When the psychedelic revolution exploded onto the pop cultural zeitgeist in the 1960s, countless young people around the world were sent down the path of a profound journey of self-discovery. Whether it was through drugs, art, spirituality, meditation, literature, politics and beyond, a whole generation dove head-first into an unending mission to find themselves. Nowhere else was the impact of this revolution more widespread and deeply felt than in music. Although the genre fell out of favour in the mainstream as quickly as it arose, the utopian spirit that lay at the core of psychedelic rock continued to live on. As the mythical, world-building spectacle of progressive rock and the boundless experimentation of the German post-psych kosmische musik bands like Kraftwerk, Neu!, Can and more evolved into ambient music in the late 70s, this thread of utopian longing continued on. In the Spring of 1980, a young Philadelphia based musician and kosmische musik enthusiast named Chuck van Zyl began working as one of four to five rotating DJs for Star’s End, the weekly ambient music show that Steve Pross and John Diliberto founded on WXPN, University of Penn’s public radio station.

“In the late 1970s I was way into progressive rock, but not yet open-minded enough to understand the virtues of space music,” says van Zyl

. “I had come across works like "Oxygene" and "Autobahn", but I was really looking for an instrumental version of prog. And then I heard "Stardancer" by Klaus Schulze. It's not really one of his space music pieces, but it really hit me hard. The motorik drumming, the swirling effects and dramatic chord changes, all expanding beneath a full-throated synth lead, only to echo out in a concluding cold drop – it was just stunning. After hearing this I vowed to learn more about where this music came from, who was making it and how it was made. This moment really put me on an entirely new path into the Berlin School. It's when I began listening to Diaspar [*Dilierto’s freeform show that played everything avant garde, jazz, progressive rock and more] and Star’s End with more enthusiasm – and eventually in 1980 I became a WXPN staff member and host of both programmes.”



Inspired by the music of Tangerine Dream, Michael Rother and others, Star’s End flourished throughout the 80s. Broadcasting every week, the show spread challenging experimental music across the airwaves all over the Philadelphia area. At the time, a short-lived electronic music scene had sprung up in the city, influenced by ambient music, the German kosmische bands and post-punk. Van Zyl was active in that scene and by the end of the decade, he’d become a key player in the next evolution of Philadelphia electronic music.



“Throughout the 1980s Philadelphia had seen the rise of a significant space music scene,” he explains. “Known acts like The Nightcrawlers, Tangent, Darren Kearns, The Ghostwriters, Stephan Spera, Xisle and others, in conjunction with a few venues which hosted innovative music concerts, brought a great deal of creative activity to the Philadelphia area. For various reasons by the early 1990s just about all of this energy had dissipated.”



In the early 90s, van Zyl also emerged as a prolific recording artist in his own right, releasing The Moment Of Totality in 1990, The Xyl File, Ganymede and Europa in 1991, and lo in 92. With each of these albums of meditative sounds, released on tape by Peter Gulch’s Synkronos Music label, he established himself as a significant player in Philly’s then vibrant underground electronic music cassette scene.



On 9 May 1992, van Zyl founded The Gatherings, a monthly concert series designed to highlight creative musicians exploring the varied realms of ambient, experimental electronic and ethereal music. Since that first event he hosted in a small room on Penn’s campus, The Gatherings have featured performances from numerous acts, both established and emerging. Now happening at St Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village, a beautiful West Philly church built in 1824, The Gatherings have existed as one of the cornerstones of the city’s experimental electronic scene until today. With its calming, meditative sounds, sometimes psychedelic lighting and open, welcoming atmosphere, The Gatherings present ambient and experimental electronic music as part of a broader communal experience. Attendees are even encouraged to bring blankets and sleeping bags in case they feel like getting comfortable and laying down in a designated section of the venue, while others are seated in church pews. Van Zyl explains what typically happens at one of his very atypical concerts:



“It's difficult to explain what a typical concert is like, as we've presented a wide range of musicians over the past 27 years. Maybe the most significant thing about The Gatherings is how we treat the artists who come to play. We do our best to provide a safe space for them to perform. Not just a solid sound system and a unique light show, but we deliver an informed, appreciative audience to experience their music. There is no need to explain anything to attendees as they already comprehend what's about to happen and possess enough attention span and intelligence to fully appreciate what the artist is trying to communicate. I truly believe the act of playing a concert for The Gatherings has a lasting effect on all the musicians who've participated in the series, and that they carry this experience with them into future projects.”

Noting The Gatherings’ practice of showcasing well-known acts alongside up and coming innovators, he continues: “While The Gatherings enjoys presenting music by established acts, such as Cluster, Roedelius, Roger Eno, Steve Roach, Michael Stearns, Robert Rich, Stars Of The Lid, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Johann Johannsson, Manuel Göttsching, Richard Pinhas, etc, the series is also dedicated to giving emerging artists their chance before our audience.”



In addition to hosting The Gatherings, van Zyl has continued to release his own music. 2020 meanwhile marks the 40th year of his tenure as the host of Star’s End and 44 years since John Diliberto first founded it. Every week, van Zyl plays healing, exploratory music and presents popular and inventive on-air performances from guests or Van Zyl himself improvising on a massive modular rig. Van Zyl’s work is evidence that psychedelia’s utopian spirit lives on, constantly evolving and cloaking itself in new exciting forms. When asked about the influence of Tangerine Dream and the kosmische musik that inspired him back in the 70s, Van Zyl’s poignant words could easily be applied to his own work and legacy:



“The great triumph of this music is that it provides a deep, cosmic, moving experience to the listener. If it has a failing, it’'s that none of us can fully explain that experience to anyone else... it’s too personal…”

Tangerine Dream are the cover feature of the new issue of The Wire. Grab a copy via our online shop.