Track Download: Arcadia Gardens Unleash “Sun Sphere”

Dan Rutstrom is the singular mind behind Arcadia Gardens, a pshycadelic-pop solo-project that has yielded two albums including Memory Machines, released in May of this year. The Murfreesboro, TN based surf-synth artist produces reverb-heavy but conceptually light music that he describes as, “dreamy sounds that take you on an adventure.”
 
So, what does a dream adventure sound like? In Rutstrom’s case the airiness of his vocals and fluidity of the synth riffs create a fresh sound, providing the perfect soundtrack for a sunny summer afternoon in the park. To hear some of his “dreamy sounds” check out a free download of a track from Memory Machines, “Sun Sphere,” below.
 

 
To get a bit of perspective on the solar-inspired song, we asked Rutstrom a few questions about it and his summer-y music style.
 
What was the musical inspiration for this song?
I’m really into music that sounds summer-y so that was probably my main inspiration when I wrote the song. I also needed one more solid track to really pull the whole album together, and this just seemed like the right way to do it.
 
What does the title “Sun Sphere” mean to you?
For me the title doesn’t necessarily mean anything at all. I just thought the words kind of popped the same way I feel the music does. I guess it also has to do with me liking the word ‘sun’ in my song titles. My last album had one, and my next album probably will too. I think it just goes along with whole summer vibe thing that I like.
 
What are some of your favorite summer songs (either songs about summer, or just songs that you associate with summer)?
I’d say one of my favorite songs that I associate with summer is “Helicopter” by Deerhunter. My friends and I listened to that song a lot last summer so it definitely stuck with me. I was also really into Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s “Ffunny Ffrends” last summer. As for songs specifically about summer, I always enjoy Neon Indian’s “Deadbeat Summer” and Animal Collective’s “Summertime Clothes”.