Space Probe
Song by Sun Ra And His Arkestra
“In our journey through the roots of electronic music, it is impossible not to consider the psychedelic jazz iconic figure of Sun Ra.”
Herman Poole Blount was his real name, and nobody knew his actual date of birth until only a few years before his death in ‘93. His biographer, John F. Szwed finally confirmed it as May 14th, 1914.
In 1952 he changed his name, which he considered to be a slave name, in the process of attaining a new self-awareness and self-esteem, becoming Le Sony'r Ra, shortened to Sun Ra (after Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun). He claimed to be an alien from Saturn on a mission to preach peace.
So, we hear about these alien stories often nowadays, but his trip to Saturn allegedly occurred an entire decade before flying saucers entered public consciousness!
This first glimpse should be enough to sway you to listen to all the incredible experimental music he composed. In his 40 year musical journey, Sun Ra composed over 1,000 songs, making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century.
After moving from Alabama to Chicago and then from New York to Philadelphia, Sun Ra and His Astro-Solar Infinity Arkestra recorded My Brother The Wind Vol.1 in 1970. By this time, their performances included 20–30 musicians, dancers, singers, fire-eaters, and elaborate lighting made with the Outer Space Visual Communicator. A giant machine played with hands and feet to create light designs placed at the center of the stage.
It is often difficult to tell where compositions end and improvisations begin, mainly because of the jazz background Sun Ra and his musicians had. My Brother The Wind Vol.1 is almost entirely a jazz improvisation, and it is considered an electronic album because of the use of the Minimoog synth. This proves, once again, how revolutionary this instrument was, and still is, for musicians and artists.
“A prototype of the synth was given to Sun Ra by its inventor. He and his Arkestra decided to use it with the same attitude a jazz musician could have with a trumpet, a saxophone, or a piano.”
I chose to talk about Space Probe because the track is a Minimoog triumph.
The jazz form on the rest of the album disappears and leaves the listener alone with the synth. It's not difficult to imagine Sun Ra modulating and trying all the possibilities the Minimoog could offer. The track is a glorious soundscape that brings the listeners back to the beginning of one of the most exciting decades in music history.
Like Sun Ra traveled to Saturn, listening to this track, we travel back in space and time, back to the experimental music scene of the time. The song is a total trip, which transcends styles and genres. As the title suggests, it is an interstellar journey to the unknown, exciting and mysterious journeys musicians had ahead of them.
