"Stardrive" (Uncharted Cosmophony No. 1)

Cosmophonia

In this new series, Uncharted Cosmophony, we choose a random, previously unknown to us album that seems to have some spacey elements, listen to it, and then talk about it. This time we chose the 1973 record "Intergalactic Trot" by Stardrive with Robert Mason. The album prominently shows off the capabilities of an early multi-voiced synthesizer, backed by a full band, but unlike ambient "space" music is energetic and driven. Our conversation moves in interesting directions, including how the blending of technology and pastoral musical topics can be used to depict an alien landscape.

References

Pastoral music

John Adams, Short Ride in a Fast Machine

For more on the use of the pastoral to represent space, see Rebecca Leydon, "The Post-War Pastoral in Space-Age-Bachelor-Pad Music"

Boss music - music in video games that accompanies the battle with the final, or otherwise major enemy