Download from Bandcamp

A1 SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – SOMEWHERE IN SPACE 3.01
A2 SUN RA & HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – THE LADY WITH THE GOLDEN STOCKINGS 7.43
A3 SUN RA AND HIS AFRO INFINITY ARKESTRA – SOMEBODY ELSE’S WORLD 3.59
A4 SUN RA & HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – PLUTONIAN NIGHTS 4.20

B1 THE SUN RA ARKESTRA – ANGELS AND DEMONS AT PLAY 2.51
B2 SUN RA – ISLAND IN THE SUN (Extended version – previously unreleased) 10.20
B3 SUN RA – ROCKET NUMBER NINE TAKE OFF FOR PLANET VENUS 6.18

C1 SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – ASTRO BLACK 10.51
C2 SUN RA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC INFINITY ARKESTRA – HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATEST NEWS FROM NEPTUNE 5.51
C3 SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – WE TRAVEL THE SPACEWAYS 3.21

D1 SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part 1 – previously unreleased) 3.21
D2 SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part 2) 8.09
D3 SUN RA – ANCIENT AIETHIOPIA 9.15

Includes unlimited streaming of Marshall Allen presents Sun Ra And His Arkestra: In The Orbit Of Ra via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

“Sun Ra said he came from Saturn, because white America treated him like an alien, like a creature from outer space, so he became one, an anarcho-emperor of the fantastic, who made it to the moon before America or Russia, because the moon was nowhere near as far out as he could really go.“ – Paul Morley

Strut and Art Yard join forces for a special release to mark what would have been Sun Ra’s 100th birthday with ’In The Orbit Of Ra’, a new collection presented by the longest serving member of the Arkestra and current bandleader, Marshall Allen. Bringing together Ra highights from over 25 years of music, the album is the first internationally released compilation to provide an introduction to the music of Sun Ra, mastered from the original tapes with extended and unreleased tracks.

In addition to the track selection, the release features recollections and contributions from some of the core Arkestra line-up including Marshall Allen, Michael Ray, Knoel Scott and Danny Ray Thompson. For the music, the selection takes us through the huge variety and intricacy of the Arkestra’s work covering the ‘60s to early ‘80s, from the celestial blues of ‘Spontaneous Simplicity’ and ‘Plutonian Nights’ to the urgent jazz of ‘Rocket Number Nine Take Off For Planet Venus’ and ‘Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens’. The album features an exclusive previously unreleased Sun Ra track from the Art Yard archives, the acoustic ‘Trying To Put The Blame On Me’ recorded live in Rome in 1977, along with a previously unreleased Part 1 of ‘Reflects Motion’ from 1962 and an unheard extended version of ‘Island In The Sun’ from the late ‘60s.

‘In The Orbit Of Ra’ is released on 2CD, 2LP and digital formats. Physical formats feature full interview with Marshall Allen along with rare photos by Val Wilmer.

The cosmic jazz master would have celebrated his 100th earth year in 2014 but his catalogue of over 150 albums, his unique philosophy and his legendary live performances live on for a new generation. The Arkestra lives on, under the direction of Marshall Allen.

1. strut.k7store.com