Fanboys Anonymous

John Frusciante's new album Enclosure was released (literally) into the stratosphere on March 29, 2014 on board the "experimental" interorbital satellite Sat-JF14. The album is transmitted to an app, which plays back its music directly onto your phone or iTunes—provided the satellite is somewhere above your head, until it goes around the other side of the globe again. As of Monday, March 31, you can download this app, called Sat-JF14.


I wish I had something more fantastic to say other than "neat." I totally dig this idea, but I can't help but fear a looming April fool's joke in there somewhere… especially after the hoverboard thing. Then again, if logic serves me, smartphones get their data from satellites, and the app does stream it from somewhere, so it's not impossible. Who knows what airspace laws were bent to send a single satellite into space with the sole purpose of streaming music (which will do so for only a little less than a week).

This app is for real, called Sat-JF14

Regardless, this is excellent publicity for the genius six-stringer. Some online comments already call him pretentious, but whatever, man. With his guitar skills and musical talent, he can be the first man on Mars for all I care and that would still be justified. That's ridiculous though: everyone knows the human race came from Mars.

Let's hope we get to see some other killer creative album releases. We've come a long way from artists giving it away for free like Nine Inch Nails's The Slip in 2008 or Radiohead's 2007 release In Rainbows, which allowed fans to pay what they wanted to obtain the album. In both instances, the albums did great.

Oh, almost forgot: Frusciante's album officially releases on April 8. I'll be hearing Enclosure real soon, for sure. Big fan here! So, what do you guys think of this musical spaceman stunt? Love it or hate it? Comment!

Sat-JF14 being launched in the Mojave desert. Where will it land?