The shimmering, cosmic soundscapes of CADET A are a universe of their own. Led by a German-born musician who found his creative home in Los Angeles, this dream-pop and psych-rock project crafts an experience as much about hypnotic space as it is about the stories they tell.

Their latest single, ‘Christine Shine On,’ is a perfect example of their unique approach. What began as a forgotten keyboard loop and four simple chords by collaborator Jason O of United Ghosts was resurrected with the encouragement of co-singer and video director Sha Sabi. This creative revival gave birth to a track telling a deeply personal story through an abstract narrative. Christine, the lone astronaut, drifts through the vast, confusing universe on a search for “home”, which is a powerful metaphor for the frontman’s own journey across Germany, the UK, and the U.S. By channeling these emotions through a cosmic adventure, the lyrics project their own experiences onto Christine’s story.

The award-winning music video, a surreal, cinematic masterpiece directed by Sha Sabi, elevates this vision to a new level. It is no surprise that the band is celebrated for their immersive live shows, which use a dazzling array of projections, strobes, and smoke machines to create a truly transcendent atmosphere. As they prepare for their upcoming album, ‘Lucifer Landing,’ the band is poised for a sonic evolution, moving from the more acoustic, psych-pop roots of their debut, ‘Apollo Zero,’ toward a synth-heavy, futuristic sound. This shift promises to build on the foundation they already laid, expanding their cosmic journey and pulling listeners even deeper into their world.

“Christine’s journey mirrors mine, just in outer space.”

What was the spark that inspired Christine Shine On? Was it the story of the astronaut, the soundscape, or something else?

Axel Ray Steuerwald: It’s always a combination. I don’t separate words, music, and visuals. It all comes in one go, or not at all. The soundscape started with the hypnotic keyboard loop and four chords supplied by my friend Jason O from (my pre-pandemic band) United Ghosts. Just a really rough idea. Then I started writing over it as the guitars and the words came quickly. But then I didn’t do anything with it for years, which is strange because I usually work fast. Recently Jason and my co-singer on Christine – who is also the video creator, Sha Sabi, reminded me of the song and pushed me to finish it… and here we are.

Did Christine’s story emerge first as a visual idea for the video, or as a narrative within the song itself?

It started as a tune, but I could already see her. When Sha created the video I couldn’t believe how close it was to the vision I had of her, she was in my dreams. That’s what you get for touring together for ten years. I’m not big on planning the narrative before writing. The words just flow through quite feverishly as you write the song, and then you realize exactly what the story is afterward. It was one of those, but when I realized what I’d written, the story was quite clear.

The lyrics talk about searching for “home” in a confusing universe. How personal is that theme for you, having travelled from Germany to the UK and eventually Los Angeles? Has your journey mirrored Christine’s search for belonging?

Yes, it’s so obvious now how personal it is! The theme clearly came from me looking for a place to call home and be what I wanted to be. To make the music I wanted to make no matter how many years it took. But I’m probably too scared or guarded to talk about myself directly, so I channelled it through her. Christine’s journey mirrors mine, just in outer space. I set a lot of lyrics that way because I feel it’s more powerful than a straight narrative. I’ve always liked songs that challenge your imagination rather than telling it totally straight. Don’t get me wrong, some people are great at that, but I’d rather go a bit abstract and let people make up their own story around it.

The video has already won multiple festival awards. What do you think makes it resonate with audiences around the world?

Director and co-singer Sha Sabi’s amazing visuals, for a start! I also feel as much as the music and visuals are dreamy and out there, there’s a clear theme to the song – something to hang on to – and the video represents that, so it all comes together quite strongly. It’s a clear vision. A lot of people, when they hear and see it, say it’s a “good ride,” like they just went with Christine and joined her on her space journey for a bit.

Your live shows are described as “transcendent,” with strong visual elements. What role do visuals play in CADET A’s identity?

I love big visuals. We use projections, strobes, smoke machines, the lot! We used so much smoke recently they called the LA fire department and almost shut down a show we were doing. In the visual department I also find record covers are important. An image to link to the song. Straight Photoshop can be a bit boring sometimes, so my covers are collages: half digital, half analogue. I have a lot of fun making them. I’ll start on the computer, then go to scissors and glue, and throw some paint at it!

Can you give us a glimpse into ‘Lucifer Landing,’ what new directions or risks are you taking on the upcoming record?

I’m a guitarist and singer first, but on Lucifer Landing (which is a working title, by the way) I use a lot more loops and synths and all sorts of sounds before I even touch the guitar. My first record, ‘Apollo Zero’ (on Du Blonde’s DAEMON TV label), was more of a pandemic effort: more home studio, more acoustic guitars, quite a bit of 60s, 70s, and 90s psych-pop influence. Songs you could play on one guitar. This one is much more of a synth-heavy band effort with big, dreamy guitars and weird loopy stuff, and as a result feels a bit starker and more futuristic. I played a lot of solo tour dates for ‘Apollo Zero,’ but now it’s a band and I bring the full line-up whenever possible.

If Christine were a real astronaut, what record would you want her to bring to another planet?

Great question! I have so many favourites, but for Christine I’ll keep it space based. If there was one album she could take, there are no bad songs on David Bowie’s ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’ and the ‘Spiders from Mars’. But just for fun, let’s make Christine a space playlist:

Ride – ‘Vapour Trail’
Public Service Broadcasting – ‘Go’
The Tornados – ‘Telstar’
David Bowie – ‘Moonage Daydream’
Space – ‘Magic Fly’
Sheila & Devotion – ‘Spacer’
Beastie Boys – ‘Intergalactic’
Hawkwind – ‘Silver Machine’
David Bowie – ‘Space Oddity’
Delia Derbyshire – ‘Doctor Who (Opening Title Theme)’
The Carpenters – ‘Calling Occupants’
Elton John – ‘Rocket Man’

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