Last week I released “Proxima Ultra”, the first track of the Alien Ear Flower Series, a project that had been shelved since 2019. “Dream Nebula” follows, Official Release November 15th 2023. Special fans release Friday 13th October 2023, resuming this modular album. Both tracks are released in the spirit of a double ‘A’ sided single.
The project allows each Ear Flower to unfurl with two tracks every season, when appropriate cosmic conditions allow.
“Dream Nebula” Available to buy on Bandcamp here Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all Stream services to follow on November 15th
Part Two of the double ‘A’ side single, Dream Nebula
Nostramus creates Alien Ear Flowers to plunge the listener into deep lush, ambient music, expanding into scifi and cosmic compositions. This rich texture of sounds, tumbling with movement, musically styled with electronic/orchestral grace and grandeur, reminds all life forms they are obligated to evolve.
In these untypical ambient encounters, Nostramus invites acknowledgment of the past where a predicted future never occurred. But Dream Nebula deals with a dream that became reality, albeit a hallucinated one.
The alchemy shaping these tracks captures engaged intellect and driving life-force, joyous in a state of liberation, propelled through Space, equipped and prepared to encounter imagined worlds and beings. Such in-depth work requires a sense of nobility and compassion. The journey is real, or in our dreams; either way, it exists.
Some central questions behind Alien Ear flowers are: Is it prudent to ever pause and contemplate past mistakes? Also, as a lived experience, what is true reality?
Remember this is an ambient vibe, look out for the hashtags before purchasing. If you are looking for ground shaking Drum and Bass this might not be your thing, these Alien Ear Flowers are profoundly ambient and immersive – sci fi noir and fantasy.
“Proxima Ultra” and “Dream Nebula” will also be available on most online streaming platforms – release dates to come!
Steve Spon October 2023
Copyright October 2023 – Mixed in immersive Binaural Sound Concept written and produced by Steve Spon for Nostramus Big thanks to Ella Jo for ideas, inspiration and typing Inspired by “To Mars by A Bomb” The Orion story.
Nostramus Discography including “Dream Nebula” here
New Nostramus Single out on Bandcamp Friday 6th Oct for “Bandcamp Friday”. Part One of a duo-track release. Part Two available Friday 13 October 2023. Departing from usual Nostramus D&B flavours, this doublet of songs takes a more surreal path, with the concept of looking back into the past where predicted futures failed to materialize in Proxima Ultima. Part Two – Dream Nebula describes a dream becoming a reality albeit an hallucinated one. Nostramus has a long tradition of embracing sci fi, blending ideas with social comment in past material, including the stunning 1997 album “Earthlights”, so this theme is set to continue with these coming releases.
Nostramus Discography including “Proxima Ultra” available at Bandcamp here
In 2019 I envisaged producing a new album I would call “Alien Ear Flowers”, but fate decreed that this album could not come to fruition at the time. However, I already began composing two tracks to open this theme and here in 2023 they have arrived, perhaps where they were meant to land, a few years into their future.
The first track, “Proxima Ultra” and the second “Dream Nebula” are now heading for release as I have decided to release both tracks together, as one would have once released a double ‘A’ sided single, a long time ago. “Proxima Ultra” will be released Friday 6th October and the second “Dream Nebula” will be one week later on Friday 13th October (Hurrah!)
Artist impression of Proxima Centauri
In general, my work indicates a fascination with the concept of Time, the great uncontrollable force. The planets, Proxima Centauri and Ultima are planets belonging to the nearest star system to our own and I can envisage a time in the future when we send probes there, if we survive the next hundred years or so! Maybe we would send people or AI proxies!
An earlier version of “Proxima Ultra” has existed as a demo on my website for some time and I used it as a soundtrack on a couple of my ‘Dronescaping Britain’ Youtube films. But these 2023 editions are a new crisp mix with added ambience and mood effects.
The music reflects a cosmic-type journey or how contact with our closest stellar neighbours might even sound. Remember this is an ambient vibe, look out for the hashtags before purchasing. These tracks do not represent ground shaking Drum and Bass – these tracks are more nuanced, like the background music aliens would listen to whilst visiting an interplanetary cafe, so these tracks are for seekers of a profound ambient and immersive sci fi type of experience!
Background ideas that inspired me to write Proxima Ultra:
The dream that never materialized was a concept named the Orion Project. The (genuine) idea was to send a massive ship into space, powered by atomic bombs. This ship would be able to visit the planets of the solar system and eventually fly out to the nearby solar systems, namely Proxima Centauri, situated about 4 and a quarter light years away.
The Proxima Centauri configuration is the closest system to Earth, comprising of three stars including Alpha Centauri, a red dwarf and the closest star to the Sun. As well as possible Gas Giants orbiting the stars an Earthlike planet has been detected in the habitable zone, but it is not yet known if it could harbour life.
Many have imagined voyages to the Proxima system, a journey that could take hundreds if not thousands of years by chemical rockets. An idea that gained consideration for powering this journey involved an aircraft-carrier sized object such as a multigenerational spaceship, powered by rapidly exploding atomic bombs!
Artists impression of a Proxima Planetary body
The writer, Stephen Baxter has written a duology about a fictional journey to Proxima, to visit a habitable planet in that system which he called “Ultra”. My song toasts that idea, and why not? The James Webb telescope recently focused closely on many planets or objects orbiting the three stars of Proxima, and may return with exciting results!
The Orion mission was ultimately cancelled by President Kennedy, rightfully horrified at the prospect of creating a thousand atom Bomb blasts to propel this huge ship into orbit. Thus the dreams of Freeman Dyson, the acclaimed British Physicist in charge and his enthusiastic team, ended. Steve Spon October 2023
released October 6, 2023 – Mixed in immersive Binaural Sound Concept written and produced by Steve Spon for Nostramus Big thanks to Ella Jo for ideas, inspiration and typing Inspired by “To Mars by A Bomb” The Orion story.
Nostramus Discography including “Proxima Ultra” available at Bandcamp here
