This album is actually a "debut" and "demise" album in one package. Taken from tapes made in the early 90's, it was an attempt to achieve the "Pink Floyd" sound of psychedelia in a home studio, using a four track recorder. But Robert Ray, the principal behind the album, can tell you best what "Big Void" was about. I spoke to Rob recently about this album.

AMZ: How and when did Big Void come into being?

ROB: We were in a backup group, myself and my partner Ron, in M'lumbo, and Page Hamilton, who now has Helmet. We did a number of projects just to keep our sanity. You know, during down time on days at the studio while other people were rehearsing or whatever, we would do a few things, and that's how both "M'lumbo" and "Big Void" came into being - a combination of a lot of groups.

AMZ: About when was this actually ?

ROB: I would say about 1990.

AMZ: So what we have here is kind of like basement tapes?

ROB: Exactly! At the time you know, "Pink Floyd" really didn't exist, so I thought it would be funny to see if we could do a four track that would sound like what they went through with the orchestra and the big studios, without having the orchestra or the big studios or rehearsals.

AMZ: Given the time period, what made you decide to resurrect these tapes and release them?

ROB: This internet company, Jaybird Records, contacted me. I guess they needed a few initial releases to get going, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to give them a lot of things that we weren't currently pursuing. We thought it would be a good opportunity to get the music out again. We did release it about '92, when we first put out the M'lumbo stuff, and it got some good reviews and sales in England. Also a lot of very superlative things by "Pink Floyd Fandom," the magazine, which I thought was almost funny.

AMZ: So what you're looking at is "Big Void's" appeal basically to the "Pink Floyd" type crowd? The ones into psychedelia?

ROB: A lot of people enjoyed it. The humorous thing is it seemed to have started back then, and of course it is a lot bigger business now. There are a lot of bands that sound like one or two old bands but they won't admit it.

AMZ: In other words they aren't up front about it, right?

ROB: Right. So there were a few people who reviewed it, liked it and didn't seem to guess it was a take-off on "Pink Floyd".

AMZ: I looked at the album as that, and kind of a little David Bowie, Ziggie Stardust type thing. Especially Mr. Spaceman as regards "Mr. Magoo".

ROB: I can't see it, but I am sure it's there, because I know when we played live the comments that I got were that it was sort of an anagram of some 60's and 70's romp.

AMZ: Given the kind of retro-atmosphere these days, do you think this is probably a good time to release this album?

ROB: I think there are more people who might enjoy it either because they like "Pink Floyd" or they hate "Pink Floyd" or they just want to hear pyschedelic rock with a little humor in it.

AMZ: When you wrote or actually worked on this type of material did you have any particular picture in mind? I mean, is it just kind of a collection of different pieces or was there a theme running through it?

ROB: The idea was sort of. Again it's funny because when we did it "Pink Floyd" was defunct, and one of the tunes we did was called "The Only Sign of Life." When they did get back together, like a year later, the opening cut on their album was called "The Sign of Life." This is a pretty loose concept. Well, yeah, in a sense we were poking fun at a concept.

AMZ: Okay, so almost a parody but a loving parody perhaps?

ROB: Right. (chuckle)

AMZ: I don't want to put words in your mouth or take it in the wrong direction because it's enjoyable.

ROB: Yeah loving parody is a good description - sure. It's funny, as I said. A lot of the reviews are embarrassing and suggested that we were showing "Pink Floyd" a way to get it back together. (laughter) One of the Floyd magazines said, to my horror, that it was better than "The Wall!" God, I was just -you know- I actually went okay, okay now. As I said, I thought some of the reviews were really over the top. As a matter of fact, someone showed me the official book on "Pink Floyd" and the album is in the cover section even though we didn't cover any "Pink Floyd" songs.

AMZ: I guess they must have considered it a cover of the group rather than of the songs?

ROB: I think they felt they just had to get this album in somehow, you know, and they really didn't have a category. Oh no, I will agree with you, it's a fun album and fun songs and stuff, but it wasn't really meant to . . .

AMZ: To be a parody in the negative sense but rather in the positive sense?

ROB: No not at all - or an attempt to show them how to do things.

AMZ: Looking at the album you put together, what did you like best about it? Was there a particular song or something you liked best of all?

ROB: I enjoyed it all. Obviously I thought it was a fun thing. We were able to take an aspect of our thoughts, and everyone had a different recollection of "Pink Floyd" at different times, and sort of channelled them through. I think in that context "Pink Floyd" was another really fun thing to do. Like, let's see if we can sound like "Pink Floyd." I do think a big impetus for me, as I said, was fun and escape and the fact that I it was sort of a commentary on all these bands that really are just another band and should have a similar name. I think back at the end of the 80's I was beginning to see the appearance of people like K.D. Lang, who even had the same syllables through her fake name as Patsy Cline. People were getting into this now. They were proud of it. Like "Oh I just listened to Credence Clearwater Revival and our band's all into that and that is what we do." I actually thought this was hysterical. So that makes it more interesting now.

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AMZ: If someone goes original, sometimes they catch a lot of flack for it from their critics because they're expected to play the same kind of music they've always played in the past.

ROB: Oh absolutely. I think that has kind of destroyed some of the artists' freedom to wander I guess. It's very funny. I mean even in doing M'lumbo we would slowly change from album to album, and occasionally you would find someone saying "Oh there's electric guitar now!"

AMZ: Let me ask you this. Would it be physically possible, if there was a call for it, for all of you that were on this album to actually get together in one place and do a concert?

ROB: It's not impossible, I mean I am in touch with everybody and it didn't take that much to throw the album together live. If there was a lot of interest - like we are going to try and push all the things that are coming out, and if it should happen, that would be wonderful. That's another weird thing about nowadays isn't it? I think it's funny that people just will reform any group from their past for a specific, you know what I mean, just want to go back and recapture it because I guess there's money in it. What can you say? I sort of think that every group that ever existed will reform by the year 2000. Now, there are some groups that would be of interest, basically because of when the groups first came through the individuals weren't as famous as they became afterwards in some other way. It makes bands like the "Eagles," or other groups that have gotten together, really become super groups because now all the individuals that were in the group are stars and that gives it some kind of appeal - not necessarily musically but strictly from our fascination. It's a different age, and I think that this was maybe sort of seeing the dawning of this sort of great age of nothing. Of just all the music that ever was being available. Every group that ever existed will come back, and there will be a hundred groups that sound just like each one of them too.

AMZ: Getting back to this album - did you use actual clips from various shows etc., like when you did the "Mr. Magoo", or was it an imitation?

ROB: "Mr. Magoo" has a lot of imitations, but I think there was one point where somebody brought up some 30's sound clips, but on "Mr. Magoo" I was just doing the voices. This ones pretty crude. We would be in a little control room, and like on George Reeves, I would actually scream and smash the fuse box for the impact. This is not how "Pink Floyd" did these things I am pretty sure.

AMZ: What is your goal for this album?

ROB: I think one thing that interested me is the earning of money - all the interview records of "Pink Floyd" that actually sold many thousands of copies.

AMZ: Well that certainly can't hurt. If the comparisons are there, it certainly will help sales - if only from that standpoint.

ROB: There is nothing wrong with that. If the people who get the music are happy with it, that's fine right? That's what the point of the music is anyway. Anything you just do, assuming, as cynical as this all sounds, it was done under very pure circumstances, is always hard for me to not stand by, because it's just something spontaneous at that particular time. Any music I've done just for pure escape reasons initially, doesn't matter what happens later. But you know it was honest.

AMZ: You weren't under the influence when you were doing these? (chuckle)

ROB: No, you don't necessarily do music like what you listen to. You know what I mean - all good music is psychedelic music in it's effect on the mind.

AMZ: What are your immediate plans? What are you doing these days?

ROB: Right now I am doing some sound design for TV commercials and little films and stuff, and my main thrust right now is this group M'lumbo. We have a number of things coming out but I also have other more colorful things coming out on a few small labels. But the most colorful of all are the ones from M'lumbo. We are really excited that by next year this time there should be about twenty different things out on little labels and stuff and I just want to promote them.

AMZ: If you were going to make a video of any of the cuts on this album, which one would you do and how would you envision it?

ROB: Just off the top of my head, I think "Mr. Magoo",; because it is such a clear image. There is a "Mr. Magoo" movie coming out right now, and that's why the album is coming out right now.

AMZ: AHHH...well that certainly can't....

ROB: I like the way you said AHHH. Yeah that can't hurt at all. I am a "Mr. Magoo" fan too, and was as a kid growing up. I think we are probably contemporaries in age. That's the sad part. Don't you think by now music should be incomprehensible to you as it has progressed? There's something wrong. Music hasn't really changed since the late 70's. I have not heard one new thing and I really do actively seek out all the fringes.

AMZ: Your feeling is that what you have is a lot of rehashes as opposed to originality?

ROB: "DEVO" was right. They were sort of like "Pink Floyd".; Their message wasn't really understood. That's just the devolution. It just keeps getting weaker, keeps getting sub-genrefied and just genetically copied and inbread and weaker. AHHH, I guess there is a song in there somewhere. "We are DEVO."

AMZ: I want to thank you Robert for the time and the interview.

ROB: Thanks a lot Donn. Be Well.


Describing the various cuts on this album is a challenge. There is a lot of synthesizer work with techno beats (by today's standards). The vocals are interspersed with snippets of dialogue and it is easy to tag this as the "Pink Floyd" type music the band had in mind. Other cuts require a working knowledge of some trivial characters or events. Thus something like "Mr. Magoo" would be an enigma to the current generation were it not for the recently released movie.

The opening cut, "It's Me," has overtones of "Tommy",; which is not surprising considering Roger Daltrey was another of the band's influences. "Dr. Strange" may be a reference to Dr. Strangelove, another cult favorite. Many might find "Nazi Party" an uncomfortable take on the Third Reich. "George Reeves Jumped Out The Window" plays off the fact that the actor who played Superman committed suicide. The salute to "Drugs" may a bit out of place today but much like the "Acid Queen" in "Tommy".; They were part and parcel of the psychadelic experience for many, and the cuts that follow continue down this path.

"The Other Side Of The Room" is the closest to a rock song on the album. This one features more beat and less synthesizer. The closest thing to a cover is "The Only Sign of Life" which is much like "The Wall" in the spirit and thoughtfulness of its lyrics. This is where the album should have ended, but four more cuts follow, none of which are quite as strong as the first eleven. Fans of music like that of "Pink Floyd" or "The Who" will find this appealing. For others it will depend on your sense of humor and willingness to turn on the lava lamp and blacklight..