Music for Science

September 5, 2009 1:04 PM

Music evoking awe for the universe and in mankind's capacity for space exploration?

I love science and am looking for music that evokes a sense of awe and wonder in the universe and scientific progress. Imagine the type of music that would be the soundtrack for a manned mission to Mars.

Any suggestions?

posted by chrisalbon to Media & Arts (39 answers total)

I'm not really sure that I understand the question, but perhaps The Planets by Gustav Holst might suit your wishes.
posted by Flunkie at 1:07 PM on September 5, 2009

Rocket Man by Elton John?

Space Oddity by David Bowie?

Mission to Mars or Armageddon soundtrack?
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 1:10 PM on September 5, 2009

Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks by Brian Eno is pretty new-agey, but awesome in parts (especially "Deep Blue Day," which was put to very memorable use in Trainspotting).
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:10 PM on September 5, 2009

There's "Water On The Moon" which is actually written by one of the people working on LCROSS.

"Ascent" was recorded for NASA's documentary For All Mankind.
posted by lucidium at 1:13 PM on September 5, 2009

I would think they'd bring the music from the Golden Record with them if they did a mission to Mars.

Although I'm not sure that is what you're looking for, but I don't think I've ever heard music that put me in awe of scientific progress other than in a sort of indirect way that anything with electronic instruments does because of the technology involved in making those instruments. But I don't think that'd be a good way to filter music (technology involved in making it), since you'd end up with a huge list of auto-tuned stuff.
posted by bjrn at 1:14 PM on September 5, 2009

Time and Space: A Tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda. Sure the original music was written for video games (Damn good ones too), but it doesn't matter--these arrangements are moving, ethereal, and definitely out of this world.
posted by Aanidaani at 1:19 PM on September 5, 2009

Why not make your own theme tune for going to Mars?
posted by Sova at 1:21 PM on September 5, 2009

Holst, "The Planets"
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:26 PM on September 5, 2009

I believe Also Sprach Zarathustra is the canonical soundtrack of space, due to its use in the 2001 opening sequence.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:31 PM on September 5, 2009

Apparently the Apollo astronauts were allowed to take up one cassette of music of their choice. All but one chose country.
posted by Dr.Pill at 1:35 PM on September 5, 2009

The soundtrack to the movie Sunshine might fit the bill.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:35 PM on September 5, 2009

Maybe it doesn't work as well if you didn't watch the show, but the soundtrack to Cosmos always does it for me.
posted by sapere aude at 1:37 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

Previously, previously.
posted by Jaltcoh at 1:49 PM on September 5, 2009

The Mars Volta springs to mind they have several longer songs. Also if you are going for an electronic music sound I would look for some Roni Size Reprazents for some futuristic sounding jungle
posted by bravowhiskey at 2:07 PM on September 5, 2009

Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question
posted by verstegan at 2:10 PM on September 5, 2009

Personally, Pink Floyd's Echoes, from the album Meddle makes me think of space flight. Possibly because I heard a rumor that it was intended to be used in 2001.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 2:46 PM on September 5, 2009

For that sense of pure wonder and optimism about space travel you can't really improve on Tom Glazer performing Up There on an old LP from the dawn of the Space Age. I've used it to end more mix CDs than I care to mention.
posted by contraption at 3:18 PM on September 5, 2009

Oops, I guess that site has some kinda problem with direct links. Click the second link and then browse to "Why Go Up There" on the first LP for the mp3.
posted by contraption at 3:19 PM on September 5, 2009

Aaron Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man is appropriate for any occasion where ordinary people do extraordinary things, like fly in space.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:25 PM on September 5, 2009

Please don't use Also Sprach Zarathustra - it's such a cliche now. Every documentary that mentions space has this in the background.
posted by stenoboy at 3:39 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

Tomita was mentioned in a previous AskMe; it's early synthesizer stuff but very well done, and definitely awe-evoking.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 3:47 PM on September 5, 2009

Get the Spiritualized album "Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space."
posted by paperzach at 3:49 PM on September 5, 2009

Seconding Also Sprach Zarathustra. And thirding and fourthing.

Some other good ones are also from the Space Odyssey: 2001 soundtrack, like Gyorgy Ligeti's Atmospheres, and Lux Aeterna. To me they sound enormous and spine-chilling, very evocative of strange new horizons and the vastness of space.

I think Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man also conveys an awesome dawn-of-an-era-for-humanity feeling.

If The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky wasn't so heavily associated with the dinosaurs of Disney's Fantasia, it would make a great space soundtrack.

Debussy's Clouds (from his Nocturne) is a wonderful, mysterious, beautiful and spooky piece that has always reminded me of space travel - I think it would be great as part of a space soundtrack.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 4:10 PM on September 5, 2009

Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is some of the most inspiring music I've heard.

Which is not to deprecate Mozart and Handel and Beethoven and Lennon/McCartney and that crowd.
posted by bryon at 6:14 PM on September 5, 2009

If Metal is your vibe, I would suggest the album "Cosmic Genesis" by Swedish artist Vintersorg. Here's a couple sample tracks:

Vintersorg - Cosmic Genesis

Vintersorg - A Dialog With The Stars

Vintersorg - The Enigmatic Spirit

The whole album is astonomy themed, dedicated to Carl Sagan.

For a more fantastical, sci-fi/fantasy theme I might also suggest Italian artists Luca Turilli's "Prophet Of The Last Eclipse" which is symphonic and bombastic Space Opera..

Luca Turilli - Prophet Of The Last Eclipse

Luca Turilli - War Of The Universe
posted by mediocre at 6:29 PM on September 5, 2009

Stars of the Lid, and Their Refinement of the Decline. This album evokes space better than any other I know. Like floating through a nebula...
posted by fhangler at 6:52 PM on September 5, 2009

Probably the wrong thing altogether, but I can't help but think of Yakko's Universe Song from Animaniacs.
posted by knile at 7:06 PM on September 5, 2009

I've got to second Apollo. Amazing album.
posted by glider at 7:24 PM on September 5, 2009

The Songs of Distant Earth is the 16th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1994. It is based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel Songs of Distant Earth. Very good album.

Also, a song called "Space Manoeuvres" by Quiver mixed better than the original on Sasha and Digweed's Northern Exposure Expiditions. Great song.
posted by Dave. at 8:26 PM on September 5, 2009

Biosphere's Autour de la Lune
posted by RGD at 8:32 PM on September 5, 2009

The always incredible Soma FM recently added a channel Mission Control: Celebrating NASA and Space Explorers everywhere. It's described as "Space Shuttle Discovery STS-128 live mission audio mixed with electronic ambient music" so I don't know if it's temporary or not.

Also, it maybe a bit more ambient than what you are looking for, but Space Station Soma would provide a pretty choice soundtrack for a mars mission (well, one with a trippy 2001 vibe anyway).
posted by sloe at 8:48 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

SomaFM's Mission Control and Space Station Soma are 24/7 internet radio stations dedicated to spacey music. Blue Mars is also good.
posted by ollyollyoxenfree at 8:51 PM on September 5, 2009

Damn, should have previewed. What Sloe said.
posted by ollyollyoxenfree at 8:52 PM on September 5, 2009

Here are some good spacey albums I found on SomaFM:

Alpha Wave Movement - The Edge of Infinity (youtube song: Binary Code 51)

Autechre - Quaristice (youtube song: Notwo)

Global Communication - 76:14 (Youtube song: 8:07)

Steve Roach - The Magnificent Void (youtube: Void Memory One)
posted by ollyollyoxenfree at 9:09 PM on September 5, 2009

Peter Schilling - "Major Tom (Coming Home)" in English or German.
posted by SisterHavana at 10:30 PM on September 5, 2009

"Planet" by The Sugarcubes -- lovely and enthusiastic -- is what I'd listen to as I rocketed toward Mars and its environs.
posted by vespertine at 11:43 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have an affinity for ambient/electronic "space music" mixes and have collected quite a few. Ditto for the previous recommendation of "Space Manoeuvres". For me, "100 Billion Stars" by Lux(youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m--pmX7Fl90) would be my preferred song to play while launching into space. It sounds slow, trippy, fractal, and expansive.
posted by archae at 12:23 AM on September 6, 2009

The Universe's The Outer Void Intrepid Sailor makes me feel exactly like this.
posted by yaymukund at 1:59 AM on September 6, 2009

"Spaceman" by Harry Nilsson.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:56 AM on September 6, 2009