Trip the Light Fantastic – a combination of influences from Bear Cole also known as Bear the Astronot.

Trip the Light Fantastic is a 19 song full length album by Bear the Astronot. Melding genres is and always has been part of Bear the Astronot’s sound. For decades he has been making music under a few different names and bands/groups. The main three that are his bread & butter are Bear the Astronot of course (Alternative Hip-Hop, Songwriter), Bear Cole (DJ, Dance, Pop), Turntable Kachina (Downtempo, Lofi, Electronic). On the album Trip the Light Fantastic, more than ever all 3 come together. 

A mix of all of these skills and genres, combines to take you through Hip-Hop, Musical, House, Bluegrass, R&B, Drum & Bass, Metal, Celtic, Singer-Songwriter, Island Reggae, Electronic, EDM – in one flowing extravaganza.

Coming straight from Bear Gallagher-Cole –

I really hope you enjoy this album and can find some time to enjoy it in it’s entirety. On your next workout or run, sitting in a dark room, as you lay down in bed. I know albums are rarely listened to all the way through these days – and I get it, who has the time. However, I hope you can find some time to consume this music, and as always I love you for doing so.

Bear the Astronot

As usual, Trip the Light Fantastic is 100% Produced, Performed, Written, Recorded, Mixed, Mastered etc. by Bear Gallagher-Cole. A mix of influences and the Dark and Light that comes with life. Humor, Horror, Grief, Love, Cynicism, Hope, and Dance all wrapped up in a little bow. That is Bear the Astronot’s new album – Trip the Light Fantastic. 

Track List

All Produced, Written, Performed by Bear Gallagher-Cole

1. Outer Space Party
2. Try Hard
3. Charcuterie
4. Fade Out
5. Frankenstein Monster
6. Broken Man’s Soul
7. Rattlesnake Killa
8. Washed Up Hip-Hop Heads
9. So Tired Girls
10. I Got the Good Stuff
11. Trigger Warning
12. Bat Wings
13. XingaXingaXingaXinga7ing
14. Arizona Outkast
15. Dead to Me
16. Over Civilized
17. Forbidden Love
18. Keep Me From All Evil
19. Run for the Sun

About The Album

19 songs. It is probably too many according to dick head music scholars. I’ve never been much for those rules. I recorded well over 30 songs, and then placed together what worked best for the vision I had for the album. As we spoke about before, that was mixing Bear the Astronot, Bear Cole, and Turntable Kachina together. Riding those influences, but not forcing them to fit together. It was more than that too.

Many of you might know that I love country music and bluegrass. Mixing them together with Hip-Hop was something that just happened overtime. However, it just seemed forced sometimes. I wasn’t finding a natural union of the two. I was slamming them together. The same with some other influences I have mixed with my Alternative Hip-Hop and Songwriting over time. Mixing the funny and sarcastic with the spooky and dark.

My goal on Trip the Light Fantastic was to find that natural balance. I have been going through the hardest time in my life while I wrote this album. I lost my father. I lost 2 more of my very close childhood friends. My daughter had cancer but fought it like the boss she is! I lost 2 businesses during COVID. My wife and son helped me to navigate some very hidden/repressed childhood traumas, and to understand some things about my myself I had never really dealt with. All of a sudden in my 40’s I am dealing with things I repressed my entire life.

I have always had very high anxiety and depression, and been in my humble opinion very skilled at navigating that. I wasn’t sad. I had chemical imbalances and paranoia. I didn’t trust people, and I my energy levels would wane horribly when my depression kicked in. I became really good at navigating these things, and even began to think of them as a blessing. Without them I would not retain my imagination like I have, and I would not be nearly as driven to create art and music.

However, as all of these recent life struggles culminated together I was not in control of my demons for the first time ever. I was a monster. I had a hard time going in public, not the best trait for an entertainer. Constant panic attacks, problems with my temper and getting myself into fights, self harm, horribly exhausting bouts of depression. I was angry, sad, and I was surrounded in darkness. Watching the changes in the world around me lately didn’t help.

The beautiful part about this dark experience though was that I still had my music to express it and help me understand it. I have really fallen in love with the idea that life is all about balance. Darkness is just as important as light. The balance of good and evil, pleasure and pain, what some might call Heaven and Hell – is actually like gravity. Without both nothing would hold together.

So, on my new album I try to express this fear and this hope in my normal weird, eclectic, musical way. We are all joined by our light and our dark, and we are all better than we think.

Clarification

I approach politics, religion, and some taboo subjects in my music often. I wanted to take a moment to clarify a few things. In music shock is a tool. You only get so many sounds and noises in a song. Sometimes, you can’t beat around the bush. I have received some very intense hateful messages about my music lately, some are just misunderstandings, some are just assholes looking for a problem.

I may come off preachy, judgy, cynical, and ugly in my music sometimes. That is the tool I was talking about. We live in a Preachy, Judgy, Cynical, Ugly world, so it is a great way to communicate.

I consider myself a Patriot. I love America, and I want us to do better. I do have contempt for our government, because I feel like they don’t live up to our values. I do not hate our country, I love it and want it to be better. I love every soldier that fights for us, I feel I am connected to everyone that lives in our country, but I do not support lobbyists, politicians, corporate greed, or our two party governmental system as a whole. So unless you are a government official don’t take offense. You are my brothers and sisters. I think those F(*&s are robbing you daily and you deserve better. I hope that clarifies my political beliefs a bit 🙂

I don’t hate anyone for their religious beliefs. I hate the misuse of religion. I do not believe religion was made to aid you in judgement of others. I don’t believe your religion makes you better or worse than anyone else. Your morals and actions do that. None of us know the full truth, so I approach the ugly side of religion and the harm it does to others in my music. I have been a victim of these harms my whole life, and I want to protect other people like me. I don’t judge anyone for their beliefs, and love all of my religious friends of who I have many whole heartedly. Some of them are the best and most genuine people I know.

Unfortunately, religion gives people power. Anything that gives people power is going to be misused. That power has been misused on me in the past, and I am vocal about it.

I do hate capitalism and materialism, and especially what it has done to an art form I have loved my entire life – Hip-Hop. That doesn’t mean I don’t like to make money or to work hard. I just don’t like the current economic structure of our country and I am unapologetic about that in my music. They may have convinced you that we are doing things the best way, nothing is better, money is key, just follow the system as it is built. I don’t believe it, and I see multiple holes in these theories. I think there is a better way, so you are free to take offense.

If you read this far you have surpassed all of our expectations. Now go listen to the album silly!

bearcole

Bear Gallagher-Cole also known under a list of artist names is the founder of 1st Drop Music. He embarked on a professional journey and love affair with music very young, and has worked in multiple roles in the industry ever since. Making a living for decades as a DJ, Sound Tech, Touring Artist, Studio Engineer, and Label Owner. He now runs 1st Drop Music when he isn't working as an I.T. Professional, Project Manager, and Admin. When he isn't at work you are most likely to find Bear way out in the woods somewhere enjoying nature.