Paperhouse (band)

Paperhouse (named after the track on Can’s Tago Mago album) were a late eighties space-rock outfit from Surrey. Originally consisting of Jake Stephenson (guitar, vocals), Gray E (bass) Andy (keyboards) and Phil Merrall (drums), they played a psychedelic mix of dub-tinged space rock. The first line up played a handful of party gigs to friends and family in the Weybridge area, releasing a number of live recordings on cassette. These were sold through Jake’s record stall, at various record fairs and markets in the Surrey and SE London area. He was well known on the record fair circuit, in his distinctive yellow VW Camper.
Phase II
A second line-up of Jake, Phil, Andy Taylor (bass) and Brian Trower (keyboards) ventured forth with greater commitment, securing gigs further afield, and in front of paying punters (albeit mostly as support act). This line-up’s first gig was at Southampton University in 1991, supporting south coast festival stalwarts Doctor Brown (later to feature Hawkwind’s Huw Lloyd Langton on guitar), and other gigs included supporting the Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia and a slot at Kingston Green Fair. An album, ‘Spongy Comestibles’, was produced at White Dove Studios in Weybridge (actually Jake's spare bedroom) and released on the Mystic Stones label, with a couple of thousand pieces of vinyl and a couple of thousand CDs being pressed, most of which were exported straight to the Italian market. Paperhouse were a couple of years too late for the UK festival scene, and were probably too similar to the Ozrics to establish themselves properly - the lure of electronic dance music proved too much and they split in 1994 to pursue alternative avenues. Among the subsequent projects were Jake and Brian's Optic Eye, Jake's solo trance alter ego Shamanic Tribes On Acid and Phil and Andy T's Jupiterhead.
Influences
Heavily influenced by Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Gong, Hendrix, and latterly by electronic acts such as The Shamen.
Releases
*A (cassette only, 1991)
*Spongy Comestibles (RUNECD011, 1992)

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