Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Solar Arkestra Space Is the Place 3LP, Blu-Ray & DVD Box Set (Mono) (Color Vinyl)

TAS Rated 3.5/5 Music, 4/5 Sonics in the September 2023 Issue of The Absolute Sound!

This deluxe package includes three LPs, a Blu-Ray disc, and a DVD. The audio portion contains the original music composed for the film, which was eventually released as a soundtrack in 1993. It also features The Mathematics of the Altered Destiny, a third, previously unissued LP recorded in the same soundtrack sessions, which is finally being released half a century after it was recorded. This newly discovered LP is heavy on the prose of Sun Ra, as he and June Tyson bestow countless bits of information and inspiration onto the listener. The film soundtrack is an entirely different journey than the 1973 Blue Thumb LP it shares its title with. We suggest you take both journeys. These recordings were sourced from the Sun Ra tape vault, then were digitally restored to make an album this special sound the best it possibly could.

The Blu-Ray contains the entire glorious film complete with film artifacts and was sourced from the restoration prepared by Rapid Eye Movies of Germany. The bonus features on the Blu-Ray are composed of Ra and Ra-centric material from the Modern Harmonic archives, including video from the Outer Space Visual Communicator footage.

Sundazed's 2023 edition of the soundtrack includes the film on both Blu-Ray and DVD, as well as a second audio disc containing 40 minutes of previously unreleased material. Most of these tracks consist of Ra's space poetry and philosophy, with 'The Mathematics of the Altered Destiny' performed as a call-and-response with Tyson. An enraged Ra expresses his extreme dissatisfaction with Earth society, and on 'Creation Is Fabrication,' he implores, 'If this is life, why are people dying?'

The soundtrack is a complete picture of what the Arkestra were capable of: experimental freakouts, African percussion breakdowns, noir-ish bop and righteous spiritual jazz. This set includes a wealth of previously unreleased material that leans into the band's more free side that highlights the squalling saxophone of Marshall Allen and Danny Davis, and the mighty vocals of the late June Tyson.

A low-budget off-kilter art film that's simultaneously humorous and profound, Space is the Place has aged in all the right ways, so full documentation (including liner notes, interviews, and more than 40 minutes of previously unreleased music) is in order. If you haven't seen the movie, do so, and if you end up buying this release, remember that the tote bag is a great way to broadcast your connection with the Outerspace Employment Agency.