2016 has been a banner year for Jasha Tull, better known as Space Jesus. His unique style of psychedelic bass music has caught on like wildfire, landing him countless shows and festival bookings, as well as a crucial role in the cultivation of Liquid Stranger’s new label Wakaan. About two weeks ago Space Jesus released his newest song “Won’t Stop” on a two track EP with Liquid Stranger. Much like his label mate, Space Jesus has crafted a sound that is identifiable yet restless, constantly changing as he continues to push himself past his limits.
This past Saturday Space Jesus returned to the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, an art museum and music venue in New York state founded by renowned psychedelic artists Alex and Allyson Gray. The show was the latest in a series of events that he has done with fellow bass artist Minnesota. It was a busy and frantic night for the artist, but we at RaverRafting were able to sit down with him for a few minutes while he prepared for a closing back to back set with Minnesota.
You’ve had a really crazy week, but CoSM is a venue unlike any other: What can you say about playing a place like this?
Space Jesus: I’ve played here a lot of times, the first was six years ago when my friend, who was a psy-trance DJ, invited me to come play; it was all dark psy stuff, and I was the only one playing breaks…it’s evolved a lot since then. It’s just a really different vibe, there’s no alcohol and people are just very tuned in. It’s different than anywhere else, I can’t really explain it, the energy’s off the hook!
When you played here last summer it was already more packed than I’ve ever seen it, and your popularity has grown exponentially since then. What has your creative journey been like between the two shows?
Space Jesus: I turned 30 this last year, so I’ve been coming into a new place in my mind. It’s like I’m learning how to do things I did in the past in a new way, I guess gaining a maturity about them in a sense. And yeah, it was a crazy year, I played a lot of shows; I just did a long tour with Liquid Stranger, who is one of my favorite people ever. I’ve been trying to write music when I can, been working with Minnesota a bunch. I’ve been doing this for a while, and this is the first time that things feel as if they’re just clicking in a way; I’m not overthinking stuff, my team is really strong, my homies are awesome, and things just feel like they’re moving right.
You’ve recently found a home on Liquid Stranger’s new label Wakaan, what has your experience been with them compared to other labels?
Space Jesus: It’s like nothing else, he has just given me free rein to do what I want. He’s just been the man, even from from the first time I spoke to him it was like no bullshit, everything he’s said he’s stuck to. He hit me up one point and was just like:
“I’m starting this new label, it’d be cool if you’d like to release some new music on it.” and I was like “Yeah I’ll do that if you wanna go on the road.”
…and then both of those things happened in a really strong way. And yeah he’s just been really, really supportive; he’s kind of the first person who I feel has really reached down to me and been a mentor in a sense. He’s just a very genuine person with a lot of awesome experience.
You are a pioneer of what some people call “weird bass.” How do you find the balance between making your music unique, but not overly weird or complex?
Space Jesus: I don’t know, that’s a hard question. I try to keep a good backbone of a hip-hop beat; I want something that’ll make me move, but I also want something that will make my mind go, if it’s just one or the other it doesn’t really do it for me.
Yeah, it’s clear you have a very heavy hip-hop influence, both in the general sound and the samples you use…is what you’re making now more fulfilling than when you were making hip-hop?
Space Jesus: It’s just differently, honestly one of the reasons I started making beats is because I was tired of waiting for people to write songs for me to rap to. It’s just a really different thing, now it’s become easier for me to write beats because there’s so many tools to use, if one sound doesn’t work you can just use another, where when rapping you just have one word at a time.
You’ve already done so much cool stuff: performing with a live band, opening for Tipper and Shpongle, back to backs with Liquid Stranger and Minnesota….what goals do you still have left to achieve?
Space Jesus: Honestly, everything that I do is about the music I have the opportunity to produce. I feel like everyday I have the opportunity to try and make a new song and push boundaries, and everything else is just an extension of that. It’s really great to be able to make music at home and then play it out and connect with people, which is a completely different vibe. But for me the total goal is just to continue pushing my own mind, and getting that opportunity is the best joy I can experience.
Do you have anything in the pipeline you’d like to share with our readers?
Space Jesus: Yeah, Liquid Stranger gave me the opportunity to put the next Wakaan compilation together, so I’ve basically gotten a bunch of really cool songs from some of my friends. We got some stuff from Esseks, Bleep Boop, Yheti, Zebbler Encanti Experience, Ganja White Night, Off The Trees, and a collab between me and Liquid Stranger. It’s got like 15 songs I want to say, and yeah it’s just all the homies I’ve been working with for a little while, I’m really happy to have the opportunity to do it, it’s gonna be very cool.
Any idea about a release date?
Space Jesus: Hopefully before the end of the summer, but I can’t really tell you for sure.
Connect with Space Jesus:
https://www.facebook.com/spacejesusmusic
https://twitter.com/SpaceJesusBASS
https://www.instagram.com/spacejesusbass
http://soundcloud.com/SpaceJesus
Connect with Wakaan:
https://www.facebook.com/WAKAANofficial/
https://twitter.com/wakaanofficial
http://soundcloud/wakaan
Featured picture courtesy of Wakaan’s Facebook page
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