起初狂热的声音实验家Pete Kember(Sonic Boom)和Jason Pierce创建Spacemen 3的时候，他们似乎并不在意人们对他们滥用药物的评论，当然药物作用也让Spacemen 3的音响学实验为后来诸多噪音实验乐团带来不少的启示。然而Pete Kember毕竟是个永不满足的实验家，在乐队的音乐已成定势之时，他也厌倦了Spacemen 3这个名字，然后离开乐队另组实验电子乐团Spectrum，剩下Jason Pierce继续组团来继承Spacemen 3的声响艺术，而将某种极简主义实践发挥到一个更加悦耳也更具亲和力的境地，这就是今天我们听到的Spiritualized。Spiritualized在沿着吉他摇滚和迷幻电子前进的旅途中不断吸收一些新的音乐元素，从free jazz到交响乐，再到蓝调和庞大的福音诗篇，从某种程度上也延续了当初Spacemen 3的意图，以声效的形式表达情绪及其变化，只不过来得更加吸引普通摇滚歌迷了而已，而且在迷幻摇滚和管弦编排之间维系着某种有韧性的平衡状态。Formed from the ashes of the trance-rockers Spacemen 3, singer/guitarist Jason Pierces group Spiritualized did not break away from his prior bands trademark hypnotic minimalism; instead, they perfected it. Drawing on the continued influence of the Velvet Underground, La Monte Young, and Steve Reich, Spiritualized staked out a common ground between minimalism and lush symphonics — while powered by simple, repetitious motifs, their songs simultaneously blossomed into rich, shimmering sonic panoramas inspired by the majestic studio wizardry of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Such seeming contradictions were essential to the groups alchemy: while the infamous Spacemen 3 tag of taking drugs to make music to take drugs to remained a cornerstone of their craft, at the same time Spiritualizeds very name acknowledged the existence of other forces, further reflected in their heavy debt to gospel and soul music as well as an affinity for mantras and devotional hymns.Although Spiritualized fully emerged after the acrimonious breakup of Spacemen 3, in truth the bands roots extended back to the bands final LP, 1990s Recurring. A Spacemen 3 album in name only, Recurring was split evenly between independently recorded work from Pierce and estranged partner Pete Sonic Boom Kember; as a result, while Kembers side presaged his eventual work with Spectrum, Pierces half, recorded with most of the musicians who would later comprise Spiritualized (including guitarist Mark Refoy, bassist Willie B. Carruthers, and drummer Jon Mattock), predated the orchestral drones that became the bands hallmark. The first true Spiritualized single, a dramatic reading of the Troggs Anyway That You Want Me, was the final nail in the coffin — reportedly, Kember was so incensed by the Spacemen 3 logo which appeared on the discs jacket that he disbanded the group for good.In 1991, Spiritualized returned with a string of EPs — Feel So Sad, Run/I Want You, and Smile/Sway — before their long-awaited debut, Lazer Guided Melodies, finally appeared the following year. The masterful, blissed-out result of Pierces obsessive studio fine-tuning and endless remixing, the album was promoted by the bands slot on the high-profile Rollercoaster tour, where they appeared with the Jesus and Mary Chain and Curve. An excellent limited-edition live document, Fucked Up Inside, followed in 1993, trailed by another EP, Electric Mainline, later in the year.In 1995, Spiritualized — now a trio consisting of Pierce, keyboardist/guitarist Kate Radley, and bassist Sean Cook — issued Pure Phase, a heady, dense production which boasted separate mixes from each stereo channel. With 1997s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, Pierce deliberately jettisoned many of the bands usual points of departure, including drones, tremolos, and phase tones; recorded with new drummer Damon Reece, it featured a cameo appearance from legendary New Orleans pianist Dr. John on one track, while Memphis studio legend Jim Dickinson appeared on another. Other guests included the Balanescu Quartet (also featured on Pure Phase), the Greater London Gospel Community Choir, and Spring Heel Jack. The two-disc Royal Albert Hall October 10 1997 live album followed in late 1998. The following year, Pierce gutted Spiritualizeds lineup, firing Cook, Reece, and Mike Mooney, who formed Lupine Howl soon after their dismissal; Radley apparently left soon after she married Verve frontman and solo artist Richard Ashcroft. Only saxophonist Ray Dickaty and sometime keyboardist Thighpaulsandra (aka Tim Lewis) remained in the band. Pierce began writing and recording material for the next Spiritualized album at George Martins Air Studios and recruited percussionist Tom Edwards, bassist Martin Shallards, Echoboy drummer Kev Bales, and guitarist Dogan, from Julian Copes band, for the sessions. The new album, Let It Come Down, which featured an even lusher, more involved sound than Ladies and Gentlemen, was released in mid-2001. The follow-up, 2003s Amazing Grace, was more of a back-to-basics record.