Chicago; the Midwest's music and art hub, and the home of House, Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop, and Rock n’ Roll. A Hearthstone to so many, Chicago is the perfect melting pot for the media outlet Satellite Era. The majority of the Satellite Era’s team had been deep in the crowds of the early bass\electronic music surge that surfaced in the US starting in the early 2010’s. Their team and owners Nic Juister, Amir Mashayekhi, and Milan Milovanovic, honed in their mettle shoulder to shoulder with sweaty, elated 20-somethings in warehouses and house parties in the suburbs of Chicago.

Branching off from traditional club music, footwork/house parties, and early rave culture, the friends kept questioning and challenging the experience, what music was making waves in their surroundings, and their own involvement with it all. “We found ourselves coming back to club and older core genres such as ambient/electronica,” co-founder Amir Mashayekhi shared. “Long story short: we basically wanted to find sounds and styles that would help bridge the gap between the bass music community and the club scene.”

Satellite Era’s goal is to revolutionize the quality and coverage being offered by “bass music” media. Their pursuits of mind bending art and emphasis on digital visual content is pushing their platform further and helping expose eclectic artists to the stage and spotlight. In line with their ethos, the Satellite Era website features a music and art blog, playlists, free visual loops for download, releases, and albums that come complete with visual content, highlighting the numerous artistic outlets that Satellite Era propagates.

Their experienced team hunts through the wavelengths and interwebs for new and stimulating content. They seek to encourage and invite communication between enthusiastic fans and creators, combine music and digital art together, promoting both simultaneously, and most of all wanting to contribute to the modern age of electronic music. “We have kind of always felt like there wasn't really any major label making things happen here. Aside from the historical relevance, there aren't any tastemakers or major promoters bringing in some of the names you would see in LA or NY.” Amir said. “Chicago means so much to us and we want to embody all it has given us — an organic celebration of music in an urban setting. No flashiness or bullshit, just tightly packed rooms and warehouses.”

The Distant Arrays series EP’s are immersive art experiences that feature various artists and styles in audio/visual combinations. Aimed to create a cinematic journey into the counterculture of modern electronic styles, Volume 3 marks the beginning stages of the next emergent steps in the Satellite Era roadmap. When asked about the theme for this release, Amir expressed that this particular volume “does not have an entirely set theme, but was created to serve as an outlet for the team to share music separate from cohesive projects […] We strive to release tightly-woven, thematic EPs & albums, while letting our Distant Array series be more of an open format. I will say: we try to compile each of the Distant Array EPs to have a similar sound, which is why these artists were grouped together in the best possible fashion!”

“We selected what we thought sounded ethereal - influenced by dusty electronica from the late 90s / early 00s golden age. That is also why the color scheme for this one is a warm green,” Amir would go on to say. Each EP on this series is paired with generative, audio-reactive visuals. Co-founder Nic Juister, who concurrently works for Strangeloop Studios, produced the visual content for Volume 3.

When entering the four track collection, you are greeted by Montreal-based producer Gonima’s gorgeous introductory track “Luminescence”. Echoing chimes and distant piano-synth keys strike as the melody grows across the vibrant tempo. Decorated with glitching drums and snares that seem to bounce around like lightning in a bottle, “Luminescence” is inspired by early electronica with a lush melodies and modern drum patterns. Second is the Phoenix-based producer Brendan Rincon’s tune, “Variations”. Complete with break-beats, airy harmonies, and progressive melodies, this track reminds the listener to be attentitive to subtle moments of clarity. The chords of the harmony waver and strain, almost as if they are blowing in the wind. Slightly dissonant at times and interrupted by breaks and glitchy artifacts, those pristine moments come and go in a blink of a musical eye.

Then from the other side of the pond, Lazarus Moment comes out swinging with his heavy hitter garage track, “If I could”. Dark and futuristic, Lazarus works the room with well-structured breakdowns and echoing vocals. If the listener only closes their eyes, visions of smokey lazers and bouncing bodies effortlessly swaying fills the darkness behind the lids. The Swedish musician was set on showcasing his well established craft in this dance centric and fearless sound, and pulled it off flawlessly. Lastly but far from least, is the UK-based producer Test Bench with his jungle inspired track, “A Good Place”. The chord progression from beginning to end is impressive and gratifying to listen to. He dances from one harmonious drone to another, creating color and magnificent balance in the verses of sound.

Satellite Era hopes to usher in the new year with some inspiring and genuinely distinct artists, continue to be an outlet for musicians and creators, and uplift those around them. The last words here are best left to Amir — “Though 2020 marked the birth of Satellite Era, the rest of the year presented challenges from all angles. Our mission for 2021 is to regather ourselves, focus on the growth of our community and as individuals, deliver the best art we possibly can, and create an inclusive environment for people to discover something new. With Spring and its rebirth of the world around us, along with our 1-year anniversary coming up next month, this EP truly is the start of something entirely different.”

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