09/17/2025
With the release of Spacehop Chronicles 2 just around the corner, we sat down with the artist himself, Bluetech, to go behind the music of this long-awaited journey.
Here, he shares a few thoughts on the evolution of Laika's story, the album's deep atmosphere, and the journey to its release.
Q1: The character of Laika takes a profound turn in this volume, shifting from a sci-fi adventurer to a more introspective figure. As a storyteller, what did you find compelling about exploring her inner world and the more complex, meditative side of her cosmic journey?
"I always write what I feel, so by nature what I create will be reflective of the world around me as a response to it. With our collective trauma post Covid, and all the upheaval in the political landscape, I think it's a natural response to turn inward and try to make sense of grief and ask the big questions about where we are going. Other than the larger narrative framework of the story, my process is not very specific to write about or address a specific feeling, it's more like I'm putting myself in the story and allowing whatever comes up for me to be expressed through sound. Sometimes that is a cognitive awareness, but most often it's what is under the surface of my conscious mind that finds its way out in the music, and I often find that I have to make music to get a deep sense for what I'm really feeling. People create art for many reasons, for me it's a necessary part of who I am, how I communicate, how I understand myself and the world around me."
Q2: The album has a deep, immersive mood. From a sound design standpoint, what was your approach to building that specific atmosphere? Were there any key pieces of gear or techniques that became central to creating the album’s signature sound?
"At this point, it's no surprise that I'm a big fan of analog and modular synthesis, so that is always present in my creative process. I think I've been tinkering with these tools long enough though, that I'm less trying to be showy with new gear and technical patches than I am just trying to paint a feeling. I usually hear the next "part" in my head, or feel it, and then figure out how to make it real. The songs themselves are always the guiding aesthetic, they have their own soul and their own voice, and I'm just acting as translator and figuring out what piece of kit is right to capture that. With the final track, I absolutely knew it needed a soaring and bright lead voice, and Lisa Bella Donna was the obvious choice to render that piece. I could hear what it was going to be while I was composing, and of course Lisa nailed it and gave such a brilliant performance to solidify Laika's voice on the outro. Other than my analog approach to making music, and spending a lot of time seeking warm and organic tone and mixing, I knew from the start of this process that it was going to be a mixtape style, continuous journey _loosely_ referencing hip-hop tempo and rhythm structure. You know, boom-clack beats with the snare on the 2 and the 4, and the end result is vaguely reminiscent of classic trip-top though with my dreamy cosmic overtones, hence the "space-hop" designation."
Q3: After such a long and involved creation process, what does it mean to you to be releasing Spacehop Chronicles 2 now, specifically on Over the Moon Music, the label you co-founded?
"In all honesty, I feel a strange mixture of excitement and trepidation. There was a lot of personal upheaval in my life, and a long stretch during the creation of the album where I had no studio, limited access to power, and struggled to find my way back into the creative process. I'm happy the album is finally done, despite the challenges in finishing it, and personally feel it is some of the best music I've ever released in terms of emotional depth and intention. Hopefully the long gestation period resulted in a much better album, and I certainly developed a new workflow for mixdown and processing to really get that big warm sound, widescreen and very much not sounding like it was made in the box. Over The Moon was set up to honor my best friend, one who has stood by me through thick and thin, so it's the obvious home for an album that needed a lot of moral support and therapeutic handholding to get across the finish line. "
The full story arrives this Friday, September 19th. Thank you for being part of the mission. Pre-order now via the link in our bio or directly on Bandcamp: https://bluetech.bandcamp.com/album/spacehop-chronicles-2
