Photo: 4AD Records
Four top-class musicians, who you might not have imagined collaborating: Bryce Dessner of The National, drummer James McAlister, contemporary classical composer Nico Muhly, and singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens.
The project: "Planetarium" ... a studio album inspired by the solar system.
As William says in this programme, it's "an album that, in the words of one writer, 'embraces the way that space serves as humankind's depository of stray ideas and symbols'. The word mysteries could have been added here, as the album throws up a few question marks for the casual listener. But there's no denying that these four men concoct some psyche-shaking atmospherics."
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Music Details
'Song title' (Composer) – Performers
Album title
(Label)
'Lunar Rhapsody' (Revel) – Les Baxter Orchestra and Chorus w/ Dr Samuel J Hoffman (theremin)
Music Out Of The Moon
(Real Gone Jazz)
'Black Energy' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Sun' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Neptune' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Pluto' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Kuiper Belt' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Earth' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
'Mercury' (Stevens et al) – Bryce Dessner, James McAlister, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens
Planetarium
(4AD)
