Natty Brooker—drummer for the vastly influential UK psych-rock group Spacemen 3—has passed away after a long struggle with cancer. News of Brooker's death surfaced April 18 in a forum on the website of Spiritualized, the band led by former Spacemen 3 member Jason Pierce. In Spacemen 3, Brooker played on some of the most transcendent rock records of the '80s, including Sound of Confusion and The Perfect Prescription. Spacemen 3/Spiritualized superfan DJ Explorateur informs that Brooker—a noted visual artist—also created the cover for Spiritualized's 1992 debut LP, Lazer Guided Melodies. RIP, Natty Brooker.

*There is scant mention of this news so far on the internet, other than the citing noted above. I'll update the post when/if I hear more about Brooker's status.