Maryam Qudus discusses the transient composition of her second Spacemoth LP
Transmission 397: Interview with Spacemoth
The trajectory of Maryam Qudus’s second album as Spacemoth, Inward Eye, was mapped out between the static interior of an Oakland studio and the transient rear seat of a touring van. While recording, Qudus was digitizing childhood home movies on a continuous loop in her living room, establishing a direct structural dialogue with the rhythmic patterns she was constructing on tape.
Artist: Spacemoth
Release Date: 2026-06-26
Genres: Alternative Rock, Dream Pop, Indie Rock, Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock
Label: Greenway Records
Description: Maryam Qudus discusses her second Spacemoth LP, Inward Eye, on Greenway Records. An interview on krautrock loops and mobile recording.
Outside of her solo work, Qudus operates as a producer and engineer at Tiny Telephone, tracking for Toro y Moi and Spellling, and recently joining La Luz (read our interview with La Luz) as a full-time member. This schedule forced the composition of Inward Eye into the margins of the road, written on portable synthesizers during tours with Tortoise and Speedy Ortiz.
Influenced by the geometric op-art of Richard Anuszkiewicz and the controlled, cyclical arrangements of Kraftwerk and Can, the album pairs odd-meter drum sequences with hypnotic basslines to examine memory and digital isolation.
Inward Eye is out now on Greenway Records, released on June 26, 2026.
Featured image: © Cat Coppenrath
How did you come to music, and what were some of your earliest influences?
I got into music at a very young age – my parents bought me my first guitar when I was 12 and I started recording my earliest songs on a cassette recorder that my mom bought me from the grocery store. I started to play with looping pedals and layering ideas of loops into songs…and I haven’t stopped ever since !
I was always drawn to synthesizers and unconventional sounds – Depeche Mode was a favorite in my teens – and then some friends made me mixtapes with a lot of cool music in high school: The Flaming Lips, Black Moth Super Rainbow and so much more. That really opened up my world of music in a huge way.
When did you realize music was going to be your life?
I have a pretty strong core memory of being in the passenger seat of my dad‘s Cadillac Deville with the windows down and singing at the top of my lungs to whatever songs were on the radio and thinking; I want to do this forever!
I would sit in the back of the van, stare out the window and add parts and ideas to songs that I’d started, or I’d write brand new songs. Being on the road ended up being an inspiration.”
—Maryam Qudus
Where does the title Inward Eye come from?
I’ve been inspired by op-art for a while now – you can see it in the videos and imagery for Spacemoth. I am obsessed with the work of Richard Anuszkiewicz – he made these really beautiful geometric and colorful op-art pieces that I’ve been drawn to for a long time. He has a series of pieces called Inward Eye. The title really stuck with me when I was working on this record and the meaning behind the title really went hand in hand with what I was writing about.
The record is described as a spiritual journey, both inward and outward. What does that mean to you?
While I was making this record, I had found a box of old home videos from when I was a kid: I started archiving them at home and sometimes I would be in the studio and I’d be working on a song, and then I’d walk into the living room and I’d see a glimpse of a video of myself from when I was a kid. Seeing that imagery helped me reconnect with the core of myself and the many dimensions of my reality.
I’ve been inspired by op-art for a while now… I am obsessed with the work of Richard Anuszkiewicz… He has a series of pieces called Inward Eye. The title really stuck with me when I was working on this record and the meaning behind the title really went hand in hand with what I was writing about.”
—Maryam Qudus
Is there a song that feels like the heart of the record?
Flower memory is the heart of this record. I wrote the song thinking about those really beautiful core memories that we all hold close. Those moments from childhood where you’re so happy and the sun is setting or you’re with the person that you love. That feeling is what I want to create over and over again every day.
I have always been a fan of drum beats that are in odd timing and I thought it would be really cool to write a song like that but in a pop format. The way the bass line intertwines with the drums is really fun and hypnotic – it felt like the perfect way to start the album.”
—Maryam Qudus
How did “Do We Exist?” come together, and why does it open the album?
I have always been a fan of drum beats that are in odd timing and I thought it would be really cool to write a song like that but in a pop format. The way the bass line intertwines with the drums is really fun and hypnotic – it felt like the perfect way to start the album.
What’s your relationship with the natural world?
The natural world is what grounds me the most and helps me reconnect with myself, especially when things are busy and frantic. Going on walks outside and being in nature is a really big part of my life.
What was the hardest part of making Inward Eye?
Writing this record while also touring and producing for other artists at the same time was challenging because of the limitations of time. But making music, being on tour, producing records – it’s everything I have ever wanted to do in my career. Having full days to work on my record was not a possibility: instead I used any moments in between I could find. During a long drive on tour, I would sit in the back of the van and work on new songs, write new lyrics or finish up parts of a song that I had already started. I would also do this before or after sessions, between soundcheck and or on a day off on the road. At the end – it was really amazing because I really made the most of my time and stayed creative during those mundane moments where you’re waiting around trying to get to the next place.
Creating drum parts, bass lines and sequences that coexist tightly, loop around and morph as the song goes on. How tightly wound those parts intertwine and loop together connects to how tightly wound life can be and how we’re constantly running in these little circles.”
—Maryam Qudus
Has producing other artists changed the way you work on your own music?
Working on records opens up my mind to how other people work and I end up learning a lot from the artists that I work with. I get really inspired when somebody brings in a synthesizer or a pedal that I’ve never used; or seeing how they construct a song or write lyrics on the fly. I do end up taking snippets of studio moments as inspiration all the time.
What’s next, and which directions are you itching to explore?
Right now I am so excited for this record to come out and share it with people all over the world !
Photos courtesy of Spacemoth
Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others
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