StellarPurr

Here’s something fun for your Sunday! It’s Sam’s new collaboration with his kitty Nova. Download the album name-your-price or stream at Bandcamp, stream the album at Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc, watch the video for “Interstellar Purr (with Ambient Music)” at YouTube.

Genres: Meditation, relaxation, ASMR, healing, new age

On their second collaboration, Nova Cat and Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s Sam Rosenthal take the purrs to deep space. The first track is Nova’s raspy purr on its own, the ideal accompaniment to sleep, study and healing work. On the lengthy additional tracks (10:30 and 26:34 respectively), the purrs are processed and accompanied by Rosenthal’s deep space ambient music. Sonically, it’s a bit like a super-mellow version of his As Lonely As Dave Bowman project with purrs keeping the stellar motor humming.

Cat purrs relax and stimulate the brain through their rhythmic repetitions. With close-miking recordings and subtle harmonic EQs, the experience is intimate and comforting.

ARTIST BIO:

Nova Cat is a 18-year-old (88 in human years) American Shorthair Tuxedo Cat with a distinctive raspy purr attributed to an health issue. Along with her collaborator Sam Rosenthal, she created these close-miked recordings utilizing subtle harmonic EQ shaped for relaxation and brain stimulation through rhythmic repetitions. Following lengthy negotiations upon the release of her 2022 debut, Nova Cat reluctantly agreed to Rosenthal’s addition of ambient music to two tracks on her sophomore effort.

Sam was interviewed by I’ve Pet That Cat, a Twitter profile from a kid named Nigel who shares cats. The interview was used as source for the 280-character tweet. Here’s the full thing:

Q: How did you get your cat?
Sam: I adopted Nova from the Oregon Human Society here in Portland. She was 14, she’s now 18. I adopt older kitties because they need love and a good home too. My partner Mercy and I make up stories about what her life was like before we met her. Who she lived with, what it was like at their house, things like that.

Q: What is your cat’s personality?
Sam: Nova is very sweet. In fact she’s sitting between my arms purring, as I type this. She loves sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the world go by.

Q: What makes your cat happy?
Sam: The aforementioned couch, and sitting in the sun.

Q: Do you have any funny stories about your cat?
Sam: At night before bed I give Nova her thyroid medicine by rubbing it in her ear. After that, we play a game where I slide treats across the kitchen floor and she chases them. Often she sits in one spot and stops the treats with her paw like a soccer player.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your cat?
Sam: She’s a sweetie. She loves having a nice home at her age.

Q: How did you decide to record Nova’s purrs?
Sam: After Nova’s medical issue was addressed her purr grew more raspy and loud. My partner and I love hearing her purr, and we talked about recording it. As a musician I thought it would be fun to make an album of her purrs so others could hear Nova. It seemed like a fun idea. To add variety I included my own ambient music on some of the tracks on the debut. On her new album STELLARPURR there are three songs, two are long and are made up of purrs & music, such as the video for “Interstellar Purr (with Ambient Music).”

Q: Does Nova like the purring music?
SAM: I think so. Sometimes when I’m playing the tracks at my desk, she’ll jump up and purr along with it.

Q: What makes Nova purr the most?
SAM: Human interaction. Laying on her side on the couch, pawing at the back while getting pets. Thanks for asking me about Nova and our album. Pet your kitty for me. Sam

Track Listing:
1. Interstellar Purr 06:20
2. Interstellar Purr (with Ambient Music) 10:28 | YouTube video
3. Stellar Purr (with Ambient Music) 26:34

Your Bandcamp donation buys Nova her favorite treat, Churu.