Video Interview: Scott “Dr. Space” Heller of Øresund Space Collective, Etc.
Not that we weren’t going to have anything to talk about otherwise, but to give me a heads up for this interview, Scott Heller — better known to the psychedelic underground as Dr. Space himself — sent me a list of recent and upcoming outings from this and next year. There were more than 30 of them.
Consider that for a second.
I would post the list but I’m not sure they’ve all been announced yet.
Of all the people I’ve met through music — and I have met Heller in-person many times; I consider him a friend and talking to him about music for over an hour the other day was something I did largely as a favor to myself; a similar mentality to that which I approach writing about much of his output — Heller‘s creativity and work ethic is singular. As synthesist and band-leader for Øresund Space Collective, he has spearheaded a school of “totally improvised space rock” that’s grown in influence throughout Europe and beyond, and more recently, monthly jams as a part of the duo Doctors of Space with Martin Weaver of Wicked Lady — who happens to live relatively nearby in Portugal, to which Heller moved some four and half years ago after leaving Denmark — have seen release through Bandcamp in ongoing fashion. He’s meeting up with Weaver today, in fact. No doubt something will come of it.
But that’s barely a chip in the iceberg of his career. Going back to before his time managing Gas Giant and recording every show ØSC play — they’ll be in Oslo at Høstsabbat in a couple weeks — working with former Elder drummer Matt Couto in Aural Hallucinations, putting together his own Alien Planet Trip series of solo releases and collaborations, running the active label Space Rock Productions or contributing to acts like Black Moon Circle, 3rd Ear Experience and Albinö Rhino, among I don’t even know how many others, Heller has a history of writing and documenting his experiences with music that extends across four decades. With an autobiography and a studio build on his property between the two largest mountains in Portugal currently in progress, tour dates upcoming and those 30 offerings in progress or on the way, he simply is one of a kind, and even with so much behind him, is at his most productive ever right now.
I don’t even know how many times I said the word “amazing” in this interview, but it might also be over 30, and none of them were unearned on his part. I’m honored he took the time to talk and amazed he found it.
Please enjoy:
Interview with Scott “Dr. Space” Heller, Sept. 27, 2021
More info on Heller and his many, many, many doings is available at the links.
Doctors of Space, Studio Session July 2021 (2021)
Øresund Space Collective, Fuzz Fest 2021 (2021)
Dr. Space, Dr Space’s Alien Planet Trip Vol. 4: Space with Bass (2021)
Black Moon Circle, The Studio Jams Vol. 1-3 (2019)
Øresund Space Collective website
Øresund Space Collective on Bandcamp
Aural Hallucinations on Bandcamp
Space Rock Productions website
Tags: 3rd Ear Experience, Albino Rhino, Aural Hallucinations, Black Moon Circle, Copenhagen, Denmark, Doctors of Space, Dr. Space, Portugal, Øresund Space Collective
