Astronauts of Antiquity – Future Back
The latest single from Astronauts of Antiquity’s upcoming EP release Beyond the Maze, “Future Back”, has a distinctly different slant from their earlier single, the much more socially conscious “Paradise”. There are no guest stars this time, just the core trio forming Astronauts of Antiquity – vocalist India, guitarist B. Rhyan, and programmer/sonic architect Ivica. The aforementioned earlier single left no doubt that the trio never needs guest stars to enhance what they do, but rather enrich it by adding their own voice to the mix, but the latest single solidifies that idea. It’s another superbly produced affair that captures the many layers of the trio’s sound without ever give preference to one over the others. It has a running time that respects people’s patience, but moreover, this is an artistic collective with the talent for making sweeping statements of great depth in a condensed amount of space. “Future Back” is no exception.
The collective can’t resist a bit of flash with the opening introduction. A robotic voice intones over the song’s initial fanfare and this added drop of theatricality to an already vivid musical track boldly announces the song’s beginning. “Future Back” begins in earnest following that and the steady but unstoppable tempo is undeniable. Melodies artfully weave their way around the tempo and are further spiked by brief blasts of sharp guitar from B. Rhyan. Obviously, sequencers and synthesizers dominate the day instrumentally, but unlike many other acts of this ilk, Astronauts of Antiquity never lapse into a chilled, inhuman sound. Instead, the battery of musical layers they conjure are warm and ably support the equally strong vocal.
Listeners encounter a variety of India’s here. The song uses her deceptively expansive voice in a variety of ways that provide urgency and impeteus to a track lacking neither. India throws herself wholeheartedly into the role and, whatever vocal pyrotechnics she’s firing off, she never loses sight of the phrasing necessary to help make the song a success. She is literally with every word throughout and treats each line with equal importance.
The lyrics are plain-spoken and accessible, but they undoubtedly engage emotion and ideas in a thoughtful way. Nor is the lyric any kind of place holder. Even a cursory read of the content reveals Astronauts of Antiquity as being far more than an artistic unit content to hang a memorably refrain on the music, call it a completed lyric, and then go back to focusing on the music. Words and sound alike play an important role in Astronauts of Antiquity’s formula and they get their due here.
This New York based trio hits another target dead on with this release. One can only imagine that the forthcoming EP, based on this song and the earlier “Paradise”, will figure in many lists as one of the top indie dance/pop releases of the next year. Astronauts of Antiquity are a powerhouse musical unit with talent and energy to burn.
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Lance Wright