hope by space travelers union
Ryan Wheless, a saxophonist and clarinetist, has been influenced by a myriad of experiences, both musical and beyond. Originally hailing from Seattle, he moved to the Arizona desert near the Grand Canyon, spending his formative years in Flagstaff. Surrounded by mountain hikes and wild camping, his musical passion took hold.
Despite his age, Wheless found ways to play gigs with bands and indie folk ensembles. In the process, he earned an invitation to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he honed his skills under mentors Lauren Sevian and Harry Skoler, deepening his love for jazz and improvisation. Also traveling and immersing himself in the jazz capital - NYC, Wheless was soon drawn back to the desert, settling in Tucson. Here, his passion for jazz flourished anew, influenced by the luminaries of the NYC jazz scene.
This journey culminated in the formation of Space Travelers Union, a collective dedicated to pushing the boundaries of acoustic and electronic fusion, comprising the finest musicians Wheless encountered on his travels. The band quickly grabbed the attention of Asta Hiroki, a favourite of BBC, FIP, XLR8R and Magnetic Mag, who has signed them to his Most Least imprint for their debut album.
The first single from the collection is 'hope'. It's a blissed-out atmosphere to begin, with intricate musicianship and gorgeous interplay between guitar, saxophone, bass, and drums. A patient listener will drift into this space, where time seems to slow down. The band gently weaves their magic, with each instrument adding its own flavour. But it's the solo section that really spices things up.
When it kicks in, the instruments evolve to more angular phrasing in a dynamic arrangement that’s full of surprise. It’s a rollercoaster of improvisation, each solo sparring with the one preceding it but before you know it, you find yourself nodding along, caught up in the sounds as you seamlessly ease back into the smooth and familiar groove that started it all.
In Ryan’s own words…
“This song was a concept I've wanted to explore for a while. It follows a traditional jazz ABA form (head, solos, head), but with a twist: during the later part of the song, the computer essentially takes a solo. In the era of electronic music production, I believe it's crucial to treat digital production as any other instrument, particularly in an improvised/jazz context.”
creative music collective- featured on BBC, FIP, WorldwideFM. @spacetravelersunion