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Work #1185 · Mid

The Magic City

Sun Ra (Herman Poole Blount)
1965 (recorded), 1966 (released) · Musical
Studio album / Avant-garde jazz · Avant-garde jazz / Cosmic-jazz / Afrofuturism

Sun Ra's 1966 album — major early-cosmic-jazz statement; the title-track's 27-minute side-long composition

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute The Magic City (Mid)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Non-Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Bi-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Multiple
Observer · Space Instance Multiple
Observer · Knowledge Extent Total
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency Personal
Observer · Moral Authority Experience
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Variable
Energy · Dispersibility Reversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

The Magic City

The 1965 recording moment; the deeper mythological-time framework of Sun Ra's practice.

Space

The Magic City

Birmingham (Sun Ra's actual-historical origin) and the cosmic-mythological space.

Matter

The Magic City

The embodied Arkestra-musicians.

Observer

The Magic City

Sun Ra and the Arkestra-collective as proper musical-mythological subjects.

Energy

The Magic City

The compositional-improvisational energies of the side-long work.

Information

The Magic City

The musical-mythological content of the recording.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

The Magic City

The Magic City is among Sun Ra's most universally-praised recordings — major early-cosmic-jazz achievement; the formal-musical innovation of the 27-minute composition has remained influential.