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April 3rd, in conjunction with Autism Awareness Month, Sooper Records will release Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts, the definitive recorded collection of living Chicago DIY legend Dr. Charles Joseph Smith. Today, they present two new singles from the forthcoming set: “Acid Rain” and “Dance in Homage to the Stars Shining at Night,” both taken from Smith’s 2023 MIDI realization of War of the Martian Ghosts, his evolving sci-fi opera heralding a conflict between forces on Mars and Planet Earth. The retrospective also features a remastered version of Smith’s 2018 acoustic piano realization of War of the Martian Ghosts, originally issued by Sooper on cassette as well. Today’s singles feature electronic elements and story beats not present on the 2018 original.
Listen to “Dance in Homage to the Stars Shining at Night”
Both a city ubiquity and mystery, DIY mainstay Charles Joseph Smith has had a multifaceted, incredible journey that includes not just three decades of underground scene participation, but also a prolific catalog of over 600 original compositions and arrangements. He’s crafted a vast body of musical and written work deserving of the archival treatment, and in 2025, Sooper Records acquired 64 unique CD-Rs and tapes from Smith, in addition to his three self-published books and numerous volumes of prose, and set about compiling a definitive retrospective release. Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts aims to re-introduce Smith to Chicago and beyond and marks his first widely available release with any label. The album is accompanied by liner notes including poetry, archival photographs, quotes, interviews, and an in-depth essay on the life and work of Smith penned by label co-founder Glenn Curran (and edited by Sadie Dupuis).
The triple-CD / double vinyl set condenses hours of music into two parts, with the second part being War of the Martian Ghosts and the the first, being CollectedWorks, which showcases Charles’ talents as a crossover composer, with classical piano prowess, MIDI adventurism, electroacoustic experimentation, free improvisation, experimental opera, and unique sonic collages. The collection also features two of the only original songs with melodic vocals sung by Smith. Collected Works unites the stylistic spans of his work with these sparsely-repeated vocal moments to create a holistic, reverent portrait of an artist on the line between studied virtuosity and expansive outsider art.
Pre-order Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts
Listen to “My Days Are Not Over For Me”
Listen to “Love Theme”
