I don't know if there was political subtext, but I do feel like the outer space themes and mothership experience was purposeful escapism, especially in the live setting. It definitely transports you to their world of party and funk.
Afrofuturism is the subtext. Imaging a future with Black People in it is in its self a revolutionary act because we aren't taught or encouraged to do so. It's through fiction where we can imagine the impossible and imagine systems in which nobody is mistreated or abused and where the people who need the most help receive the most constructive help. In SCI FI movies especially at the time there are/were hardly any black characters. Most of the time they are black coded alien race(Jar Jar Binks, Piccalo, etc). To dare to see yourself and your descendants in the future is powerful
@PressPlayersClub appreciate the context. Never considered fiction as a tool that provides permission to dream in that way.
@Jangles my best friend has a Bookstore next to my shop and someone in there said that to a guy who said he doesn't see the value in reading fiction. It blew my mind too because I never thought about that way either but it's so true. Think about it for technology. How many of those first iWatch scientists grew up watching the Jetsons dreaming of a way to talk to another person through a wristwatch? Life often imitates art. For anything to get created it has to first be a thought before anything
@PressPlayersClub makes perfect sense once you shift the lens away from “cool future stuff” and towards “better social norms and societal framework”. Such an important way of framing up this album.