Sounds like the future!

February 13, 2008 7:38 AM

What's this musical style/genre called?

The "atomic age" music that went along with "home of the future" type ads in the 50s/60s. Also I remember hearing cheesy music like what I'm thinking of on the Peoplemover at Disneyland when I was a kid. Something that might go along with ads like Plan59 has.

Sergio Mendez/Brasil '66 comes close, but it's not exactly it. Pointers to YT/audio samples appreciated.

posted by ctmf to media & arts (19 answers total)

Space Age Pop, maybe?

Give a listen (streaming Windows Media or Realmedia) to the Retro Cocktail Hour; it's probably got quite a bit of what you're searching for.
posted by cog_nate at 7:48 AM on February 13, 2008 [2 favorites]

Not sure what the genre is called, but Esquivel has a CD called "Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music" that might fit the bill. Check out the tune Surfboard. It's sort of like a kitchy latin lounge vibe.
posted by dreamphone at 7:49 AM on February 13, 2008

Exotica? Lounge?
posted by box at 7:50 AM on February 13, 2008

The description (apart from the Mendez/Brasil 66 part) reminds me of stuff like Fantastic Plastic Machine. Is this what you were thinking of? Or were you thinking of some more bossa nova?
posted by knave at 7:50 AM on February 13, 2008

I have a large number of '60s Disneyland mp3s, some of which might be in line with what you're after. Email's in my profile.
posted by crinklebat at 8:12 AM on February 13, 2008

Now Sound
posted by Futurehouse at 8:17 AM on February 13, 2008

Sounds like you want Production Music. Check out the Music for TV Dinners CDs. Samples are available on the Amazon pages. They also play production music on the Retro Cocktail hour as linked above.
posted by Otis at 8:28 AM on February 13, 2008

Maybe certain Thievery Corporation songs?
Or maybe something by Jazzanova or Bonobo, especially their older stuff...
Or even maybe one of the Verve//Remixes...

I can't conjure up any memories of Peoplemover at Disney, so I'm just throwin' some ideas out...
posted by sneakyalien at 8:35 AM on February 13, 2008

You might also like Jean-Jacques Perrey and his various side projects.

And check out Towa Tei's solo items, especially Technova.

Kind of sounds like what might be playing on the Jetsons flying cars' radios.
posted by ostranenie at 8:40 AM on February 13, 2008

> Sounds like you want Production Music.

Production Music is not a style or genre. It's music written on spec and lodged with a Production Library so producers and other people looking for music can get larges selections of samples and trawl to find something that suits their needs. The music itself can be in any style or genre.
posted by benzo8 at 9:06 AM on February 13, 2008

There's was specific name for the genre when it was created, although "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" was applied after the fact, along with other attempts at naming.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:06 AM on February 13, 2008

Exotica is probably the most accurate, but is a little broader than you're thinking. Are you asking about a genre name for informational purposes, or because you want to hear more? Assuming the latter, just point your favorite internet radio streamer to:

http://www.luxuriamusic.com/
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:26 AM on February 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Harry Shearer uses some of this stuff when he "Reads the Trades" on Le Show—with the pizzicato violins and the like. I've been trying forever to find out what the song he uses is called. John K. used to use the same genre on "Ren & Stimpy" all the time. I think "Space Age Bachelor Pad" is close, but not a direct hit.
posted by littlerobothead at 11:26 AM on February 13, 2008

space age bachelor pad music is how it's defined in my experience.
posted by dr. moot at 1:11 PM on February 13, 2008

Is it "Incidental music"? FWIW That term seems to pop in my head.
posted by stavx at 5:37 PM on February 13, 2008

"Space age bachelor pad" it is, I guess. I'm both interested in hearing more, but also being able to describe it to other people. luxuriamusic had some in it. Retro cocktail hour sounded very much like what I'm talking about on first listen. Both bookmarked.

I guess brasil '66 was a red herring. I was thinking more of the instrumentation than the bossa nova style. Ren & Stimpy did have EXACTLY the thing, now that I think about it.

Thanks for the helpful answers.
posted by ctmf at 7:21 PM on February 13, 2008

p.s. Fantastic Plastic Machine was perfect, until the beat started.
posted by ctmf at 7:24 PM on February 13, 2008

You might want to listen to SomaFM's Illinois Street Lounge station, which they describe as "Classic bachelor pad, playful exotica and vintage music of tomorrow." (It's free internet radio.)
posted by knave at 9:53 PM on February 13, 2008

My "go to" for this kind of awesome stuff is Space Age Pop. Intros to the different sub-genres (tiki, police/crime, space, etc), bios of the key players, etc. Ultra-groovy.
posted by davidmsc at 10:39 PM on February 14, 2008