20 years before the emergence of STS9, NASA sent Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 on a mission to the farthest reaches of the solar system and beyond. Each of these probes was equipped with identical Golden Records, special messages attached to what Carl Sagan called “a bottle launched into the cosmic ocean.” They contained numerous images and sounds from throughout the world, pieces of music from various cultures, a map identifying the location of our planet, and other information for whomever, or whatever, might find them.

While the Golden Records included greetings in 59 languages, they made no mention of nations and borders, wars and rivalries, or anything else that divides us. What they did mention was life, love, peace, birth--the things that bind us to one another and to the planet we call home. 

The Universe Inside is a reflection of this message. It is a story about human identity and the magical truth of who we are, where we’re going, and our place in the Universe. It says we are one, made of stardust and the forces of nature that evolved over billions of years. Connected by the sun, moon and stars, we are the living, breathing conscience of the Universe. 

"We are one, made from dust of the stars / down here we bear the weight of the pain and the scars / just want to live with nothing to hide / every one of us a universe inside."

New album with Irma Thomas "Audience with the Queen" out now everywhere. 
Stream/Download the full album → https://orcd.co/git-awtq

Over the course of three decades, Galactic has become a cornerstone of New Orleans’ dynamic music landscape – the same world that brought them together in the ‘90s as a late-night funk outfit steeped in the unique sounds of their city.
The musically adventurous group has evolved continuously since then, thanks in part to their penchant for collaborating with a wildly diverse array of guest artists. While those experiences have provided a steady stream of new musical perspectives and ideas to the group’s core sound, other elements of their work – like their new role as stewards of the historic New Orleans music venue Tipitina’s – have deepened their relationship with
their city and its music community through the years, giving the band an even richer foundation for their ongoing explorations of new creative terrain.

Audience With the Queen, Galactic’s forthcoming studio album with New Orleans rhythm and blues legend Irma Thomas, exemplifies all of that progress and more. Out April 11, 2025, the new album features Thomas’ Grammy-winning vocals on every track, marking a departure from their 10 previous studio LPs, most of which revolved around the band’s core instrumentalists – Ben Ellman (saxophones, harmonica), Rob Mercurio (bass), Stanton Moore (drums), Jeff Raines (guitar) and Rich Vogel (keyboards) – accompanied by a mix of different vocalists, including Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph and Josh Cagler.

Malcolm Graham is following