“Sonixcursions explores the far reaches of modern music – space rock, dream pop, post-rock, shoegaze, electronic, ambient and other outer sounds from that end of the spectrum.”
If you were into the spacey fringes of 90s alternative music that only got played on college radio stations, you’ll probably know a band or two mentioned in this week’s episode. If you’re wondering what happened to those bands, there’s a good chance that our guest Ryan Anderson knows.
Ryan was part of the psychedelic synth pop/rock band Füxa which hailed from Michigan’s space rock scene of the mid-1990s. During that time, Ryan also compiled the zine Masstransfer. The DIY publication covered bands of the space rock and related genres. Ryan’s commitment to independent music and the DIY spirit remains but is actualised in a modern format – a podcast called Sonixcursions.
In this episode of MetaPod, we talk to Ryan Anderson about the origin and evolution of the mid-90s space rock scene of the Detroit, Michigan area. We also discuss changes in music formats since the 90s and how he chooses bands to feature on the Sonixcursions podcast.
“It’s kind of like a whole resurgence and rediscovery of this music from the mid-90s. A lot of it only exists on 7-inch or possibly even cassette tape,” Ryan told us.
We also discuss the role of Big Tech platforms like Spotify in music discovery and distribution. Plus, Ryan mentions some of the current projects by musicians of the mid-90s that he’s kept up with and tells us about his new e-book, Masstransfer: A Zinethology.
MetaPod Special Cut
Our MetaPod special cut dips into 90s college radio and that pink vinyl split 7 inch of Füxa and Bright. We also learn there could be tapes out there of Füxa and Bright, recorded in the summer of 1996 in Allston, Massachusetts.
Show notes:
About Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson is a musician and writer who was part of the 1990s space rock scene in Detroit, playing in such bands as Füxa and Delta Waves. He also published the DIY Masstransfer music zine. He currently produces the Sonixcursions podcast, which promotes the latest dream pop, ambient and electronic music in a 30-minute escapist mix.