The members of STS9—Hunter Brown (guitar/sequences), Jeffree Lerner (percussion), David Phipps (keyboards/synths), Zach Velmer (drums) and Alana Rocklin (bass)—went through a lot over the course of making this record. In order to connect and express something more direct than they could with the music alone, the band chose to utilize more lyrics than they have on any of their previous efforts. It’s an album about human identity and the magical truth of who we are, where we’re going, and our place in the Universe. THE UNIVERSE INSIDE—which was written, recorded, produced and mixed by the band at their own 1320 Mission Control in Santa Cruz, CA—comes on the cusp of STS9’s 20th Anniversary (in 2017) and in the midst of their appearances on the summer festival circuit.
The album’s first single “Get Loud” is a collaboration with singer/songwriter Betty Idol and acclaimed production team the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Envisioned as a throwback from the future, the song is an ode to the musicians and producers that STS9 grew up loving. Like much of the band’s work, it features a rallying cry disguised as a dance hook. The lyrics are a call to “let it lift you up,” “say it proud,” and stand up for justice and civil rights. THE UNIVERSE INSIDE opens with “Supercluster,” which samples the original NASA STS-9 radio transmission and represents the band’s return from a journey that began with their 1998 debut, Interplanetary Escape Vehicle. The first words that are heard are a shout out to STS9’s home, and muse, California. See full track listing below.
Track listing for THE UNIVERSE INSIDE:
“Supercluster”
“Out of This World”
“Get Loud”
“Light Years”
“Totem”
“World Go Round”
“Give & Take”
“Elsewhere”
“Sun, Moon & Stars”
“New Dawn, New Day”
“Worry No More”
“Common Descent”
“The Universe Inside”
