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Though he departed this earthly realm in 1993, Afrofuturist and free jazz icon Sun Ra’s cosmic tones continue to echo through the spaceways. A composer, poet, and some might even say a prophet, Ra seemed to understand that his work would outlive him, staging: “In some far off place, many light years in space, I’ll wait for you. Where human feet have never trod, where human eyes have never seen. I’ll build a world of abstract dreams and wait for you.”
This week on the show, we sit down with Sun Ra Arkestra guitarist DM Hotep, who, under the leadership of 101-year-old saxophonist Marshall Allen, continues the work of Ra. When the Arkestra was called overseas in 2022, Allen was advised by doctors not to accompany the group. But music is a way of life and though he was required to stay stateside, Allen still wanted to play. So DM Hotep, aka David Middleton, reached out to the Philadelphia-based arts org Ars Nova Workshop to stage a series of concerts in Philadelphia. In May of 2025, a collection of these live performances from Solar Myth was released under the title Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, which finds the saxophonist joined by Hotep and guests like Wolf Eyes, James Brandon Lewis, Yo La Tengo’s James McNew, and others. Including both Ra classics and new material, Ghost Horizons demonstrates how the currents of Ra’s philosophy and artistic ethic continue to the present day, pointing toward uncertain futures.
DM joined the Arkestra in 2000, meaning he didn’t play under Ra’s tutelage. Still, he provides keen insight into the Arkestra’s meta-mythic mission and cosmic scope. He joined us to discuss his tenure in the band, Ra’s ideas and concepts, his roots in funk and soul, and the driving force behind Ghost Horizons.
Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by Aquarium Drunkard, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.
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