On Saturday, January 31st, national touring contemporary instrumental artist Futuristic Caveman Official will be performing an immersive, ambient, electronic concert, entitled “Mind Awaken,” at the Redbud Venue in downtown Chattanooga using synthesizers, a neoclassical piano, and continuous, long-form improvisation.
The transportive, cinematic soundscape created by Futuristic Caveman Official began in early 2020 and has evolved a great deal since then. The project is led at the helm by an individual who goes by “Chris.”
Chris has been creating immersive synth themes that are both atmospheric and meditative while guiding visitors through a sonic journey, far more than just your typical concert or a night out.
In speaking with Chris about his music and what audiences can expect, he mentioned that people who are there for the first time can expect a show full of childlike wonder and fantasy that aims to transport you to a place where time doesn’t exist.
“Expect a journey that will activate your childlike imagination. One that will deliver you to a fantastical place that none of us can describe until we reach our destination. It will be a constant flow beginning with the first note and not ending until the final note of the night fades away.
Visually, you’ll get to watch as I flow from instrument to instrument while building real soundscapes in the moment. Mind Awaken is about patience, so if I do my job correctly, time passes unnoticed. Mind Awaken celebrates the void that society pressures us to fill at every second.”
In the past, his music has been compared to incredible artists like Brian Eno, Nils Frahm, and Lisa Bella Donna, and bands like Tangerine Dream. The nature of the show is to provide a space for people to slow down for 75-90 minutes, inviting the audience’s mind to be curious, open, wander aimlessly, or construct an imaginative journey through the sounds.
When asked about why he chooses not to have lyrics in his music and how Mind Awaken is meant to be experienced, he mentioned how the lyrics get in the way of the audience's interpretation and that Mind Awaken is meant to be an adventure and explorative process.
“Mind Awaken is meant to be a form of freedom from that type of programming. Just feel the music, see the performance, be in the moment, then close your eyes and make up the storyline that excites you. I love when people tell me how the music makes them feel and the adventure it sends their mind on.
This music is all instrumental. That’s one of the underlying confines. The point is to lay an atmospheric canvas so that people paint their own pictures in their minds. When lyrics are involved, the listener is either told what to think or left to interpret what they think the story means.
That’s not interesting for me as an artist. It’s noise that gets in the way of what the soul feels and the mind can create. I made up my own character; now everyone in the audience can make up their own. I don’t even talk during the performance; there are no song introductions or “thank you for coming.” It’s just the music, a bow, and a wave goodbye at the end.”
Finally, Chris mentioned what an honor it is to perform at Rebud’s and how the venue fits his performance style, and then laid out his plans for the next three years.
“It’s an honor to play at any venue run by people who pour their lives into it. I’m honored and privileged when a venue opens its doors to me, because this business is nothing but risk, especially for an avant-garde show like Mind Awaken. I like the intimacy a lot and think Mind Awaken fits that. It’s actually hard to find rooms that are super intimate but don’t feel too small.
In the next 3 years, the plan is to get the show to the point where we’re doing about 50-75 concerts a year. This includes venues like Redbud, festivals, and non-traditional spaces. 2026 will be the leanest because I’m not planning to do many more concerts after April until the fall. From there, it’ll be full throttle going into 2027.”
Futuristic Caveman Official.
- 7 p.m. January 31.
- Redbud Venue, 2314 E 13th St., Chattanooga, TN.
- $15-$20.
- redbudvenue.com