Formed as part of a public outreach initiative by the technological investigative body The Starset Society, Starset alerts the public about the contents of “the Message” – a mysterious signal obtained from space, that may just hold the key to the future of humanity – through exciting live music demonstrations.
This is, of course, if you believe the extensive, imaginative narrative created by Bates – a cinematic universe of media that’s seen massive success, and has earned them a huge following of dedicated fans.
“It started with the whole mission of The Starset Society, and it’s sci-fi narrative,” Bates says. “The band was a piece of that, in addition to various other media – video, comic books, novels – it all branched out from there. It was narrative and mission first.
“The band is just a parallel piece of one of many pillars of this whole thing. It’s not even band-centric, by any means. Although the band is an important part.”
Across a host of platforms, Starset have weaved an augmented reality of music videos, websites and intricate live shows, blended with theatrics and accurate scientific speculation. Bates’ creative efforts have paid off – they’ve racked up a whopping 620 million Youtube views, increasing by 1.5 million views per day. With Marvel Comics publishing a graphic novel based on The Starset Society in September this year, it’s safe to say that the band has built an empire of story.
“I would say that people are naturally subjected to science and tech at an ever-increasing rate,” Bates says. “Obviously, there’s a pop culture element there, whether it be entertainment or otherwise, but they’re also a lot more and more driven by technology and science. Whether the general public is aware of it or not.
“That’s part of the mission of The Starset Society, to raise awareness of how science and tech are shaping the near future in ways, positive and negative – and how we’re aware of the general body, so that we don’t fund ourselves subjectively.”
The cinematic nature of Starset’s music has also allowed for other content creators to use their own media and purposes. The band has built a dedicated audience keen to leave their own mark on the legacy of the Society. Taking pride in the immersive nature of their world, Bates aims to create a space where people can escape their own lives and join in, anyway they wish.
“The Starset Society’s currently working on a new website that acts as a blueprint or touch-point for all of these various goals,” Bates says. “In a much more direct way, it toes the line between education and entertainment much more visually, much more directly, and will serve as the backbone to help us push this sort of outreach and education role while also providing a launching pad for our sci-fi elements. The sci-fi with The Starset Society is a way for us to give a fun, cautionary tale to the various futures which we can see now.”
Acquiring a masters in electrical engineering from Ohio University, Bates is a passionate fan of science in all its forms. He’s done research for the US Air Force and found himself in Australia for five months two years ago, teaching as part of a touring International Space University. Excited to revisit old memories, Bates hopes to find time to take in some of Australia’s geological intricacies.
“There’s so many cool things like that,” Bates says. “Whether it’s space and science-based videos dedicated to our music or their fandom, or even people creating their own narratives within the universe of The Starset Society. So much art has been created – I’m very certain we have a disproportionate amount of creatives in our fanbase, and that’s amazing. I get random and cool little gifts, even at shows, that are super unique and must be very atypical for a singer in a band to receive – meteorites, named stars, paintings, and books. All kinds of stuff.
“I guess the possibilities are endless, too. For this project and for the fandom,” Bates continues. “It’s created a very rich, I guess, social media – or just, place – for fans. They’ve cultivated their own fandom in addition to anything we’ve ever put out there, and it’s very special.”
