The Space Cadet has assembled a wash of blips and bloops, spacy equipment phasing and buzzing, for a staticky zip across the universe on Music for Space Travel.
The 2021 release from Julien Foster, a musician, producer and MTSU alum who performs downtempo, experimental instrumental music under the moniker The Space Cadet, occasionally contains something that qualifies as a catchy melody—the arpeggiated pattern on “Leaps and Bounds,” for instance. But the record predominantly consists of loosely structured electronic synthesized sounds, effects, and atmospheric noises: “sounds from the furthest reaches of the binary trapezium,” according to the artist.
A-blipply-bloop-a-blipply-bloop-a-blipply-bloop-a-blipply-bloop, whizzy-whizzy-whiz-whiz-z-z-z-z, and so on.
The Space Cadet dials up the speed on a particular effect on a synth and then morphs in some sprinkles of another patch or blip or whir. Music for Space Travel rarely has much of a steady beat for more than a few seconds.
Perhaps it could work for massage spa music, something atmospheric in the background. It’s a little fuzzy and confusing at times, but overall can display a sense of mesmerizing relaxation. For some, it could actually function well as ambient background working noise.
Learning the backstory to the project may help it make a bit more sense.
In 2018, Otherworld Encounter, an interactive sci-fi art exhibit shown in Nashville and Atlanta, hired Foster to create the audio for the art experience. The Space Cadet reinterpreted the sounds from the art installation into full-length pieces, which comprise the new album. Music for Space Travel was recently released via Psychic Research, a label and event production group with a mission to promote underground electronic music in Middle Tennessee.
Maybe the electronic sounds will transcend galaxies and speak to aliens somewhere in a distant system, or at least provide a pleasant listening experience for some Earthlings in the meantime.
Check out Music for Space Travel and numerous other releases from The Space Cadet, all sporting beautiful, colorful and geometrically appealing cover art, at thespacecadetmusic.bandcamp.com.
