Electrasy

The extraordinary true story of a Britpop band from the West Country who went to space and back.

Calling All The Dreamers is the book Electrasy fans have been waiting decades for — and the book the music industry probably hoped would never get written. Packed with candid stories from the band, their peers, producers, and players, it is a gripping, deeply personal chronicle of what it felt like to stand on the very edge of greatness and have it snatched away by a broken system.

Available now in paperback. ISBN: 9781739352912.

What is Calling All The Dreamers about?

In this vivid and intimate biography, author and technologist Pete Trainor narrates the story of Electrasy as it intertwines with his own journey — a teenager growing up in Yeovil, Somerset, looking for an escape from the ordinary, and finding it in the music of a band from his own backyard.

The book traces Electrasy’s path from their earliest days playing pubs and small venues across Weymouth, Yetminster, Beaminster, Sherborne, and Yeovil — all the way to recording at Abbey Road, signing to Clive Davis’s Arista Records in New York, and achieving chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with singles like “Morning Afterglow” and the Titan A.E. cult classic “Cosmic Castaway.”

But this is far more than a standard rise-and-fall story. It is an exploration of creativity, ambition, and the seismic transformation of the music industry — from the Britpop lad-culture of the mid-90s, through to the era of digital piracy, streaming, and the slow collapse of the major label system that once made and unmade careers like theirs.

“It’s so much more than your standard ‘local band gets signed and goes global’ journey. There’s a very good set of reasons very few people remember much about Electrasy other than one top-20 hit single — it’s because they were buried by the industry that had plucked them from humble roots, and I needed to find out why.”
— Pete Trainor, author

From a garage in Yeovil to New York and back again

Electrasy’s debut album Beautiful Insane had its roots in a garage studio in Yeovil, where local producer Jon Sweet helped shape the band’s early sound. That same album went on to sell 60,000 copies in its first few months of release, championed by Chris Evans, Jo Wiley, and the UK music press.

The band were signed to MCA/Universal in the UK, then to Arista Records in the US — one of the most prestigious labels in the world at the time. They played over 180 shows in 1998 alone. They appeared on Channel 4’s TFI Friday twice. They took the coveted sunset slot on the Other Stage at Glastonbury in 1999 — even after their UK label deal had been terminated without warning.

And then, as Trainor documents in unflinching detail, technology changed everything. The rise of digital piracy. The collapse of physical media. The dismantling of the infrastructure that had built them. Calling All The Dreamers is as much a book about the music industry’s transformation as it is about one band — which is precisely why it speaks to anyone who lived through that era.

“This is a unique exploration of creativity, ambition, and the industry’s transformation from Pearl Jam rock to Oasis lad culture, through to technological destruction. It offers a glimpse into the band members’ most defining moments, wonderful highs, and turbulent lows.”

What readers and critics are saying

“We enjoyed this story of forgotten Britpop hopefuls, Electrasy — especially the tale of how they pissed off P Diddy. Absolute gold. A must read.”
— PopBitch

“This beautifully written and powerful book captures a band’s conviction to be the very best musicians they can be, and live the rockstar life at full-throttle. Packed full of archive photos and notebook scraps, this is a must read for all music fans around the globe.”
— Tom Austin-Morgan, Music Journalist, Banned Biographies

“Behind every public story is a private one, and this book is an amazing look behind the curtain into the 90s music scene. Half personal biography of a fan, and half the story of 90s starlets, Electrasy, this book weaves together multiple narratives into a wonderful story.”
— Amazon reviewer

“Although it revolves around the rise and fall of Electrasy, you don’t have to be a fan of the band to enjoy this book. The author has woven in his very personal journey of growing up in Yeovil in the 90s and his sense of isolation and alienation until Britpop exploded on the scene — music he identified with, and that changed his life.”
— Amazon reviewer

“Trainor’s writing captures the essence of a transformative period in music history, blending humour, authenticity, and an insider’s perspective.”
— Amazon reviewer

What’s inside the book

Calling All The Dreamers is both a biography and a scrapbook — written from the inside out, with contributions from band members, producers, and people who were there. It covers:

  • The band’s formation in the small towns of the West Country and the local music scene that shaped them
  • Early recordings with producer Jon Sweet at Small World Studios in Yeovil
  • The signing to MCA/Universal UK and the release of Beautiful Insane (1998)
  • Chart success with “Morning Afterglow,” Glastonbury, TFI Friday, and becoming the #2 new artist of 1999 on US rock radio
  • The move to Arista Records in New York and working with legendary label head Clive Davis
  • Recordings at Abbey Road with producer Sir Robin Millar
  • The making of In Here We Fall (2000) and the placement of “Cosmic Castaway” on the Titan A.E. soundtrack
  • The label difficulties that shelved their third album Wired for Dreaming and effectively ended the band’s original run
  • The impact of digital piracy, streaming, and the collapse of the major label system on artists like Electrasy
  • The band’s eventual reunion, and the story of why their music endures

Packed with archive photos and notebook scraps, the book gives fans an intimate look at a band who lived the 90s rock dream in full — and paid a heavy price for it.

Book details

Title: Electrasy: Calling All The Dreamers — The extraordinary true story of a Britpop band from the West Country who went to space and back.
Author: Pete Trainor
Contributors: The members of Electrasy
Publisher: Nielsen
Published: 2023
Format: Paperback and hardcover
ISBN (paperback): 9781739352912
ISBN (hardcover): 9781739352905

Who should read this book?

Calling All The Dreamers is for anyone who:

  • Was a fan of Britpop and wants to understand what happened behind the scenes at the height of the genre
  • Loves music biography and wants something raw, honest, and genuinely different from the standard rock memoir
  • Is interested in how the music industry changed — and why so many talented artists fell through the cracks
  • Grew up in the 90s and wants to relive the era through the eyes of someone who lived it as a fan and a witness
  • Discovered Electrasy through “Cosmic Castaway,” “Morning Afterglow,” or the Titan A.E. soundtrack and wants to know the full story

You do not need to be an Electrasy obsessive to love this book. You just need to have cared about music at a time when music felt like it could change everything.

Frequently asked questions

What is Calling All The Dreamers about?
Calling All The Dreamers is a biography of Electrasy, the British rock band from Dorset who signed to Arista Records in the late 90s and achieved chart success before having their career ended by a combination of label politics and the collapse of the music industry’s physical media model. It is written by Pete Trainor, a fan and technologist who grew up in the same part of Somerset as the band, and interweaves the band’s story with his own coming-of-age journey in Yeovil during the Britpop era.

Who wrote Calling All The Dreamers?
The book was written by Pete Trainor, an award-winning author and technologist based in London. It was published in 2023 and features contributions from the members of Electrasy themselves.

Is Calling All The Dreamers only for Electrasy fans?
No. While the book tells the story of Electrasy in detail, it is also a broader portrait of the 90s music industry, the Britpop era, and the way digital technology transformed — and in many cases destroyed — the careers of artists who had signed to major labels. Readers who enjoy music biography, music industry history, or 90s nostalgia will find it compelling whether or not they are familiar with the band.

Where can I buy Calling All The Dreamers?
The book is available on Amazon in both paperback and hardcover editions, and directly from the Electrasy website. Paperback ISBN: 9781739352912.

Does the book cover Cosmic Castaway and Titan A.E.?
Yes. The book chronicles the full arc of Electrasy’s career, including the making of In Here We Fall, the placement of “Cosmic Castaway” on the Titan A.E. soundtrack, and the extraordinary cult following the song has accumulated in the years since the film’s release.

Who is Pete Trainor?
Pete Trainor is a London-based technologist, author, and speaker recognised internationally for his work in artificial intelligence, data, and human behaviour. He was voted one of the five most influential people in the British digital industry by Econsultancy in 2017. Calling All The Dreamers is his second book.