written by: Nigel Camilleri
update: 7 February 2001

chapter	page
A Brief History	1
Album Reviews	2
Related Websites	2
Tim Blake interview	DPRP Specials

A Brief History
Born on the 6th February 1952, Tim Blake is probably one of the most underrated synthesizer/keyboard players within the progressive realm. His musical pedigree involves playing with such luminaries as Gong, Hawkwind, Steve Hillage and David Aellen to mention few as well as a prominent solo career. Furthermore he has been of an incredible influence to various keyboardists such as Jean-Michel Jarre just to mention one.

Tim Blake's musical career started off in the late sixties when he played as guitarist and jammed with various local outfits such as Trees, Hawkwind and Skin Alley, who were managed by Doug Smith of Clearwater Productions. His friendship with the groups, especially Dik Mik, Hawkwind's sound engineer, kindled an interest in electronics and early synthesizers. Little did he know that almost a decade later he would join this outfit as their keyboardist!

After working as an engineer at the Marquee studios he met David Aellen of Gong who was recording his solo album Banana Moon and plans were afoot for him to join the group as their sound mixer yet the job was taken by Venux De Luxe and he returned to England and purchased his first synthesizer - the birth of Crystal Machine. Crystal Machine featured Tim Blake using an EMS synthesizer and the group was so called because of the amounts of crystals consumed by the team as well as by the accompanying laser show! This led to Tim Blake producing a tape of solo music which reached David Aellen who in turn asked him to rejoin Gong.

This was the autumn of 1972 and Tim Blake was to remain with the group till 1975 under the stagename Hi T Moonweed with red dyed hair. His role was that of playing synthesizers and occasional vocal contributions, yet soon he began co-writing material and even was responsible for the cover art-work (together with wife Brigitte) for the album You. During these three years the group split up briefly in1973 with the departure of David Aellen resulting in Tim Blake joining other members in the splinter group Paragong. This cemented his friendship with Steve Hillage which saw their musical contributions to the group reach new heights and Blake also playing on Hillage's solo album Fish Rising. 1975 saw the departure of a trio of musicians, including Tim Blake, from within the Gong fold resulting in a change of musical direction for the group from one of psychadelia to that of a more avant-garde approach.

A lack of support from Virgin as regards promotion of any of his solo material caused Blake to move to France with his girlfriend Brigitte and restart the Crystal Machine project together with Patrice Warrener and Bernard Szajner. This period also saw Blake collaborating with Cyrille Verdaeux on the Clear Light project. (See the extensive review of Cyrille Verdaeux material) The Crystal Machine gigs were the first of their kind as they involved the use of lasers creating a sci-fi atmosphere while Tim Blake played surrounded by his synthesizers decked out in spacesuit. This can be seen on the covers of his first two solo albums.

The first solo album Crystal Machine was released in mid-1977 and was culled from a number of excerpts and tapes made during two Crystal Machine gigs, that of Seasalter in 1976 and a Paris gig in February 1977. Resembling the German style of electronic-prog that was sweeping through the markets via groups like Tangerine Dream and various offshoots of this band, the album was marred by poor sound quality. Tim Blake also opened for a Gong reunion concert which took place that May in Paris and went on to play together with Steve Hillage and finally for with the members who had played on the Trilogy Gong material.

1978 saw a return to the studio with Tim Blake willing to concentrate on creating songs with lyrics rather than instrumental music. Aiding him for this album was a blind French keyboardist, Jean-Philippe Rykiel, who would eventually end up a legendary keyboardist in his own right. There was a certain amount of critical acclaim for Blake's New Jerusalem album but it was snubbed in Britain as was most electronic music! On the other hand the remainder of Europe and even Japan received the album with a certain amount of success resulting in tours which culminated in the Glastonbury Festival with Steve Hillage and Peter Gabriel.

Crystal Machine came to an end in 1979. Ideas were lacking as well as a general waning interest in the electronic New-Age music. Tim Blake entered a period of musical inactivity, that is until he received a phone call from Dave Brock to join Hawkwind in place of Steve Swindells. He lasted just over a year within the Hawkwind fold, enough time to record two albums and three tours. It was during the Levitation tour that the group unceremoniously left him behind. Another period of musical inactivity followed during which time he set up residency in a windmill in Brittany with his wife Brigitte.

In 1988, Tim Blake was back in the the music scene with his first concerts. Three years later the third solo album, Magick was released together with a number of tours. During the nineties, friendship with groups like Hawkwind and Gong was rekindled, resulting in a number of reunion concerts and tours. The new millennium has seen the release of his fourth solo album The Tide Of The Century, as well as a re-release of his solo albums on the Voiceprint label.