Sci-Fi Music

[trekjiro]

I have a few q's about music in Sci-Fi.

1) I was wondering what constitutes 'Sci-Fi' music? Is it a genre? Is it restricted to movie-orchestra productions for movies or tv only? Is it a particular instrument(s)? Is it also modern/rock, etc?

2) What bands or singers would you consider to be under the 'sci-fi' genre?
Name your favorite bands/singers in this category.

3) Would it be a stretch to have a modern-rock theme song for a Star Trek or any other Sci-Fi movie?

During a behind the scenes in one of the ST movies, i noticed Rush being played while the guys were working on the set. I would consider them a 'sci-fi' band.

 

[Hyperspace05]

There is no 'sci-fi' musical genre.
- Some of the best sci-fi movies have had classical scores
- electronic/dance music is sometimes used in films with a historical setting

 

[Christopher]

3) Would it be a stretch to have a modern-rock theme song for a Star Trek or any other Sci-Fi movie?

Well, the original Star Trek theme was in the style of the popular (pre-rock) songs and dance music of the '60s -- basically a pastiche of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and "Begin the Beguine" with a bit of bossa nova rhythm. So it was "modern" for its day (at least in terms of the music that respectable adults of the day considered current; their kids probably disagreed). And of course Enterprise had "Faith of the Heart."

Personally, though, I think currently popular music is generally a poor choice for an SF production set in the future, because it dates it.

 

[Australis]

Hawkwind. Been around for decades. Some albums are good, some... not. Heavily influenced in the 70s by Michael Moorcock's novels.

Albums I liked
Warrior on the Edge of Time (based on Moorcock's Eternal Champion)
The Xenon Codex (has one of their nuttiest songs, 'Good Morning')
Astounding Sounds Amazing Music
Quark Strangeness and Charm (has a song, 'Damnation Alley', based on Zelazny's novel)
Live 79
PXR5
Choose Your Masques (which has the song 'Farenheit 451')

 

[Goliath]

I can think of only one instrument that is strongly associated with sci-fi: the theremin.

 

[Mistral]

Alan Parsons Project did themed music back in the day. I, Robot was one of their albums. If I was to pick non-orchestrated sci-fi music I'd probably go with:

some of David Bowie's stuff
Pink Floyd
ELP
Alan Parsons
Jean-Michael Jarre
the album Tubular Bells
Joe Satriani's stuff
for fantasy-Led Zep, considering all of the Tolkein references
RUSH

off the top of my head....


As for a modern theme song for a scifi flick/series-I could picture something by Smashing Pumpkins fitting the bill

 

[trekjiro]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Another band that comes to mind that is heavily influenced in Sci-Fi imagery/sound is Fear Factory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBaNf6Jk5rM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1reT2HESYw&feature=related

 

[MyCylon]

Ayreon comes to mind. The project tells the story of a civilization bereft of emotion, dying. They commence a project to study human emotion and examine the human condition through the "Universal Migrator" which is something like a time / space travel device that allows 'preincarnation.'

There's some more information on Wikipedia.

The story is told in the progressive metal genre and covers several albums. I believe the first two don't deal with the Universal Migrator (I haven't heard them myself) but I'll list them here anyway:
- The Final Experiment (1995)
- Actual Fantasy (1996)
- Into the Electric Castle (1998)
- Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer (2000)
- Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator (2000)
- The Human Equation (2004)
- 01011001 (2008)

I personally think that "Into the Electric Castle" is excellent. Definitely recommended. "Flight of the Migrator" and "The Human Equation" are also very good. The others are definitely listenable but not quite on par, I think.

 

[Dane_Whitman]

Hawkwind.

Hell yeah. The quintessential space rock band. I love their live double album "Space Ritual".


Other music that would qualify as 'sci-fi music':

German kraut from the '70s, on the electronic end of the spectrum ---> Tangerine Dream "Phaedra" for example, and the group Harmonia. Lots of synthesizers. Moog albums from the '70s.

Bernard Herrmann's score for "The Day The Earth Stood Still" evokes a very strong sci-fi atmosphere due to it's heavy use of the theremin.

 

[Goliath]

Another band that comes to mind that is heavily influenced in Sci-Fi imagery/sound is Fear Factory.

If that's the sort of thing you're looking for, then I would recommend the music of Front Line Assembly.

Their 1992 single "Minphaser," for example, uses samples from Robocop 2, while the video incorportaes footage from a Japanese sci-fi film, Gunhead.

Coincidentally enough, FLA collaborated with Fear Factory on Fear is the Mindkiller, an ep of remixes from their album Soul of a New Machine.

They also have a side project called Delirium, and put out a couple of albums of very sci-fi instrumental electronic music, Spheres Vols. 1 and 2. Most of the tracks from these albums are now available on the disc Archives, Vol. 2.