I Hear a New World: An Outer Space Music Fantasy

Recorded in 1959, but not released until 1991, Joe Meek’s concept album about the adventures in outer space of imaginary groups of aliens was out there even by the producer’s own eccentric standards (song titles include “March Of The Dribcots,” “Love Dance Of The Saroos” and “Disc Dance Of The Globbots”). As Meek’s surviving sleeve notes point out, however, it was meant to be strange. Meek’s obsession with space fires a record that to this day sounds like little else in existence. Sped-up chipmunk-like voices and Meek’s pioneering use of stereo and echo create a record that really does sound like what little green men might have been spinning at the local disco while they watched Sputnik whizz overhead. Meek put much of the experimental work here to more commercially successful use in signature smash “Telstar,” but I Hear A New World is a curio well worth strapping on a jetpack to go and visit.