Lockdown! at the Disco #18: The Space Episode
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Ahem, this is Amy Roberts on Space Channel Comics Youth, can you read me, over? Again, this is Amy Roberts on Space Channel Comics Youth, reaching out for signs of life – over. This is an emergency message – we’ve ran out of snacks. Urgent request for Monster Munch and mini party sausages pronto, over! Engaging melodramatic flare gun sequence for snacks in 5 – 4 – 3 - 2- - -
TRACK ONE: “Intergalactic” – Beastie Boys
Iyaaaa!! That was “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys and this is Comics Youth Radio presents Lockdown! at the Disco with me, your host Amy Roberts currently floating about her little isolation chamber in zero-gravity because this is The Space Episode and we stan over-commitment to a theme here…
As ever, this is our usual content warning for the episode: While every effort is made to ensure that no inappropriate language or content slips through the Comics Youth Radio net, there may still be some content and lyrics which could be inappropriate for younger listeners so parental discretion is advised.
NOW THEN - besides the simple fact that space is just a super cool thing to talk about and an ace subject for songs and albums to revolve around, we’re focusing on space today because I think we’re all feeling a little alien at the moment. Lockdown has eased up but the pandemic ain’t over! And while we’re all starting to return to little pockets of normality here and there, everything just feels a little bit otherworldly and weird – we may as well be on a different planet sometimes.
Alien vibes aside, I think we would all probably favour moving to a different planet if it meant we could officially and finally get away from the Tories but sadly, that isn’t an option yet. But as and when it is, hot damn – we’re gonna build us a spaceship and get the heck outta here. Go live amongst the stars like a Clanger.
This is Modest Mouse with “Space Travel is Boring” – a statement I strongly disagree with but oh boy, what a sweet racket…
TRACK TWO: “Space Travel is Boring” – Modest Mouse
TRACK THREE: “Alien She” – Bikini Kill
That was “Alien She” by Bikini Kill and I think that’s just a great song about alienation and about feeling other – particularly when it comes to feeling pressured to adhere to assigned gender norms and heteronormative looks. Those of us who are marginalised – be it for health reasons, our gender identity, our sexuality, or our race or ethnicity – we can feel other and alien within mainstream society. And that’s because so much of mainstream society is made specifically to function for able-bodied, heterosexual, cis-gender, white folk – and preferably those with a nice fat bank account too.
And if and when we don’t fit those moulds, we can feel completely outside of society and the world as we know it. We can feel alien.
And I think that’s why there is so much culture that revolves around outer space, and other worlds, and of alien beings that explores marginalised identity too. It taps into our own sad little planet and the divides and disconnect that exist within it – and by reflecting on our world from the stars and remote planets, we can inspect and attack systemic issues from a safe distance.
And that brings us to a really interesting and powerful genre of space-culture known as Afrofuturism. Now, this genre can be applied to just about every type of culture going – it pops up in music, literature, art, movies, TV shows, and books – and it’s basically a cultural movement which uses sci-fi themes which incorporate black history and culture in a way that reflects on modern societal issues. In doing so, Afrofuturism provides a poignant commentary on modern life and politics via a fantasy, futuristic lens.
Stories like Black Panther, A Wrinkle in Time, Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred, Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone are all Afrofuturistic as is the work of artists like Ellen Gallagher and Wangechi Mutu.
There is a glorious wealth of Afrofuturist music to enjoy too and we’re about to play a double bill of two of the OG’s of Afrofuturistic music right here, starting with space-obsessed jazz legends Sun Ra with “Somewhere in Space”
TRACK FOUR: “Somewhere in Space” – Sun Ra
TRACK FIVE: “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” – Parliament
Heck yes! That was “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” by Parliament – a band led by funk legend George Clinton who was inspired by the space-age creativity of Sun Ra but also by Star Trek. Parliament’s joyful brand of space funk serves up a future where black astronauts explore new worlds, as Clinton puts it, quote: “Afronauts, capable of funkitizing galaxies.”
And before that was the incredible and hugely influential Sun Ra who explored the vast potentials of space via cosmic free jazz that makes you feel as though you’re sitting amongst the stars.
In 1972, their seminal album Space is the Place even inspired a movie, written by the band, in which Sun Ra colonise a new planet which they travel to via the power of music.
Afrofuturist music has continued to be huge ever since with many spectacular black artists such as Africa Bambaata, Eyrkuh Badu, Outkast, and Flying Lotus finding inspiration in futuristic visions and sci-fi narratives. And here’s two more spectacular modern Afrofuturist joints from contemporary artists that I absolutely LOVE – this is “Astronaut” by Quasimoto and Madlib.
TRACK SEVEN: “Astronaut” – Quasimoto, Madlib
TRACK EIGHT: “Moon Whip Quaz” – Shabazz Palaces
That was the amazing Shabazz Palaces with “Moon Whip Quaz”. And that song is part of a double sci-fi epic release from 2017 about a traveller coming to Earth from space and attempting to understand the modern world.
The first album Quazaz vs The Jealous Machines was loosely inspired by the way that society is overly connected to and dependent on devices and social media – to a point of no return. Meanwhile, the second album, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star, reflected more upon African-American identity and feeling alienated as part of that identity within the United States.
And that’s something that I really love about all sci-fi stuff – and particularly Afrofuturist material – is that it’s a genre and movement which manages to delve into and enquire about the political while providing a safe, nurturing distance by which we can engage with those narratives via fantasy.
Symbolism and metaphors and creativity and imagination can be incredible tools for interrogating societal issues in a manner that doesn’t force us to engage directly with the issue. Sometimes issues like these can unearth deep trauma and be triggering in minor or major ways – but by embedding it within a creative response, these issues can be easier to navigate and to think about.
Having said that, there’s also nothing wrong with being up front and direct with your political takedowns. And this next track is a great example of that. This is a phenomenal protest poem from the late 60’s by Gil Scott-Heron about the true, unseen costs of the US winning the space race. This is “Whitey on the Moon”
TRACK SIX: “Whitey on the Moon” – Gil Scott-Heron
TRACK NINE: “Sally Ride” – Janelle Monae
That was Janelle Monae with “Sally Ride”. Obviously, Janelle Monae is an absolute Afrofuturist goddess who has brought out so many amazing albums that stem from the movement and which explore sci-fi narratives within her music.
“Sally Ride” is one of my fave tracks by her – and it’s less Afrofuturist than it is a direct tribute to an incredible black woman by the name of Sally Kirsten Rode. Sally was the first African American woman to travel to space in 1978 at the age of just 32 years of age – which is an incredible accomplishment. It’s also worth noting that Sally Ride was also the first lesbian to go to space – although she was never publicly out as a lesbian, something which may not have actually been her choice.
A 2014 story in The American Prospect suggested that seven years after Ride had gone to space that NASA had tried to quietly order a working group of physicians to declare homosexuality a psychiatrically disqualifying condition. Thankfully, the rule didn’t end up going through, but it’s telling that they tried.
To this day, there hasn’t been an open member of the LGBTQIA+ community in space – regardless, NASA maintains that it doesn’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. But damn, can we get a rainbow flag on Mars soon, please? It – is – time.
I’m playing this next track for our Anna who requested it and who am I to say no to such a classic? This is Ash with “Girl From Mars”.
TRACK ELEVEN: “Girl From Mars” – Ash
TRACK TWELVE: “Meteor Shower” – Cavetown
That was “Meteor Shower” by Cavetown and it was requested by our in-house resident Cavetown fanatic Lucas M who is continuing to prove that Cavetown well and truly have a tune for just about every theme we’ve handled on this show so far!
And that’s us done for another week, folks! I hope this episode has been a cosmic dream, my little space monkeys.
On next week’s episode we’re gonna crunch some leaves, get out the pumpkin spice and the chai lattes, and eat cinnamon buns till be burst because we’re gonna bring in and celebrate the arrival of my favourite season – Autumn.
You can smell it in the air at the moment, can’t you? The leaves are slowly changing and falling and the temperature is dropping and I just want to get snug and cosy and watch Gilmore Girls 24/7.
SO – for next week’s episode I wanna know your song requests for tunes that make you feel Autumnal and cosy. What songs feel like a snug, warm hug to you? What tunes make you feel like you’re being wrapped in a massive duvet while your best pals drink warm spiced apple tea with you? Let me know!
And please – don’t be giving me any spoopy, Halloween requests just yet. We’re saving those treats for the entire month of October when we’ll be dedicating every episode to the spooky, the eerie, the haunted, the horrorfying, the camp, and the ghoulish.
So, until then remember: Everything is not cool, but it can be. Stay safe, stay sassy, and keep watching those stars…
TRACK TEN: “Moonage Daydream” – David Bowie