Macrocosmica - God Bless Macrocosmica (2021)

This set pulls together more or less everything recorded by Macrocosmica around the time they were releasing music on David Barker’s God Bless label between 1997 and 1998. It features all seven tracks from the album 'Ad Astra' and the four tracks from the 'Space Geek' EP. Added to the original releases are pre-Ad Astra demo tracks (Acetylene, One Fathom, Time Spirit), later four piece recordings (Masada, Nostoc Commune) and three tracks from the three piece version of the group (Alt.Suicides, Bad Monkey, Black Medulla).

Macrocosmica was formed at the tail end of 1996 when Gavin Laird and Brendan O’Hare left Telstar Ponies, following the recording of that group’s 'Voices From The New Music' album. Both switched to guitar and vocals from their main roles in Telstar Ponies on bass and drums. The first line-up of Macrocosmica was completed by Cerwyss Ower (later O’Hare) on bass and Russell MacEwan on drums.

The group found allies in the Glasgow and Edinburgh punk/psyche scenes of the time, playing a lot of shows in both cities with the likes of Moniack, Rockaragnarok, Killoton, All Too Human, etc. Sadly they never shared a bill with The Snorkels.

Macrocosmica also had an association with two Chemikal Underground groups, supporting Mogwai on an early UK tour and Arab Strap on their 'Philophobia' UK tour. Brendan took time out to become a member of Mogwai for their first album and appeared on Arab Straps’ 'Here We Go/Trippy' EP.

Sometime in there the group recorded a John Peel session. The final act of the original four piece group was an inexplicable tour of Norway which was really nice and everything but even the Norwegian national radio DJ who interviewed them was non-plussed about what they were doing there.

After Gavin left the group the remaining three members continued in that format for a spell recording the final three tracks on this compilation and appearing on Beat Room TV in 1999 performing two tracks – look 'em up on YouTube.