'Space rock' was a term coined in the 1970s to describe the otherworldly sounds of Pink Floyd and Hawkwind, bands whose synthesizer-driven, interplanetary music went beyond the realms of 'progressive rock'.
Until today the sound has remained alive thanks to the patronage of bands including the Flaming Lips, Radiohead and the Secret Machines, a Texan outfit who will be rocketing through Hong Kong for a gig on March 17.
Described as 'pure sex' by REM's Michael Stipe, the trio of Brandon Curtis (vocals, keyboard), John Karnats (guitar) drummer Josh Garza owe a great debt to classic space rock, progressive rock, psychedelia and particularly Germany's famed krautrock bands such as Can and Neu.
Driven by Curtis' Rhodes piano, the Secret Machines craft long and slow-building pieces underpinned by metronomic krautrock beats and soaring guitars, leading Rolling Stone magazine to note they take equal parts of Pink Floyd psychedelia, Led Zeppelin stomp and The Who-inspired choruses.
The band have come a long way since the release of their debut EP September 000 in 2002, winning a recording deal with major label Reprise and a supporting slot for U2 on a tour of Central America that took them to 100,000-capacity stadiums. They've also appeared live with the likes of the Kings of Leon and Interpol.
While their recorded output has mostly been praised by critics - particularly their most recent-album, a self-titled effort from 2008 - it's the Secret Machine live show that has won the most praise, with the band delivering hypnotic and muscular performances underpinned by the John Bonham-style drumming of Garza.