Songs and Albums for Orion's Arm
by Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
Some of these are just songs, others full albums, I was going to put them separately but then I couldn't be arsed- ESB.
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Songs and Albums for Orion's Armby Ernst Stavro Blofeld.Some of these are just songs, others full albums, I was going to put them separately but then I couldn't be arsed- ESB. |
"Orion"- Metallica.
Hehe, yeah I know, but there's more to it than the name. It's actually one of their better pieces, from arguably their finest album, Master of Puppets. (As in I'm in no mood to patiently argue with those who think it otherwise). Far as I'm concerned it's Wagner with powerchords. I'd like to believe, that sometime after the GAIA's purging, of those left behind, 50% of them will still be listening to that album. I'd be surprised, that in certain corners of the galaxy, the overgrown 80's mullet meme will ever die away. I oh so wish they had have recorded a version of it with Michael Kamen for the S&M album. Honourable mention to Call of Kthulu (which does appear on it). And not just because it mentions Cthulu.
"The Planets"- Holst.
It's obvious really, and more than a little clichéd when you think about it.
But then it makes perfect sense when you listen to it.
"My Kingdom"- Future Sound of London:
A truly ingenious track taken from the "Dead Cities" album. Incorporating samples of Ozric Tentacles, Ennio Morricone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" and Vangelis' "Rachel's Song" from Bladerunner. Blended with all manner of haunting atmospheric synths and sounds. All in one song yes. It's a classic piece of soundtrack techno. Invocative of desolate planetoids and treacherous star systems. Which brings me nicely to…
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (theme)- Ennio Morricone.
If there were an 'Ultimate Desert' album then this would be on it. Sure, you might think of Clint Eastwood, or a space cowboy of your choice. Imagine the rusty sands of Mars, or that harmonica (as sampled by the Orb, to name a few), reverberating thru the metallic husk of a ghost ship, adrift in the recesses of the periphery…
"Arabian Dance"- Tchaikovsky
One of my favourite pieces of classical music. From the Nutcracker suite.
Just imagine the dance of distant nebula, as a small craft ponderously weaves between the milky stars...
"The cosmic ballet continues"- Leonard Nimoy. (in a Simpsons episode)
"Set controls for the Heart of the Sun"- Pink Floyd:
From the album "Ummagumma."
I first thought of the intro to "Wish You Were Here", I felt I had to have a bit of Floyd in there somewhere. I settled on this. An oh-so outlandish creation of Syd Barret as only he could. Imagine a dusty rock, swarmed with hungry nomads. Plagued by nannite swarms that send them steadily into the throes of tempests of sporadic lunacy. Kinda like the man who wrote it, except his were more permanent. Honourable mention to "Interstellar Overdrive", which does pretty much the same thing to me.
"Theme to the Black Hole"- John Barry:
I love this movie. And Maximillian, woo, he still scares me! Perhaps one of the most un-Disney of all Disney's projects.
The theme itself is a somewhat depressing affair. It gives both a sensation of the majesty of deep space, but also of its infinite size. The cadence of never-ending nothingness, paired with the vision of a craft ploughing endlessly through the depths of the galaxy. Concentrate, and you'll see it too. See it?
Classic stuff!
(Space Walk theme) from "You Only Live Twice"- John Barry.
Ok, ok, so I like John Barry. Sue me. To be honest John Barry is one of my favourite artists, having done everything from Dances with Wolves to Bruce Lee's Game of Death. He is probably most famous, however, for scoring most of the Bond films. And this piece here is undoubtedly my favourite piece in all of the movies. Watch those Russian cosmonauts get eaten up by a gigantic SPECTRE spacecraft- hehe, yeah! Me and old Bond flix I could go on and on…
(May I also give an honourable (and blatantly obvious) mention to his "Moonraker" score.)
"EVA"- Jean Jacques Perry.
As sampled to fine effect by hip-hoppers Gangstarr. A real funky choon.
Folk might wonder why I put it here? Why it's the perfect soundtrack for your splice-fetish porno virching of course. Mee-OWWW baby!
"Muzik"- Plastikman.
Richie Hawtin hails from Windsor, Ontario, right on the US border. As a kid he used to sneak over to neighbouring Detroit and become immersed in the Motor City's cray-zee nu music. Detroit's sound was once Motown, but the soul had been assimilated. Detroit was now Technotown. And young Richie was assimilated from an early age. Richie Hawtin, as a DJ, plays the most hard, vicious inhuman sets of pounding, minimalistic, lockjaw techno (whinging, whining soulful house this ain't!). As FUSE he unleashed some of the hardest acid sounds that my now-brittle mind ever ingested. And as Plastikman, he created an entirely alien sound, unlike anything before, during or since. His first album was distributed with a fake blotter of acid embossed with his logo. It looked quite convincing however, as one hapless fan found out when his car was searched. His second album was Muzik. And it's regularly spun on my decks for over 6 years.
Muzik sounds like it wasn't so much created with a sequencer, as with a nanno-assembler. It's sharp and shrill, like the frantic copulation of robotic insects, while the sub-bass, like the serpents of Hades undulates underneath. This album still remains cutting edge- cutting as in an industrial laser, edge, as in monomolecular. And spaced out? Oh man, don't do what I did or you'll loose yer fucking mind forever!
"2001- A Space Odyssey" (Soundtrack) - Gyogy Ligeti/ Aram Khatcharturian/ Shitloads 'o Strauss.
Ah, I think we probably all love this movie here, and we all keep the fact that we don't understand the ending a secret.
Of course there's the obvious classical pieces, but there's also some of the trippiest music the world has ever heard. Consider that weird choral warbling that creeps in as Dr Floyd and the Clavius posse come close to the monolith- you just know there's trouble…
Shit who spilt beer on the AE35?!
New Worlds Theme (finale) from 2010 -Craig Huxley and David Shire.
Ah, some days you just can't get rid of a monolith! Quite a nice piece also. I can't be arsed going into it in detail HAL.
Alien (end title)- Jerry Goldsmith.
Just like HR Geiger's fearsome creation, this piece seems to meander erratically and turn down new melodious corridors where one last expects it. Quite an empty piece, emptiness of space, I've mentioned this lark b4 ain't I? Well, I'll mention it again won't I! Ever been in space? Pretty empty. And y'know, no matter how loud you scream, no-one's gonna hear ya!
"Selected Ambient Works II" -Aphex Twin.
Richard D. James, (aka Aphex Twin, aka Polygon Window, aka a million other things) is one of the dance scene's most celebrated mavericks. He's made a career out of selling people the most horrendous pieces of crap that ever dared to be called music. But then again, he has arguably, made some of the most important music of the last decade. Remarkable, original, beautiful and otherworldly melodies, mostly pulverised by grating, excruciating, distorted, overwhelming metallic percussion, seismic shudders of raw analogue bass and ear-piercing squeaks and squawks. All this in the first 2 minutes of a song. And that's not the fun part. The fun part is the money it makes him.
This album, his less-celibrated, 2nd Ambient Works outing, while unconsciously or not, a parody on the ambient scene popular at the time, throws up a welcome number of gems. None of the tracks have names, but correspond to photos on the inlay card. I've read about it on the internet but I could never make sense of it. And so I cannot tell you which are which.
These pieces are simple minimal melodious repetitions. Like the fractal ululations of alien intelligence, or the resonant droning of starship engines. Once again, it's Aphex Twin, so you take the good, and the really good, with the bad, and the downright diabolical. In this particular portion of sonic space, no one will ever hear you scream. (Honourable mention to the new drukqs album, which ignores the last two albums and picks up where SAW2 left off.)
"Sun Progress"- Air Liquide (Rising High records)
Air Liquide are a German group who incorporate ambient, techno and dub sonix but infuse them in a way that's unique, and often, quite disturbing. Truth be told I just picked this song for the name. Air Liquide in general are about as spaced out as music could ever become. At least our with current technology.
"Soundtrack to Akira"- Shoji Yamashiro
If you think that name's a mouthful then let me tell you the album itself is a mindfull.
Like Reich, or Morricone. But then again nothing like them at the same time.
While definitely capable of being classified as new age, or ambient, it could hardly be considered 'easy listening'.
There's a definite minimalist ethos to these pieces. The rhythms and melodies seem somewhat scattered, but then, gradually as more pieces are added the puzzle begins to solve itself. And then, it begins to change and meander into deeper, stranger patterns. With futuristic mantras, like chants to a cyber-Buddha, Kodo drumming, gamelan percussion, eerie electronica, and bizarre, grunting Kabuki-esque vocals. An example of sense in chaos. Very Zen sez he.
(Just about everything)- Biosphere.
Biosphere, aka Geir Jenssen, hails from Norway, and I don't think he's human. Firstly, he lives too far above the artic circle to be even remotely comfortable. And it's these very glacial surroundings that inspire his music. With the exception of his surprise hit, "Novelty Waves" (a more danceable tune used in an old Levi's commercial) his music is what could only be described as ambient. Not in a namby-pambient way, there's no meandering chords, no LFO noodling and synthisiser masturbation. No whale noises or miscellaneous aquatic flatulence. This is stirring, and powerful while being almost childishly simplistic. This was the man who changed my opinions towards ambient music. Biosphere is beautiful in the same way that a snowflake or a piece of polished quartz is beautiful. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be cryo-frozen ears 1st? Then check out some of his crystalline symphonies for yourself.
"Spanners" - Black Dog. (Warp records)
I'll never forget asking the dude in the record shop to put this record on. The looks I got
were some of the strangest I've ever recieved. (And believe me, I've had my fair share) In
fact it was a matter of serious contention between myself and a friend as to whether as to
play the record @ 33 or 45 speed. It didn't seem to make much difference.
Industrial jazz rhythms strangle soft and dreamlike melody, strange acid noises coil around
your ears like silvery anacondas, pharoh phunk, samba from alpha centauri- this might all be
just one track. All in all it makes for some of the strangest music you're ever likely to
hear. And then some.
If Han Solo took MDMA and mescaline and then sauntered into the cantina, in an hour's time
this would be exactly what he hears.
"The Becoming"- Nine Inch Nails.
From The Downward Spiral. Another slab of artful industrial misery from Mr. Sunshine himself, Trent Reznor.
Listen to the lyrics (or read them here http://www.nineinchnails.net/lyricshalo8-7.html) If this isn't a cyborg anthym I don't know what is.
"The 5th Element Soundtrack" - Eric Serra.
Somewhat demented, I dare say, this techno/orchestral collection jerks from
sweet, lush ambient textures, to orchestral/industrial tension, to eastern
ethnictricity, to dub 24th centurydub-reggae, mutated tek-opera and Chris
Tucker's unique squeak-hop.
"Cyborg"- Frank Zappa.
From the album "Joe's Apartment".
All about falling in love with an erotic fukbot, then fucking it in its
rectal region too hard and causing it to malfunction and die.
Yeah, it's a common problem in the OA universe.
