Guest blogger: Ren Butler
Check out her other work here
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” - Aldous Huxley
This is a little piece about a guy doing some things inexpressibly unique, and winning over audiences left and right. Astronautalis is a wandering storyteller with an affinity for paying homage to whiskey, history, and science. If you’re looking for your more ‘boom bap’ kind of hip hop, he’s not your guy. If you want to hear some incredibly artfully crafted rhymes about all manner of fact and fiction, I’d highly suggest you check out some of his tracks, such as the one below!
For mobile version: videos displaying incorrectly, check these links:
The Wordsmith and his Sons
And/or
This is Our Science
It only takes a few seconds of the first track of his latest album, This Is Our Science, to clearly hear that this man pulses creativity through his veins where most only have mere oxygen. Though painstakingly well crafted, this album is nothing if not personal. But what about all those history and science references, you say? Somehow I genuinely believe he has some kind of personal connection to the stories of his forefathers and some badass old scientists. Just watch any clip of his live show and you’ll see. This latest album has shades of his past sound but if there’s one thing to expect from Astronautalis, it’s that no two tracks (let alone albums) will be similar. He toys with musical sensibilities and influences from all over the globe as well as genres. His sharp wit, fast tongue, and impeccably eclectic sampling tastes are sure to fill your ears with wonder. Not only can he create some insanely impressive tracks in a studio, you might be surprised to know that the energy he brings comes from years of almost non-stop touring. This guy has been A LOT of places. He’s played tiny clubs in Eastern European countries you’ve probably never even heard of! While being in a new city, sometimes country, every night would drain many people, it is the life that fuels Astronautalis’ creative fire. To really know the full extent of this guy’s ability you must witness a freestyle of his. There are plenty to partake of on youtube but there’s nothing like the real thing. When might he make it down to the land of Oz? More on that later.
I have to admit, I found him one of the least profound ways an artist can be discovered, wasting time on YouTube. The track he does with P.O.S. ‘Story of My LIfe’ came upon a playlist and I was hooked before it was over. I then spent most of the rest of that afternoon looking up tracks and videos of his. Where was this mysterious bard and when might I be so lucky as to cross paths? While I once lived only a few hours drive from his hometown, now I live on the other side of the planet. He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN. I thought for sure it would be years before I’d get the chance to see him live. But then I discovered, there is talk of him making it down here as early as this summer!My excitement of this news was quickly followed with the realization that it’s really difficult for an indie act to book a solid tour from overseas. This is where he needs your help!! Post your best photo and video invitations for Astronautalis to come and perform in your town on the facebook page listed below or tweet us the link and we will make sure he sees each and every entry personally! Every entry will make a difference as it will help Astronautalis to book his shows in the places where he has the most support. So get to it! Oh and before I forget… the person with the most creative entry is up to win a VERY SPECIAL prize indeed. It’s kind of a secret.. but I can’t wait to tell you! The winner will get to partake in a personal video
chat with the man Astronautalis himself! And since you know he’s a dope freestyler, of course this little chat will include a personal freestyle session just for you based on topics of your choice. And all this will be just a sample of what you will experience when you finally make it to one of his live shows. While there are no guarantees about which shows will be played in the future, this is a guy that follows the love so the more people that enter from your town, the better chance he will be able to book a gig there. It’s that simple! So help him help you. If you never ask, he will never know and may just pass you by...Learn more about the Bring Astronautalis to Australia competition by liking our Facebook page!
Also on Twitter @AstroDownUnda
Learn more about Astronautalis himself here:
Soundcloud
Official website
No comments:
Post a Comment