Space Fantasia: A sonic journey through time and stars

In an era where music often feels confined by the boundaries of genre, Space Fantasia shatters conventions. This groundbreaking collaboration between Chinese and Icelandic artists – electronic producer Doctor Victor, singer-songwriter Nerrisa Wang, and guzheng virtuoso Lucy Luan – is a fearless fusion of modern electronica, ancient traditions, and humanity's timeless fascination with the stars.

A Collision of Cultures

At its heart, Space Fantasia is a celebration of cultural synergy. Doctor Victor's electrifying synth beats set the stage for a futuristic sound, while Nerrisa Wang's ethereal vocals glide effortlessly above, leaving an indelible trail like a comet streaking through the night sky. But it's Lucy Luan who delivers uniqueness to the track. Her mastery of the guzheng – a traditional Chinese zither – adds a layer of celestial elegance, weaving an intricate connection between Earth's heritage and the boundless universe beyond.

Luan draws inspiration from Flowing Water, a revered classical guqin melody famously sent aboard NASA's Voyager in 1977 as part of the Golden Record. Her reimagining of this ancient piece provides a shimmering, meditative undertone, cascading like stardust across the electronic rhythms. It's a blending of worlds – past and future, East and West, organic and synthetic – all coming together to create something profoundly timeless.

The guzheng artist says even guzheng is traditional, the instrument can be very flexible and compatible. "To me I don't see the guzheng as an ancient traditional instrument. It can play traditional pieces, but to me, I use it to play with other music types. I collaborated with musicians all around the world. So it can be old, it can be new. I even plugged with some guitar pedals. It could even be avant-garde. So it can be anything."

Poetry Among the Stars

But what truly sets Space Fantasia apart from other space-inspired tracks is its storytelling. Interwoven into the music is a recitation of Lan Ting Ji Xu (Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion), a 1,700-year-old poem by legendary Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti famously posted online part of the poem during her mission in 2022: "Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, and indeed, this is true happiness."

In Space Fantasia, the interplay of history and exploration feels like listening to a cosmic conversation across generations.

A Voyage Like No Other

As a popular singer-songwriter, Nerissa Wang's listening taste is expansive. Growing up while listening to tracks such as Space Oddity by David Bowie and Walking on the Moon by The Police, her dream to make a song about space exploration has always been on her wish list, something that is conveyed on the poster: "TO THOSE WHO DARE TO DREAM AND DREAM BIG."

The music video starts with her sight looking out of her widow in the hustle and bustle of Beijing. Lucy Luan plays her guzheng along the Yangtze River – one of the Mother Rivers of China – and Doctor Victor walking in a vast and deserted black beach in Iceland. From the delicate pluck of the guzheng to the swirling synth layers, Nerissa Wang's voice invites listeners to imagine themselves aboard a starship, gazing back at Earth from the vastness of space. It's a reminder of our tiny place in the universe but also our incredible ability to dream, create, and connect across time and distance.

"This project has been a journey in every sense of the word," Nerrisa Wang reflects. "It's not just about creating something beautiful – it's about showing how interconnected we all are, whether through ancient poetry, space exploration, or the universal language of music."

An Expanding Universe of Possibilities

Now available on major streaming platforms, Space Fantasia is more than a song – it's a call to dream bigger. Doctor Victor, Nerrisa Wang, and Lucy Luan have created a work of art that challenges us to think beyond the confines of time, culture, and geography. As Doctor Victor expresses, "When you blend the ancient with the futuristic, the earthly with the cosmic, you're not just making music. You're building a universe."