Spherical Objects were an important representative of the Manchester, UK-based experimental independent post-punk scene of the late 70s. All these bands were hosted under the Object Music record label. Many of them shared musicians, thus the movement looked more like a musical collective. Leader and heart of the band was Steve Solamar, a distinct song/lyrics writer with a peculiar vocal style that has been described as either "terrible", or at least "idiosyncratic". In summer 1978, they recorded their first LP, Past And Parcel. Their best came with Elliptical Optimism and Further Ellipses. The former still keeps contact with punk and 60sgarage sound. Further Ellipses somewhere departs from the DIYsound of previous releases and puts more emphasis on ultra-romantic melodic synthesizer tunes, a small share of Latin guitar melancholy and a better polished production. Nevertheless, tracks like Set Free betray the strong influence of gospel & rhythm & blues; an unusual feature for a British post-punk band of that period. In 1980, Solamar collaborated with Steve Miro as the Noyes Brothers, to produce more experimental music forms. They recorded a double LP, which was far more unconventional than anything they had created with their own bands. Other Solamar projects were Warriors and Alternomen Unlimited, while John Bisset Smith was involved into the band Grow Up. In 1981, Spherical Objects recorded their last LP, No Man's Land. It was a return to more archetypal rock forms like those perverted and twisted in Elliptical Optimism." After 1981 very little information exists for Steve Solamar or other Spherical Objects members. Solamar changed gender and, soon after No Man's Land'', disbanded Spherical Objects and stopped supporting the Object Music label, because he wanted to make a radical change in his life. Duncan Prestbury is now teaching at The Manchester College and playing Nu-Jazz. He is also the co-founder of the production companies ganzfeldmusic and FireTrain Music. Between 2008 and 2010 LTM undertook an extensive Object reissue program, including CD versions of all four Spherical Objects albums as well as the Noyes Brothers set.
