In August 1980, I bought a Yamaha CS30L synthesiser from Woodruffe’s music store in Birmingham, owned by Jez Woodruffe, keyboard player with Black Sabbath. I began fervently recording improvisations and musical ideas onto my Akai 4000DS tape recorder. In 1981, I added a Casio 301 and a Soundmaster SR88 drum machine to my growing collection of equipment. Many of those early improvisations were subsequently made available as downloads in the eight-volume Sonic Portals series, released on my Bandcamp between 2020 and 2022.
In 1981, my life took an unexpected and devastating turn. Whilst waiting at a bus stop with Linda, I helped a motorist whose car had stalled, assisting him in pushing it in an attempt to get the engine started. Shortly afterwards, and for no apparent reason, I suddenly collapsed. It was as though every last ounce of energy had been drained from my body. Prior to this, I had also experienced a complete loss of sensation throughout my body, with my skin feeling numb to the touch. Despite numerous medical investigations, doctors were unable to establish what had happened or explain the symptoms I was experiencing.
The overwhelming and debilitating exhaustion remained constant, and what was initially a medical mystery eventually led, as the years passed, to a diagnosis of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
The impact on our lives, both personally and financially, was enormous. There were prolonged periods when my condition was so severe that I was confined to bed, and Linda was eventually forced to give up her job at Birmingham Library to become my full-time carer. The remainder of the 1980s was overshadowed by this dark and unrelenting presence, which continued to affect our lives right up until Linda’s passing in 2014.
Despite this life-changing setback, my commitment to music never wavered. It remained a central focus of my life, providing me with a creative outlet and something to pursue even during the darkest and most difficult periods.
In 1982, my next major addition was a four-track Portastudio, the Tascam Teac 144. I was now in a position to put together a demonstration tape of my music and send it to all the major and independent record labels. I also sent a copy to John Peel at BBC Radio One. Unfortunately, I had no success. Sadly, my particular style of electronic music, heavily influenced at the time by Tangerine Dream, had long since fallen out of fashion with record company executives!
By this time, however, I had become aware of an emerging underground electronic music scene in the UK, thanks in part to Lotus Records, a mail-order and record shop based in Stafford. Here, a growing number of English musicians were continuing the musical traditions established by Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and others. Lotus was also beginning to stock cassette-only albums by what was then a relatively small group of UK musicians exploring this particular style of music, including Mark Shreeve and Ian Boddy.
Recognising an opportunity to become involved in this developing scene, Linda and I decided to establish our own independent, self-financed record label, Eye Tapes.
FROM DISTANT SHORES
1983 | Eye Tapes | 60-minute cassette | EYE 001
My first self-produced album, FROM DISTANT SHORES, was released in 1983. The opening seagull sounds were created using the rudimentary audio generator I had constructed myself at the age of 15.
Fortunately, Andy Garibaldi, the owner of Lotus Records, agreed to stock the album, and so I took my first tentative steps towards introducing my music to a wider audience.
1984: An excerpt from “From Distant Shores Pt 1” appeared on the INKEYS No. 7 cassette-zine, compiled by Dennis and Jeanette Emsley.
I have long forgotten how many copies it sold, but sales did indicate that there was an interest in, and an audience for, what I was doing. This was encouragement enough to spur me on to record another album.
EVOCATIONS & ASHTAR
In 1985, I released my second album, EVOCATIONS, on Eye Tapes. That same year also saw the release of a rather different project, ASHTAR, featuring Linda on flute.
Martin Reed was an influential figure within the electronic music scene at the time. Through his own Mirage label, he had already released the debut albums of Mark Shreeve and Ian Boddy. Martin had been particularly impressed by a track from From Distant Shores, entitled “Jewelled Eye”, which featured Linda improvising on flute.
He was interested in developing this musical approach into a complete album, combining flute with ambient synthesiser textures to create something spacious, atmospheric, ethnic and mysterious. The result was Ashtar.
ASHTAR
Music for Flute & Synthesiser
With LINDA HILLMAN
1985 | Mirage | 60-minute cassette | M613
EVOCATIONS
1985 | Eye Tapes | 60-minute cassette | EYE 002
1985: An excerpt from “Evocations Pt 1” appeared on the INKEYS No. 13 cassette-zine, compiled by Dennis and Jeanette Emsley.
1986: “Evocations 3” appeared on the ELECTRO SYRINX VOLUME 2 compilation cassette, compiled by Terry Hopkins. Terry ran the Hawkwind fan-zine Orbit and would later change his name to Terry Hawke, but more about him later!
With my fan base continuing to grow and my music now receiving radio play around the world, I turned my attention to recording my next album.
NEW HORIZONS
NEW HORIZONS
1986 | Eye Tapes | 55-minute cassette | EYE 003
In 2024 someone posted the album to YouTube and the response was amazing, with many supportive comments, which helped to encourage me to release it as a limited edition CD-R on my new Jewelled Eye Music label later that year.
John Palmer, another prominent figure within the electronic music scene, had established EMIX (Electronic Music Information Exchange), a fan-based magazine and distribution service.
In 1986, John proposed a series of concerts throughout the UK, featuring live electronic music performers and supported by EMIX. I immediately put my name forward, and, as it turned out, the West Midlands was the only area of the country where sufficient interest was generated to make an event possible.
An EMIX member based in Birmingham took on the role of local organiser and, rather remarkably, selected Warley High School as the venue. This was particularly significant, as the school had previously been known as Oldbury Technical School, where Linda and I had been pupils some ten years earlier!
The EMIX concert, held on 14 March 1987, was to be my first live performance. I enlisted Linda to assist on keyboards and flute, while my brother Pete joined us on electric guitar and keyboards. Fellow synthesiser musician Pete Tedstone also performed that evening.
Below: L-R Steve, Linda and Pete at Warley High School.
Also in 1986 I was interviewed by Steve Kellerman on the Cosmic Music Experience radio show on WCVT FM Radio, Towson, Baltimore, USA
ASHTAR
With LINDA HILLMAN
1987 | Eye Tapes | 60-minute cassette | EYE 004
A re-release of the original Mirage cassette, featuring additional synthesiser parts on a shortened version of the title track and “Silver Sleep”, together with a new mix of “Reflections” from Evocations.
TIMELEVELS
1987 | Eye Tapes | 50-minute cassette | EYE 005
Previously unreleased material recorded during the early 1980s.
In later years, the title track was to become one of my most streamed tracks out of my entire catalogue in excess of several million, particularly in India for some reason!
1987: “Island” and the title track from “Ashtar” appeared on the ELECTRO SYRINX VOLUME 3 compilation cassette, compiled by Terry Hopkins.
1987: “New Horizons Pt 1” appeared on the SYNTRAX No. 2 cassette-zine, compiled by John Palmer and Andy G.
Following my performance at the EMIX concert, Andy Garibaldi of Lotus Records invited me to appear at that year’s UK Electronica festival, held at the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford on 21 November 1987, with Wavestar headlining.
Below: L- R Linda, Steve and Pete at Lotus Electronika ’87.
I made the front cover of Audion Magazine in January 1988 which also included an interview with me.
Later in 1988 saw the release of WORLDS BEYOND, my first album to incorporate digital synthesisers alongside the analogue instruments I had been using for several years. Three tracks, “Tower of Maxt”, “First Light” and “Earthpulse”, were recorded at Triangle Studio, Aston University, Birmingham.
WORLDS BEYOND
1988 | Eye Tapes | 60-minute cassette | EYE 006
NETWORK 23
In 1988, musicians Greg Truckell and Kevin O’Neill established a collective called Network 23, and I was invited to become a member.
The collective’s first compilation cassette, REMOTE VIEWING (Network 23 BOX 001), was compiled by Greg Truckell and released in 1988. It featured previously unreleased contributions from the various members, including my track “Star Temple”.
1988: Three previously unreleased tracks, a new version of “Vortex”, “Moon Dance 2” and “Outer Limits”, appeared on the SOUNDS UNKNOWN VOL. 2 compilation cassette (SU3), compiled by Dave Brooks.
1988: “Earthpulse” appeared on the 2nd AMP RECORDS COMPILATION ALBUM cassette (AMP C007), compiled by Mark Jenkins.
1988: “Night Tides 2”, a previously unreleased track, appeared on THE DREAM IS JUST BEGINNING compilation cassette (Electronical Dreams ED 002), compiled by Clive Littlewood.
By this time, Mark Jenkins of AMP Records had taken over the organisation of UK Electronica. He subsequently invited me to perform at St John’s, Smith Square, Westminster, London, on 3 September 1988.
Headlined by Michel Huygen of Neuronium, the concert featured an impressive line-up, including Linda and me, Adrian Wagner, Ian Boddy, Kevin O’Neill, Mark Jenkins, Ash Prema and Land of YRX. My performance was also filmed.
Below: Steve and Linda at Electronica ’88.
On 18 March 1989, Kevin O’Neill, then secretary of Network 23, organised a concert in his home city of Cardiff, Wales. Held at the Chapter Theatre, the event featured performances by Kevin, Greg Truckell, John Costello, and Linda and me. The concert was filmed by Simon Maddocks.
Below: Steve and Linda at the Network 23 Concert, 1989.
The same day also marked the release of two further Eye Tapes albums: PHASES, a new collection of original material, and DISTANT HORIZONS, a compilation featuring remixed tracks from From Distant Shores and New Horizons.
PHASES
1989 | Eye Tapes | 90-minute cassette | EYE 007
The “Phases” album became one of my most popular titles and remains so to this day.
DISTANT HORIZONS
Remixed compilation
1989 | Eye Tapes | 90-minute cassette | EYE 008
1989: “Into the Night Part 2”, by Linda and me, appeared on the TABLØID VOLUME 2 compilation cassette.
1989: “Citadel Pts 1 & 2” appeared on the REMOTE VIEWING VOL. 2 Network 23 compilation cassette (BOX 002), compiled by Kevin O’Neill. Both tracks subsequently reappeared the following year on my Labyrinth album, with Part 2 retitled “Vale of Thela”.