Ras G describes
Stargate Music, one of many releases billed to extended moniker
Ras G & the Afrikan Space Program, as "an astral ode to woman," reflecting on the spiritual qualities of birth and sex. Cosmic and sensual, the short album's tracks contain analog synth noises which resemble the sounds one would hear on a spaceship, but also approximate a sort of endorphin rush. While
Ras G can bring the hard-edged boom-bap, this album generally seems mellower than, say, his
Raw Fruit series. Several samples reappear throughout multiple tracks, particularly a playful set of chattering, wailing voices which seem to be pitched up a bit, as well as the producer's signature "Oh, Ras..." drop. Tracks like "The Arrival" seamlessly meld organic elements such as hand drums and rhythmic chanting with futuristic textures and heavy low-end thumping, demonstrating that the quest for spiritual enlightenment and the desire to get down are one and the same. "The Nector of Stargate (Taste)" is perhaps one of the more conventional-sounding tracks here, consisting almost entirely of a somewhat forlorn guitar and drum loop, but even this sounds slightly broken and imperfect, and it ends by slipping the loop in reverse. This sets the tone for "Is It Lust or Love," which is all booming, backwards electro beats and haunted voices mixed with calming synth pads, and a fragmentary voice babbling about "some crazy space thingamajig." The album ends with a surprising (yet entirely welcome) turn toward dislocated house with the thumpy beats and blown-out bass of "The Great Return (Racing Seed)," giving way to the fluid outro "Primordial Water Formations 2." Among
Ras G's more contemplative releases,
Stargate Music is a woozy, enticing interpretation of the human life cycle.