On stage the band members adopted a cyberpunk/sci-fi-esque personae, with Eddie Bengtsson calling himself "Eddie B. Kirk", Alexander Hofman as "Android", and Finn Albertsson as "Cybernoid". Together with such bands as Page, Elegant Machinery, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez, S.P.O.C.K helped to define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.
In 1997, members of S.P.O.C.K started their own recording label SubSpace Communications. The band's 1999 album, 1999, ranked #25 on the German Alternative Chart's (DAC) 1999 Top 50 Albums chart.[4]
In 2010 Christer Hermodsson left the band in order to focus on other musical endeavors. He was then replaced by Valdi Solemo. The band's current line up is vocalist Alexander Hofman (a.k.a. Android - the only remaining founding member), keyboardist Valdi Solemo (aka Val Solo), and keyboardist Johan Malmgren (aka Yo-Haan).
During the last years S.P.O.C.K has focused more on live gigs. Mostly in Germany, but also in Sweden, Canada, Estonia, Mexico, United Kingdom & the Czech Republic.
Johan Malmgren and Eskil Simonsson of the band Covenant formed the band Aaron Sutcliffe in 1999 to perform synthpop covers of Elvis Presley songs.[5]
^ ab"DAC Top 50 1999". Trendcharts oHG. AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH. 2000. Archived from the original on 18 April 2001. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
^Helms, Colin (28 December 1998). "RPM"(PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 57 (600). Great Neck, NY: College Media, Inc.: 26. ISSN0890-0795. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^Comer, M. Tye (8 November 1999). "RPM"(PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 60 (642). Great Neck, NY: College Media, Inc.: 30. ISSN0890-0795. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
^"DAC Top 100 Singles 2000". Trendcharts oHG. AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH. 2001. Archived from the original on 23 April 2001. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
