“Being set in a trance is nothing to be surprised by when listening to music. It happens more often than not and that’s all I can say about Alphanaut’s latest single “Unnecessary Soldier.” When I hear something is pulling from electronic and pop, I expect this upbeat music that transports me to a rave setting. Nevertheless, I was wrong because instead Alphanaut gave me the mature raver. The club kid who’s grown up a bit and doesn’t stay out until 4am…all the time, but rather the one who can sit at home and really appreciate the sounds escaping their stereo. “Unnecessary Soldier” plays with a sense of surrealism. Each line layered over the last like a dream, capturing every ounce of the listener’s attention until they’re in a musical daze. It’s no surprise though as Alphanaut’s leading man, Mark Alan, is a musician’s man – pulling from modern electronic tendencies that made David Bowie the mainstay he is today.”

“Mark Alan has spent years refining his smooth-tongued vocal elegance that dominates the approach to everything that he, as Alphanaut, has done. When you listen to Alan’s prowess, you cannot help but place him among the great crooners of the late 20th Century: Roddy Frame, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie. One of his breakthroughs as Alphanaut was his cover of “Life on Mars.” The rendition took off through the Internet universe and gave many of us a first taste into how Alan weaved electronics to accentuate his vocal work, all while paying homage to one of his favorite rock stars. A musician who started in the Seattle pre-grunge scene to various Los Angeles rock bands, 2016 is the year Alan has done something unique to his music career, he made the best pop album he can.”

“Alphanaut’s ‘Out Of Orbit’ is one of those records that bloggers, like myself, continue to ‘re-label’ again and again as they listen. I thought for sure that “Spacey Space Rock” would sum up the album in it’s entirety. And I could continue with references about the record’s kinship with several 80′s bands. And then all of the sudden ‘Don’t Hide Away From The Sun’ makes me fairly certain that I’m listening to a very modern band who is heavily influenced by TV On The Radio.”

“With Out of Orbit’s overall unflinchingly ‘80s appeal, there is no denying that it is born out of an undeniable love for synth-pop. But merely putting Orbit in the synth-pop rubric is too simplistic for a record that brings into harmony a diverse range of sounds and styles that transcend what is commonly perceived of this genre. Amid its synth-pop backdrop, “Satellites Crashing,” for instance, starts off with a dreamy trumpet piece that lasts for the length of the track, marrying seamlessly with some upright bass and laid back whispering drums, and makes it more of a jazzy downtempo piece.”

“Alphanaut, featuring Mark Alan, has impeccable timing for the collage of instruments – subtle piano, to the airy guitar riffs. Alan's overlaying is simple, but logical. None of the songs feel overbearing or assertive. Yet, each piece is a potent delivery of emotion and multi-genre fusion.”

“Mark Alan of Alphanaut gives you space jams for 2010 and beyond with his new album! "Out of Orbit" is electro pop madness that will literally blow your mind! You get a little bit of everything from Alphanaut & company including: retro keyboard sensations & elements of pop, funk, jazz and hip-hop.”

“The musical journey of MARK ALAN - and his project ALPHANAUT - seems similar to the story of the protagonist from DAVID BOWIE’s ‘SPACE ODDITY’ – MAJOR TOM. The countdown commenced for ALAN around the early 90's where he fronted a couple of bands in his hometown of Seattle before moving to LA”

"Timid Creature" is the first track on “Out Of Orbit”, establishing Alphanaut as an act that can skillfully move through a number of musical genres, eras, and influences. Where many albums have a precipitous decline in quality as they continue, “Out Of Orbit” hits hard with each track.

“Concept albums were once de rigueur for bands of any credibility. Starting with The Who to Genesis, Pink Floyd, up to and including the most recent of CD’s by the Roots. And while the extended story telling form has largely fallen from popularity, there are artists who still use the format to give voice to ideas not easily surmised in four minutes or less. Mark Alan, the songwriter-performer at the core of the musical collective Alphanaut, has used his latest release, “Little Sun” to tell the life story of his dog, Dingo, who passed from Canine Lymphoma. “Little Sun” chronicles Dingo’s arrival, his passing and his return back to the ether. There’s a minimalist musical aesthetic at work here. This is electronica interwoven with acoustic instruments and occasionally dressed up with 1970’s style luscious string arrangements. It often calls to mind some of Roxy Music’s finer moments.”

“Every now and then we here at JustPressPlay stumble across a music video that's both acoustically pleasing and aesthetically mesmerizing, and when we do we like to share it with our readers. This time around that "distinction" belongs to Alphanaut, the one-man act of songwriter Mark Alan, and his entrancing, cosmic daydream video for his single "Back to the Stars". The sweet melancholy tune affords a great background for the beautifully rendered animation of dogs in space. That's right, dogs in space. "Back to the Stars" is the kind of easy listening that makes quick fans of people who stumble across it, and it's likely to stay in your head for a few days (if not musically, then at the very least visually).”

“The Alphanaut sound is special in that the music doesn’t seem to flow from King Crimson or Pink Floyd, but rather more Lou Reed and Bowie combined with modern electro accents. Content-wise, it’s far more idealistic than cosmic with thoughtful sentiment far too uncommon in modern indie music, which tends to avoid global topics in favor of interpersonal ones.”

“Little Sun is the second album by Alphanaut (Mark Alan) and the album is a tribute to his dog, Dingo, who passed away after a long battle with canine leukemia. Many of the songs are told from Dingo's point of view. And yeah, that sounds kind of weird, but as a woman who's kind of obsessed with her dog, I totally get it. The loss of a dog is like a family member dying and this is Mark Alan's way of grieving. And it's a lovely kind of grief. He does a lot of interesting things with sound - beautiful piano and trumpets - and some of the songs are a bit more electronica (think Moby or BT-ish). The album is incredibly well produced and very polished.”