Brandon Coleman will release Interstellar Black Space, a new album, on Brainfeeder.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Coleman is certified Brainfeeder family, having collaborated with label founder Flying Lotus and Thundercat. He is also a regular fixture in the band of Kamasi Washington, who introduces Coleman onstage as “Professor Boogie.”
Interstellar Black Space represents a “new chapter” in the funk dynasty that spans George Clinton / Parliament Funkadelic, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea, we’re told, and it honours their collective ethos of freedom and experimentation. Steadfastly future-facing, but with a deep respect and passion for his lineage and the origins of Black music in the United States, Coleman shows off a “remarkable versatility” across 16 previously unheard songs.
In contrast to his debut album, 2018’s Resistance, he wanted to attain more of a live sound and to rely less on production. A big part of that was bringing in friends such as Kamasi Washington, Patrice Quinn, Ryan Porter, Stanley Rudolph, Sean Sonderegger, and Yvette Holzworth, in addition to Grammy-winner Keyon Harrold (trumpet), Ben Williams (bass), and drummer Marcus Gilmore.
“These are all artists that I’ve just always admired,” Coleman explains. “They also represent a sound and culture that I wanted to be a part of this project.”
Conceptually, the album realises Coleman’s long-held desire to create music for astronauts to enjoy on their missions, and it’s inspired by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
“This record is a reflection of how I felt about time, space, and celestial energy,” he explains. “I love space movies like ‘Interstellar’ and ‘The Martian,’ and I thought to myself, if I was traveling through space, what would I want to hear?”
Alongside the announcement, Coleman has shared “Blast Off,” the lead single.
“I wanted to write something that I would want to hear whilst traveling from planet to planet searching for a rare precious metal that we need to bring back to Earth,” he explains.
Tracklisting
01. Lucid Dreaming
02. On The One
03. Blast Off
04. We Change (Part I) (feat. Kamasi Washington)
05. Just Stay
06. Times Gone (Interlude)
07. Interstellar Space
08. Runnin
09. Say When
10. Get Ready
11. We Change (Part II) (feat. Keyon Harrold, Ben Williams & Marcus Gilmore)
12. Be With Me
13. Meteor Shower (Interlude)
14. Astral Walk (feat. Keyon Harrold, Ben Williams & Marcus Gilmore)
15. Lucid Dreaming
16. Mutha Afrika
Interstellar Black Space LP is scheduled for May 20 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “Blast Off” in full below and pre-order the album here.