A Ride with Spaceship Earth: Q&A with producer/guitarist Spaceship Earth
- Maddie Swanson
- Oct 23, 2014
- 6 min read
Madeline Fetchiet | Founder/Writer
Here are the facts: Ashton Robertson, known as Detroit producer, Spaceship Earth, is progressive, philosophical and spiritual. His music is simultaneously thought-provoking, relaxing and undefined. This ambient, electronic, "QuantumDub" (as Spaceship Earth calls it), is more of a listening experience--a musical event allergic to limits and definitions. Overall, this dude is inspiring not only musically, but philosophically.
Check out our discussion on Spaceship Earth's new (FREE) album, Contact , his goals as an artist and what music IS to him. The answers will surprise you...read up!
No Barcode: You’re from Kalamazoo (Michigan)…talk about the music scene there.
Spaceship Earth: "I believe it is one of the most fresh scenes in the country, with a lot of wonderful musicians there. Not many people make music there quite like mine, but everyone makes unique music there. You can find folk, punk, rock, jazz, reggae, house/techno, dub step and everything else. The venues are small, but the crowds are always energetic and playful. For me it was the best place to start!
NB: What genre do you consider your music?
SE: "I really have unsubscribed from the idea of genres, labels and limitations, which paradoxically led me, I believe, to a blending, a fusion, and merging of many genres, birth an entirely new breed of music. Words are generally a fragmentation of the greater reality of whatever it is, but I feel they also are great pointers to profound truth, as long as we remain detached, neutral and flexible. This is why QuantumDub is a genre that I am attempting to birth. I feel it lets your imagination run wild."
NB: What does the Michigan music scene have to offer? ...You mentioned you are moving to California soon…are you moving for the music?
SE: "I am moving there for the music more than anything else. Sure the weather is nice, and a lot of my family lives there, but I feel the entire transformational, festival culture has a home on the West coast. The scene in Michigan is good, but if I really want to make a living doing this, I have to move to where my niche is, which is more of a sacred vibe which you mentioned earlier. Also reggae, and dub music are huge there. I am very excited to say the least. I will always have strong ties with Michigan, and would like to tour there every summer if possible!"
NB: When did you start making music?
SE: "I started playing guitar in eighth grade, and I also joined marching band that year, which is where I learned the fundamentals of music."
NB:I love that you add the live guitar element into your music. When did you start playing guitar and why did you choose to feature it in Spaceship Earth?
SE: "Truly it was all I played live when it started. I also was the lead singer of Spaceship Earth, because it was a three-piece band that later started involving my computer. Guitar is the foundation of the music I believe, and also adds the extra live element that most electronic artists do not have. I started playing guitar in the eighth grade, and the first song I learned was Hash Pipe by Weezer, as well as Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple, of course!"
NB: Spaceship Earth is clearly more than a band or music to you. SpaceShip Earth is an entity, a manifestation of Ashton Robertson, yet it is still undefined. Describe the essence of Spaceship Earth.
SE: "Spaceship Earth is an entire reality, an entire universe, and bridge to even higher realities. It is your creation. It is a reflection of all of us. It is raw, pure, and dynamic. I play out all my drum beats, I play out all the bass lines, and synths with my keyboard, and really it is a one person band I believe. To me Spaceship Earth, is a condensed version of the eternal being that I am, and we all are a part of. It is about unity, on a collective level. Live instrumentation, and influences from around the globe, creating a synergy, a web, a unified field, pulling from all dimensions. But honestly, it has just began, and it is hard for me to really say what it is. Mainly it's music, to help move the soul into union with our bodies, heart, and minds."
NB: You’ve performed with David Tipper, Thriftworks, and other big names in electronic music. Talk about some of your favorite/most memorable experiences with them and/or performing at festivals.
SE: "Having Tipper know my name is the coolest thing in the world, and seeing Thriftworks in the crowd at Rootwire Music and Arts Festival was absolutely one of the highlights of my year. Earlier this year though, I played right after Dixons Violin for Yoga Fest, in Northern Michigan, and THAT was amazing. He cleared the space and I brought the dance party apparently. To see all ages, from older spiritual gurus, to little kids, to people all ages, get down as hard as they did, was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I even had three different styles of female dancers on stage, that made the show extra special. I love co-creating with live painters, and dancers on stage--it adds to the dynamic of the shows for sure."
NB: What are your overall goals for Spaceship Earth?
SE: "Becoming financially independent and stable with my music alone. Awakening as many souls as possible. Inspiring billions to help the world around them through their own creations. Touring the world, galaxy, and multi-verse. I want to maximize my creativity through this project and help others do this same thing. I've noticed though, the project has a mind of its own, so it's not really up to just me, really I should start asking other people this same question."
NB: What is your favorite part about making music?
SE: "The feeling of bliss and connection it generates. I've always felt a little unheard in this world, and for me it creates a template for people to start tapping into my mind, and it gives me a platform for my voice to be heard. Mainly though, my favorite part about music is dancing!"
NB: You emphasize the use of ancient and/or sacred beats…explain what this means to you and your music?
SE: "Ive held the belief for a while now that drumming evokes presence. It makes your mind still, and your body aligned with the moment. In ancient shamanism this was a practice that was consciously used to create higher states of being, sometimes projecting the shaman out of body, into the spirit world, to find all the answers they were seeking. Although electronic noises are amazing, and make your mind go to places you never imagined… ancient hand drums is why it's Spaceship Earth, and not just Spaceship or something. The Earth element of this project is intended to be at the forefront of the music and performance as well. It is another reason why I adopted the Earth elemental symbol as my personal and main symbol for the project. You can see the symbol on my first album cover ‘Contact.’"
NB: I’m admittedly new to dub step/EDM, and electronica music…can you explain exactly what “quantumdub” is? I noticed a lot of your songs on SoundCloud are tagged with it?
SE: "It is something that just kind of came to me one day. The only word I had for my music in the beginning was experimental, but after refining my music over a couple years, I started to notice my true undying love for reggae/dub music. World fusion music is good way to explain it as well. I picked quantum though because… a lot of the spoken word in my music, is, I believe high consciousness/scientific information. Bridging the gap between spirituality, and sciences, the quantum world is everything that is around us. It is infinite, it is whole, and it permeates all things. And once you add guitar, I believe that is the final touch to make it truly quantum. Quantum mechanics begins on a very small scale, but is the foundation of all of life. Particles and waves... QuantumDub is a genre, that is alive, filled with photons, and makes us question everything."
NB: What is music to YOU?
SE: "Music to me, is the essence of life itself, and the fundamental building block to raising one's very own consciousness. Music creates a state of being for us all to tap into, and I aim for my music to create the perfect state of being, known as Nirvana."
NB: What is performing like? What is the atmosphere and experience like?
SE: "It is dynamic, as it can provide for the highest and lowest of human emotions. Even though my project began only a little over a year ago, Ive had some special moments at live shows for sure. One time 8 people started spontaneously mediating on stage with me, while people were still dancing on the stage..."
NB: What’s coming up for Spaceship Earth? Performances? Collaborations? Etc?
SE: "My third album, which will be out sometime next year, will be my first big collaboration album, which I am very much looking forward to. I will be working with a conscious hip hop artist and rappers, and other musicians like violin players that I will not name quite yet."
NB: Final thoughts?
SE: "If you follow your passion, with the bliss charged love of your soul, anything is possible. We out here."
*See my side-bar for more on music by Spaceship Earth and check out his Contact EP featured on the home page (until Sunday)!*
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