52 T2: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Description
This article is from the SF references in music List FAQ, by Rich Kulawiec rsk@gsp.org with numerous contributions by others.
52 T2: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Tomita, Isao:
Highly influential electronic musician whose works often have SF themes
or are derived from SF sources. Some citations by album:
Kosmos: "Star Wars Theme," by John Williams and "A Space Fantasy"
based on "Also Spracht Zarathustra" (R. Strauss) and
"Die Valkure" (Wagner). "The Sea Named Solaris," which is Tomita's
tribute to the Russian SF film "Solaris". The movie is about a planet
covered by a sea of lava that seems to be sentient. Cosmonauts
establish a station to study the sea, and the sea studies them by
reincarnating dead loved ones from the cosmonauts' past.
The Planets: Holst's superb work depicted as a travel through the
solar system.
"Firebird" includes Moussorgsky's classic "Night on Bald Mountain,"
which is about a witches' sabbath.
The Bermuda Triangle: A very complex work featuring compositions by
Prokofiev, Sibelius and others. The album's concept suggests that
there is a connection between the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon and
aliens visiting from outer space. The work also includes a section
with Tomita's electronic version of the famous musical dialogue with
the alien spaceship from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
(Thanks to Gilead Limor and Kendal Stitzel for the writeup on Tomita.)
Tonio K:
"Mars Needs Women" from "La Bomba". "Life in the Foodchain" has the
songs "How Come I Can't See You in My Mirror?" (Answer: because the
subject is a vampire.)
Too Much Joy:
Album "Cereal Killers" has "Goodbye Ohio" about an
astronaut who never got to go into space, and "Pride of Frankenstein"
about surviving the villagers' scorn for those who are different.
Tornados:
"Telstar", a great surf-style instrumental from the 60's, composed
for the launch of the Telstar satellite.
Die Toten Hosen:
A German punk band. Their album "Eine kleine Horrorshow" is an
interpretation of Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange", the
novel which Stanley Kubrick made into film.
("Tote Hose" translates to "dead pants", which is a German
slang expression for "nothing going on". Thanks to Thomas Koenig
for pointing this out, and to Horst Kiehl getting the grammar right. :-) )
Toto:
Several tracks of the "Hydra" and "Isolation" albums have SF themes;
they also handled the soundtrack for "Dune".
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