Marc Laidlaw
So happy to discover this group in time to buy a ticket for their show. Usually I only learn about these things the next day.
Favorite track: UFObird.
shriekingspectre
i love the social and environmental discussions and calls for awareness messages, and the music is awesome.
Favorite track: Pipe and Pistol.
kimcheekillr
it's giving Broadcast revival from the depths of a multidimensional universe experiencing humanoid tension and reaching out to the ether for answers. love this shit <3
Favorite track: This Shit.
No Past No Future is the debut album of psychedelic, space-pop artist Spacemoth.
As Spacemoth's Maryam Qudus was hard at work in her recording studio, synthesizers piled high, she found her mind in another place, hypnotized by the questions swirling inside her: “How could I ever face this world alone?” she wondered. “How long will I be able to stay in this place that I love?” Attempting to understand her position in the universe, the relationships that hold her together, and the climate crisis unfolding around her, she realized ruminating over these concerns was paradoxically taking her away from precious experiences. No Past No Future is the reckoning point between nostalgia and nihilism: the struggle to hang on to a moment as it warps in time.
Devotion to music has driven Qudus—a performer, composer, and producer based in the Bay Area—for as long as she can remember. At age twelve, she traded chores for guitar lessons; at sixteen, she took on after school jobs to pay for voice lessons. As a first-generation Afghan-American child of working-class immigrant parents, finding a place in music has been nothing short of a challenge for Qudus. But after years of building a reputation as a sought-after producer and studio engineer, she’s found a prominent place for herself. She’s collaborated with countless artists, including clients like Wax Nine’s Sad13, Toro y Moi, and Tune-Yards, which expanded her endless curiosity for recorded music and sparked the studio experiments that became No Past No Future.
The bulk of performance on Spacemoth songs comes from Qudus herself, who favors vintage synths like the Yamaha CS-50 and Korg Polysix alongside fluttering tape manipulations; these create cosmic, lush soundbeds, drawing comparisons to beloved projects like Broadcast and Stereolab. On songs like “Waves Come Crashing,” a whirlwind of noise leads into darker, bass-heavy instrumentation as she confronts the inevitability of death: “These fears, they have taken our years,” she laments about the anxiety of mortality. On “Pipe and Pistol,” Qudus explores the experience of being an immigrant starting over in America. The song showcases punchy rhythms, reminiscent of Devo’s post-punk dynamism: “I see your face / my powers, they raise,” she sings with potency. Identifying cyclical habits inspired “Round In Loops,” which highlights patterns we endure in our lives and minds. “Boss is waiting / we run / love is fading / we run,” Qudus commands, encouraging escapism and a break to the cycle of mundanity.
Every track flows with Qudus’ low timbered vocals, in harmony with the watery, glowing synthesizers that anchor the album. The result is a record rich in intergalactic, avant-pop, radiating in astonishment at the vast, emotional landscape humans contain within ourselves, and in wonder at the preciousness of our time on earth.
credits
released July 22, 2022
all songs written, recorded and produced by maryam qudus
noise of everyday life co-produced by maryam qudus and beau sorenson
asking for you engineered by beau sorenson at tiny telephone oakland
mixed by beau sorenson
mastered by heba kadry
lacquer cut by amy dragon
liam mountain o’neill drums on berries and watch you cry, if i close my eyes and pretend, round in loops, waves come crashing, and this shit
jason slota drums on L.O.T.F. and asking for you
nathaniel brenner synth bass on asking for you, background vocals on no past no future
andrew maguire percussion on asking for you
david kawamura mellotron and electric guitar on asking for you
kevin dickerson acoustic guitar on berries and watch you cry
“the false-etto flowers” background vocals on no past no future
all songs recorded and mixed at best house, berkeley, ca
additional instruments recorded at tiny telephone (oakland, san francisco) and hall of justice (seattle)
album artwork by stephanie kuse
photography by kimber-lee alston
thank you beau sorenson, chris walla, sadie dupuis, john vanderslice, terri winston, merrill garbus, nate brenner, laura ho, jenna valdespino, sakara birdsong, wax nine / carpark records, paul sommerstein, my family and friends on this earth and beyond
supported by 28 fans who also own “No Past No Future”
Alvvays has always been great, but with this album they took it to the next level. Every one of these songs is lodged in my brain now, permanently (in a good way). s. moxley
supported by 26 fans who also own “No Past No Future”
Dirtbag Transformation: "What is this?" was my first reaction. But what an amazing song. It reminds me a bit of the Pixies in how it pulls together dissonance and then resolves. malfunction54
Recorded on an iPhone, the four tracks on the new EP from Kiara NGL burst with both big feelings and gentle melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 19, 2022
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