Sounds of Space

Greetings. I’m Chris Bass a music producer and renowned Spaceologist and this prequel episode is the next chapter of my life in Music - Hidden in the Sub-frequency part two.

We run down these experiences and why they make me the ideal candidate to host a podcast about Space Music.

In this episode we pick up where we last left off...with me lost in space in the year 2000...the band I fronted for six years over and done, my dreams of making a living playing music all but vaporised as I float in anti-gravity limbo...

I chat down musical adventures with:

• Australia’s most successful hip-hop act the Hilltop Hoods
• Junk punk legends the Clowns of Decadence
• My return to hip-hop with the Cross Bred Mongrels and Defenders
• Heavy rockers Loaded Zilla and Helga
• The Culture of Kings compilations
• Audio collective NewAuralNet and the Found Objects LP
• Medicine Troupe and Rhythm Caravan
• Suzy Treister, Crackhouse Crew, SCWOD,Decades and more.

...and how I moved towards a job in the music industry that kept my dogs and I fed.

Whether you’re a music lover, space-fanatic, musician or producer or just need a new creative perspective blast off with me on a fantastic journey as we explore the musical universe of artists who sonically evoke Outer Space and Sci-Fi Futurism in popular music with SOUND.

Greetings. I’m Chris Bass a music producer and renowned Spaceologist and this is my life in Music - Hidden in the Subfrequency part one.

This ‘prequel’ introductory episode, Countdown: Minus 2 gives the background dirt on ME, the host of the S.O.S. project as we count down to the launch in Episode Zero.

I discuss early influences, trying to make it with my own punk-funk band Capital F, my first hip-hop crew 9th Circle, the few months I spent on stage with mega-star SIA in her early acid jazz group Crisp, my time as a bassist in a live version of Australia's most successful hip-hop crew the Hilltop Hoods, rocking out with Post-metal Space-rock group Chimera9 and how I got to cut a track with the head of the Acid Jazz label.
Were you alive in the year 2000? I was and everything I did as a musical youth leading up to Blahmageddan and the 'not-quite-end-of-the-world' is covered here.

From 1950s Cosmic Jazz to Spacey Techno, from Sun Ra to Sunset, the Sounds of Space podcast is part of a Masters exegesis, that seeks to identify the sonic language of Space Music. Music lovers of all kinds will find something worthwhile.

Each episode finishes with a music track. This time it’s space rock epic ‘F.F.F.’ by Chimera9 .

What is Space Music?

Greetings. I’m Chris Bass a music producer and renowned Spaceologist and I’m here to explore that very question.

This ‘prequel’ introductory episode Countdown: Minus 3 breaks down the motivations and purpose of the S.O.S. project as we count down to the launch in Episode Zero.

Whether you’re a music lover, space-fanatic, musician or producer or just need a new creative perspective blast off with me on a fantastic journey as we explore the musical universe of artists who sonically evoke Outer Space and Sci-Fi Futurism in popular music with SOUND.

From 1950s Cosmic Jazz to Spacey Techno, from Sun Ra to Sunset, the Sounds of Space podcast is part of a Masters exegesis, that seeks to identify the sonic language of Space Music. Music lovers of all kinds will find something worthwhile.

Each episode finishes with a music track. This time it’s ‘Gumble the Dog’ by Capital F - from my first ever commercial release in 1991. It’s a stupid tale of a dog that gets adopted by aliens...and if you listen in, I’ll explain why it isn’t actually ‘Space Music’.

Sun Ra - the Alpha and Omega of Space Music! Greetings ...I’m Chris Bass a music producer and renowned Spaceologist and in episode two we examine the music of Sun Ra, bandleader, keyboardist, arranger, philosopher, artist and educator.

Hailing from the planet of Saturn, Sun-Ra aka Herman Poole ‘Sunny’ Blount, took keyboard playing into new dimensions and changed music forever. The players in his Arkestra (his big band for over forty years) followed Sun’s lead creating forms of Cosmic Jazz that inspired almost every other creator of Space Music that came afterwards.

The Arkestra's saxophonists John Gilmore and Marshall Allen pushed the sonic boundaries of what was possible with a wind instrument. In fact Gilmore was cited by John Coltrane as his biggest influence...and most folks would agree that Coltrane totally reinvented the modern day concept of the instrument solo.

In this episode we look at

• Ra’s beginnings
• The ways that the Arkestra evoked Outer Space via acoustic means.
• Sun Ra’s Electronic Keyboard Cosmos
• Sun’s move into the land of the synthesiser
• The Arkestra’s cosmic playing techniques
• Cosmic Sound Effects - how Sun travelled further into the galaxy via the studio.
• A break down of how I applied these techniques to create Cosmic Jazz

...and the episode finishes with my first release for Sounds of Space the Sun Ra Cosmic Jazz tribute...They Fell From the Skies.

Whether you’re a music lover, space-fanatic, musician or producer or just need a new creative perspective blast off with me on a fantastic journey as we explore the musical universe of artists who sonically evoke Outer Space and Sci-Fi Futurism in popular music with SOUND.

Episode Links

They Fell from the Skies available at https://soundsofspace.bandcamp.com/track/they-fell-from-the-skies

Another Ra tribute - Ra Transmigration - https://soundsofspace.bandcamp.com/track/ra-transmigration-ft-scrambla

Space is the Place by John Szwed - one of the most definitive books on Sun-Ra and the best source of ‘behind-the-scenes’ information - https://www.amazon.com/Space-Place-Lives-Times-Sun/dp/0306808552

The Temple - A fantastic online Discography of the works of Sun Ra - http://www.the-temple.net/sunradisco/list.php

Sun Ra Music - Bandcamp - The Official digital music site of Sun Ra - https://sunramusic.bandcamp.com/

Sun-Ra - Spotify - If you insist on streaming...well...here it is - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tIODqvzGUoEaK26rK4pvX

A wonderful 53 minute NPR Jazz Profile of Sun-Ra - https://www.npr.org/2007/10/31/15774733/sun-ra-cosmic-swing

Techno Rebels: 30 Years of Juice Records with Damien Donato.

Hailed the world over and given kudos from such luminaries as Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin and Mike Banks of Underground Resistance, Juice Records has continually pushed the sonic boundaries of techno.
...and they’ve given me a WORLDWIDE exclusive on a new track called ‘Inifinty’

Greetings Earth people. I’m Chris Bass a music producer and renowned Spaceologist and in this special episode I talk with Techno Artist and Label Chief, DMZ aka Damien Donato.

Whilst Juice Records is renowned for launching the career of international DJ superstar HMC (who later became the Late Nite Tuff Guy),its catalog runs deep and they are still actively releasing new music.

Launched as an underground techno label in the early 90’s, Juice typified the lofty ambitions of the techno generation in both sound and deed, using the vinyl record as its medium.

This is the story of a Techno Rebel who put the sound of his city - the city of Adelaide - on the world stage and in doing so, brought tangible credibility to Australian Techno music.

Damien runs down

• Early days of the Techno scene in Adelaide
• The influence of the music from the U.S., U.K and Europe
• His dealings with Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills and his love of Detroit techno and Underground Resistance.
• Building a team with Thee, Paddee, HMC and DCE
• Balancing label business with creative work
• Fax machines, DATs and Studio Gear
• A blow by blow of the entire Juice vinyl record catalog

Whether you’re a music lover, space-fanatic, musician or producer or just need a new creative perspective blast off with me on a fantastic journey as we explore the musical universe of artists who sonically evoke Outer Space and Sci-Fi Futurism in popular music with SOUND.

Special Thanks to:

• The entire Juice artist team: Damez, Thee, Paddee, HMC, John Gray and Antony Coppens - for the great music.
• Liz Copeland, Clark Warner of 101.9 Detroit Public Radio, for the Mike Banks clips.
• Dave Barnett for sound bites of Mike Banks and Richie Hawtin - check out Frequency Response TV - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtgWKhSA0iCsC3gQT3hyhqg
• Stilgherrian - https://stilgherrian.com/
• Georgie Knight of Dreaming Daisies - check out a 1992 show upload by code618 - https://soundcloud.com/code618/dreaming-daisies-may-1992
• Damien Donato

Extra special thanks to Damien and Antony for the exclusive track.

Underground Resistance: http://undergroundresistance.com/

JUICE020 - Antony Coppens 2021 release: https://juicerecords-australia.bandcamp.com/album/antony-coppens

“ It goes beyond the drum machine and synthesiser sounds the label would be known for and embraces a wider spectrum with use of a Yamaha baby grand, Fender Rhodes, Washburn bass and Yamaha Electone E-75.
It is a clear example of what Adelaide happenings have been missed by the global industry while it plays with a techno formula that goes beyond our underground imaginings.”

Episode Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17978674807470117/