Exclusive Interview: Carter Fox On “Magical Universe” And Beyond

Treat yourself to a couple of minutes today to get into a chill mode with Carter Fox‘s new instrumental track, “Magical Universe.” The music producer from Philadelphia spills all the never-before-told details about his artistic work in this special interview!

1 — What inspired you to produce “Magical Universe”?

I think “Magical Universe” was and is a spiritual, emotional, and musical re-emergence for me. A re-awakening in my creativity and process. I never stopped playing, and performing, with a busy tour schedule with other groups, recording on some amazing musical and film projects, stretching my entrepreneurial creativity with my clothing brand Soulful Traveler and a marketing consulting venture very originally called Carter Fox Consulting, and writing a book about releasing and promoting your music independently.

But I’ll be honest, there was truly a decent period of time I was creatively stagnant, unmoving, ‘unproductive’. Probably 2 years of just…existing. A couple of years ago, I had been going through a pretty rough and very busy period of my life. Though there was a good thing in the ‘ending’ of the COVID lockdowns and initial scares, I began dealing with ends of relationships, and shifts in professional opportunities, my mental health took a toll and I was just kind of in my own ‘world’ for a bit. I don’t think I listened to any music at all while driving for a year.

Worked out with no headphones type of vibes. I was just moving with the wind. After taking some time to work on some things and purposefully and consciously enjoying really wonderful life moments with close friends and my family, I had a moment of creative inspiration, and my hands moved and the basis of “Magical Universe” came forth. Lightning struck my bass if you will. Then of course I called Damn Stargazers to help me top it off! It was the first song I created of my music in a while that felt ‘good’ to me. The first new song created for this project, the first song released from it, and one that is truly near and dear to my heart.

2 — Have you experimented with anything different in this single compared to your previous work?

I felt like “Magical Universe” was getting back into my more ‘organic’ roots. I used to write with just my bass, a tape recorder, and a loop pedal. Creating ideas, then building them up and composing. Then I got heavy into production and sampling (even if just sampling myself playing other stuff and chopping it up) and the Hip-Hop style of production and writing, which I really love. It’s just a different style.

This song was written with the bass chord stuff first and the basic rhythm, then the melody, and then I did my Hip-Hop production techniques to create the song. So I guess it’s a blending of my older and newer styles of production.

3 — What unique elements did Damn Stargazers bring to “Magical Universe”?

Damn Stargazers aka Dan Morrell is a talented guitarist and producer in his own right and we’ve collaborated on some previous releases such as “Telescopes & Wavelengths,” “Amalthea” and “You Make Me Feel Alive.” He also plays in my live band called The Union when I bring my music into the live performance universe.

He’s all the guitars you hear on this track and was pivotal in the creation of the melodies. It really played nicely to my bass melodic lines to create this beautiful and magical song!

4 — You’ve collaborated once again with Damn Stargazers; how has your partnership with him evolved over the years?

It’s really funny. Dan is the best friend of my best friend’s older brother (my friend who I met in college). And for years… it may have even started during college… he kept telling me to collaborate with his brother’s friend. I NEED to. How our music tastes and styles were similar and would really create cool music.

It only took a few years… but I felt the universe say ‘Put a guitar solo on this track’ and we collaborated on my song Amalthea. We finally made a reason to hang out, created some music, and jammed. And we’re like… ‘Are we producer-friends now?! YEP!’.

I called him first to play my first live show with my music back in 2022. And I can confidently say his support helps keep the spaceship going! And it’s been wonderful to watch him grow as an artist with his own music, too!

5 — How do you want listeners to connect with or interpret this instrumental piece?

I hope the listener finds it to be a positive, happy, and optimistic-sounding experience that connects them with the universe around them. Almost telling them to go stand outside barefoot, look up at the sky, and take a deep breath. That there’s still a wonder and thrill in the air as we head towards the future for what’s in store.

But I’d also love to hear what listeners interpret from this song, too!

6 — Do you believe producing instrumental tracks is more challenging than working on tracks with vocals?

I don’t necessarily think that. I think creating lyrics, capturing the melody vocally, and creating vocal songs are their own art. And instrumentals have their own appeal and challenge. Of course, trying to keep one’s focus with only instrumentals can be viewed as a challenge.

I’ve worked with many amazing vocalists on their projects and it’s a completely different beast. But personally, I grew up on smooth Jazz so it was always something I connected and communicated with.

7 — When producing songs, do you blend classical instruments with digital ones?

Yes, I love using real instruments when possible. Saxes and horns, real pianos, wurlitzers, real strings when able, and of course my bass is me on my electric or upright 98% of the time. I also love using synths and digital instruments I can adjust and tweak later for balance, effects, and overall sounds.

On some other songs, I’ve recorded sounds initially that completely change by the time it’s done in the mix. I also love blending real drums and digital drums and using sampling/looping/chopping techniques to create fun drum breaks and grooves.

8 — Can you recall who coined the artistic nickname “Soulful Traveling Spaceman Bassman”? Is this alias still meaningful to you?

Ah, yes. Another funny one. My original moniker and mottos ‘Soulful Traveler’, ‘travel soulfully’, and ‘soulful traveling’ are all remnants from my college era, where I’d be all over the place physically and spiritually at all different hours, having fun, doing work, playing music, chilling, because music and school was just an experience! My good friend Ryan Hall dubbed the nickname there. My friends and family also nicknamed me Carterman many many years ago, which is the groundwork for Spaceman Bassman.

Then… maybe a decade later now… just for a social media video, just for a moment, I was being funny and paying homage to your friendly neighborhood Spiderman and blurted out ‘Hey it’s the Soulful Traveling Spaceman Bassman…’ and Dan (Damn Stargazers, himself) hit me immediately with ‘DUDE THAT IS IT!’ and here we are! So credit to him for it being what it is. I love it. And the fact it’s taken the existence it has, and grown from a playful nickname to leading my entire brand and philosophy is incredibly special and meaningful, too. I hope it just continues to reach far out into the cosmos!

9 — What are your plans for the upcoming months?

The next few months are looking busy in a great way! I’ll be releasing more music from my upcoming album, which is super exciting. Each has a special cosmic relation and celebrates how far we’ve come as well as what may be… impossible. I’m also working on some more books intended to help independent artists make sense of and optimize their social media marketing efforts and learn about music publishing.

Essentially I want others and everyone to learn what I have to chase their dreams and create a music ‘business’ for themselves. And there are sure to be some more exciting projects and releases that I can’t quite talk about yet that will be shared in the next few months, too! I also plan to keep writing (music and books) producing more, and bringing my live show to more venues around the world! In other words… I’ll be traveling soulfully!

10 — Lastly, do you think there is life beyond our universe, and does that make it magical?

Oh yes, I do think there’s stuff beyond us. I think there’s more life in this universe, and that there are realms beyond it. Even in string theory, the thought of multiple dimensions playing a role in our own is what helps balance our universe. I think the more we come to understand our scientific curiosities, the more we peel back the onion of knowledge about our universe, we may find truly magical and incredible things out there.

I tend to think my dreams have already helped me break through into some of these other places (maybe through some past experiences or meditation), which may be infinite in number! Sometimes I fly through space as something so grand, I can’t comprehend it. Sometimes I communicate with other people I know who say they’ll remember these occurrences, too. When I let my imagination explore, I wander into the realms of Olympus, the brightest heavens with triumphant beings, the darkest realms inescapable by any means that house beings we couldn’t fathom (well maybe Lovecraft could…), things we don’t have the ability to comprehend. I think there’s something somewhere far beyond the great beyond, after all, the muses are somewhere sending us creative inspiration of all kinds! But perhaps the most magical thing about the universe is that right now, we are here.

To paraphrase Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the universe…and probably beyond…are under no obligation to make sense to us. So enjoy the ride, be the best being you can, and travel soulfully!

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