SUN RA – Space Probe: A Tonal View Of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 1 – CD – ARTYARDCD011

The CD starts out with the seventeen-minute “Space Probe,” the first test recording of Ra on Moog synthesizer, recorded way back in 1969. This early electronic masterpiece is a gorgeous explosion of sound, a strangely beautiful mechanical flowering. According to the liner notes, the music reflects “a spaceship in outer space looking for a landing place.” Certainly the song is that, but it’s many other things as well: telepathic birds, machines discussing philosophy, video games playing video games — it’s whatever you can hear. The magic of Ra on synthesizer is that even the most mechanical sounds have a strange warmth and beauty, and his innate musicality infuses the song with a satisfying cohesion. “Space Probe” is Ra at his experimental best, exemplifying his unique way of making people hear and feel in new ways.

Florence Wetzel / The Squid’s Ear