There is no sound in space, of course, and yet over the years certain conventions have grown up, especially in film, as composers and sound effects people have tried to provide aural equivalents to the sights of stars and planets moving through the void. By now, listeners "know" what space sounds like, and Jonn Serrie's series of albums, some of their material drawn from the soundscapes he has developed for planetarium shows, well represent these impressions. In the slow-moving patterns, bits of melody and rhythm are heard here and there, but most of the music is open-ended: if not formless, it nevertheless employs loose structures in which moods or themes can stretch or be abruptly terminated. Century Seasons is a two-disc compilation in which tracks from earlier Serrie albums have been remixed and woven together to create a lengthy journey through musical space…
Since the late 90s, Amorphous Androgynmous AKA The Future Sound Of London AKA Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans have been weaving together two-hour broadcasts of their favourite records that could be loosely classed as 'Cosmic Space Music'. After ten years of messing with our heads via the wireless, they now pick their choicest mind-melting moments on what promises to be a fine series of double CDs. It's a collection that perfectly runs the gauntlet from kitsch (Lord Sitar's I Am The Walrus) to uber cool (Miles Davis or Can). Donovan, Osibisa, Can, Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Hawkwind and many more.
"Celestis: Space Ceremonial Music" definitely stands out in the discography of this project, known mainly for its post-industrial and avant-garde recordings. It would be no exaggeration to say that this is their most accessible work (in a good sense) correlating with the best examples of such acclaimed masters of the "space genre" as Jean-Michel Jarre or Klaus Schulze. At the same time the music on "Celestis" is in no way secondary, it is modern and quite craftily made. From the opening theme "Capsula" the album's atmosphere plunges the listener into a world of spiritual experience, calls to take an imaginary space travel; fly towards Space along with the remains held in capsulas…
Constance Demby is one of the few representatives of the New Age movement (in both her music and her personal philosophies) who consistently creates artistic, highly expressive compositions. Demby was trained in classical music as a child, and her artistic spirit led her to also master several other art forms; at the University of Michigan, she studied painting, sculpture, and music. It was her work as a sculptor that led her to new dimensions of sound. As she was torching a sheet of metal, it roared thunderously, and thus was born the Sonic Steel Instruments: the Whale Sail, and the Space Bass, enormous bowed instruments with deep archetypal resonances.
Sailing around Neptune, visiting a mysterious seventh planet, cruising around Orion and exploring the ends of the universe are the many places this space music goes. The composer, Mark Petersen, uses emulator and synthesizer voices to create his unique brand of planetarium space music. The music portrays magnificent visions of the universe. Relaxing, yet stimulating, the styles include traditional space music, which is ethereal, beautiful and floating, as well as more dynamic and rhythmic works with rich textures. All of the pieces on this album were composed as soundtrack music for planetarium shows, but are fantastic for space enthusiasts all over.
Deep Skies 1: Light From Orion (2003). Forming the first release in Kevin Kendle's exciting new Deep Skies series, this is music inspired by the constellation of Orion. Orion contains some amazing features - supergiant stars, beautiful star-forming nebulae - these were the inspiration behind the amazing sounds on this album. All the hallmarks of the finest American space synth music pioneers of the mid-late eighties, combined with the best influences of artists such as Serrie and Stearns. But the sheer magical feel and atmosphere of the music sets it apart from even those great musicians…
Cyber Zen Sound Engine is a duo from Houston consisting of GraceNoteX and Smith6079, who produce soft space music built around slowly pulsing hypnotic sequences. The music that comprises Moonscapes: How Stones Become Enlightened grew out of two and a half hours of evolving ambient music first composed and recorded for an art gallery in Houston. The work was so well-received that they extracted 13 passages from the initial compositions and created arrangements so that they could become distinct pieces. Moonscapes… is a very unique recording. These guys have really struck something with this work. Moonscapes… is a very tranquil and minimalistic recording that's both evocative and provocative…
Theta Wave Orchestra (Brin Coleman) is a prolific ambient, shoegaze musician and producer from Manchester, UK. Deeply chilled ambient music for drifting through space.
One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK’s festival scene, Ozric Tentacles formed during the solstice at Stonehenge Free Festival 1983 going on to become psychedelic staples at Glastonbury and other festivals. The creative vision of multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne, the Ozrics’ uniquely trippy soundscapes connect fans of progressive rock, psychedelia and dance music culture. Space For The Earth represents the next harmonic step in the unfolding Ozric journey.