Interview With Space Station Alpha: 20 Years Of Sonic Exploration

Discover how Space Station Alpha blends classical guitar with Electronica and cosmic storytelling in this exclusive interview. Dig into the inspiration behind the music and much more!

1 — Can you tell us about the origin of Space Station Alpha and what inspired you to start this project 20 years ago?

I started Space Station Alpha when I was getting my Masters Degree in Classical Guitar performance. Although I was studying classical music, I was very much into Electronica away from school (Meat Beat Manifesto, Aphex Twin, BT, at the time). At school, I had also been introduced to the earliest electronic music such as Edgar Varese and the Theremin.

I became interested in combining the very different sounds of the organic classical guitar and the synthesizer. Another band that inspired me was the Swedish band ‘Komeda;’ I accidentally played one of their sounds on the Korg Ms2000r in the music store and immediately had to buy it. I still use it on every song.

2 — What sparked your interest in writing songs about cosmic and fantastical narratives?

I’ve always been deeply almost religiously interested in the natural world. At the time of the first album, I was reading a very dense astronomy textbook for fun and some of the book actually became lyrics. The mysteries of the universe, large and small, inspire ecstatic and romantic feelings and inspire me.

On the fantastical side, I grew up reading Tolkien, even the almost biblical and dry ‘Silmarillion’ pre-history. My father was an English PhD and had his translations of Beowulf laying around, so I was also steeped in the fantasy of literary cultural myths.

3 — With all your classical guitar training and almost finishing your doctorate, how has that shaped the music of Space Station Alpha?

My education, and all I’ve learned through my decades of teaching guitar, have allowed me to come into symbiosis with my instrument. I have a catalogue of shapes from the guitar fingerboard that, in turn, each has a specific emotional effect and identity. These harmonies give birth to my vocal melodies. All of this springs from my studies.

4 — How do you tap into inspiration when writing your music?

I believe it’s extremely important for any artist to fertilize their imagination with seemingly unrelated input. I seek out visual art at the museum or online. I’m also a visual artist—I draw strange animals and insects that don’t exist in this reality. I write and read poetry, and I seek out musical artists who seed my imagination.

And there’s the tactile facet of the guitar, related to the previous question—sometimes it seems like I pick up the instrument and the chords leap onto my fingers. The way they feel, look, sound, and create the emotional landscape are all tied together into an almost sentient being.

5 — You have remastered your last two albums, ‘Flora’ and ‘Fauna.’ How do you think fans of the original albums will react to the updated versions?

The biggest difference is ‘Fauna’ which contains some extensive re-composition and additions. The production of this album was never really completed to my liking. ‘Flora’ was the only album that I had a live, gigging band for. Organizing rehearsals, getting gigs, writing, and recording (all while teaching at the college) made it so I didn’t have a chance to add every element I wanted.

The good and bad news is that neither ever had much exposure originally. I think anyone who hears the new versions of the album compared to the old would have a hard time finding anything but improvements in the newer versions.

6 – Are you writing new songs? Can we expect a new single or video soon?

I’m writing the fourth Space Station Alpha album now. I’ve finished two songs—“Molecules,” an instrumental that I released on YouTube only a few months ago, and “A Map Through The Void,” which is out now on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud, with a YouTube video coming soon.

I’m very excited about the former. I call it the “Gestation Song” because it was nine months from starting to write it to the finish line. I expect the whole album to be finished sometime this Spring.

7 – In what ways has sharing your music with others fulfilled you?

I’ve always been shy about sharing the music that is fully my creation. The classical music I play seems to have a foundation of legitimacy, because of the schooling required, the public’s view of the genre, and the fact that I’m not responsible for the compositions that I play.

So it’s honestly quite difficult (as all of us musicians and songwriters know) to stick our necks out there. The fear of rejection has often frozen me, slowed down, and possibly corrupted my creative process. I’m still waiting to find my audience, find the people that I know are out there that will connect with it.

The fulfillment I’ve felt on stage as a classical composer in the past keeps me going—I look forward to the day when I can introduce my own music to as many people as I did with that venture.

8 – Having your music featured in an HBO series like ‘The White Lotus’ is a big deal! How did that collaboration come about, and what impact has it had on your career?

The collaboration came about through my good friend Jordan Sramek, who was the director of the Rose Ensemble ancient vocal music choral group. Kim Sueoka, a member of the group from Kaua’i was the catalyst for this project—she also sings backing vocals on ‘Flora’.

Rose Ensemble hired me to work with them on their CD ‘Na Mele Hawai’I’, which was a historical review of Hawaiian music from ancient chant to the 20th century. The album was recorded in 2007, we toured playing music from it in 2008 (including a gig that was recorded live on Radio France so of Paris) and then toured again in 2015.

‘The White Lotus’ used the music in their first season in 2021, so the project’s history and impact are really spread out over time. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve had regular royalties coming in (modest as they are), so that’s fun. My students seem to think it’s really cool!

The main impact for me is that I really feel a very deep connection to Hawai’i, Hawaiian culture, and the music of that magical place.

9 – How do you see the role of Indie Progressive Rock evolving in the current music scene?

This feels like an essay question for my Rock History class. One problem with popular music genres is they often don’t make neat drawers for the immensely wide variety of music out there. A running joke for Space Station Alpha has been asking the audience to help us figure out what subgenre we fit into.

On one hand, I’m glad my stuff is unique. But on the other hand, I understand that that makes it fundamentally difficult to market. I feel like the only bands that regularly cover the grand themes of Progressive Rock or Pop are death metal bands, which are a far cry from my sound.

In a perfect world, my music would reach enough ears to inspire some songwriters to tackle topics unfettered by their salability.

10 – If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I could write a book here… throughout my past, I’ve deeply loved Stereolab. Talk about ‘unfettered’. Any time signature, singing about socialism, any instrument their hearts desire. What a dream it would be to work with them.

Bat for Lashes is another inspiration to me that would be a dream to collaborate with. Natasia Kahn is a multi-faceted artist—not just a great songwriter but a dancer with a flair for visual arts and theater. James Mercer of the Shins is one of the greatest songwriters of the last century.

And Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands is one of the most powerful vocalists and frontmen of all time. If I could write a song with the great Carole King that would be a dream come true.

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