This has been a pet peeve of mine for decades: movies set in the future that feature a musician or band playing live music. The music never seems to escape the confines of present-day styles, although sometimes there will be some vocal effect or electronics thrown in to suggest it's futuristic. I'm thinking "Star Wars" and "Fifth Element" for starters. Can you think of any other movies that blew it, or any movies that actually got it right?
I hope music doesn't sound like this in the distant future:
The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off
"Headin' out to Eden…….."
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
I liked the Gattaca soundtrack, which seemed to posit a likely notion--that there would be classical instruments in the future and maybe nostalgia for the music of bygone eras. There was a dance/club scene, but memory is elusive as to the actual tune. There were also some orchestral arrangements that sounded a bit "off" and maybe thereby "future-y" to contemporary ears, if memory serves.
Bladerunner.
Yeah, the music of a movie always seems tied to the era the movie came back. Fifth Element was actually kind of fun, with the "diva", but it would be nice if they could actually create a soundtrack that was completely out of the box from current styles-or have it sound like Thinking Plague or something. One would think Aliens in the future would have completely different instruments that would have a completely different sound-with compositional styles that we don't hear today. I imagine its pretty tough to imagine such a thing.
My favorite was Star Trek with it's Klingon Opera. Although, Idk if that counts as futuristic.
Please don't ask questions, just use google.
Never let good music get in the way of making a profit.
I'm only here to reglaze my bathtub.
Ah, Outland, great movie... but that music is yet another example of what I complained about when I started this thread. And Blade Runner? As much as I love many Vangelis albums, I wouldn't say the music sounds substantially different from his any of his other 80's albums, except for the bizarre and wonderful "Invisible Connections" on the DGG label, which actually DOES sound like it came from the future.
Herbert.........Originally Posted by ThomasKDye
There's a reason for that -- soundtrack composers are usually hired because they have a bag of tricks which allow them to turn out evocative music to order on short notice. They're not adventurous, experimental musicians -- they're the short order cooks of the music world.
There are a few fine chefs. Mark Isham has created a ton of really fine soundtrack music, which stands on its own as music. So has Thomas Newman. A UK studio "band" called The Insects (formerly Startled Insects) as well -- but none of these is particularly sci-fi or strive in any way to create 'music of the future.'
What I hate is futuristic films that intentionally use old-timey music: Kubrick in 'Clockwork Orange' (rejecting Carlos' stunning score), David Lynch rejecting Eno's score, opting to go with Toto(?!?) for 'Dune,' Kubrick again in '2001: A Space Odyssey' (Strauss, really?), John Williams' extremely-derivative orchestral scores (for everything he's done). I think Woody Allen used ragtime in 'Sleeper.' Vangelis's score to 'Bladerunner' was at least of its time (1982) instead of a hundred years out of date.
Both the sound effects and soundtrack from the 1956 film "Forbidden Planet" were way ahead of their time.
I think there should be a futuristic movie using select tracks by the Residents. At least it's weird.
Hang on.... for all we know, some of the music used in these films might sound exactly like music will sound in the future. Think of futuristic movies that were released many years ago, so that time has caught up with them. "2001 - A Space Odyssey" is the prime example. Let's ignore for a moment the issue of how compatible the music would have been with the visuals. Suppose the score had featured similar to The Clash, Blondie, The Police, The Cars or other new Wave Bands. Or rap acts like Public Enemy or Eminem. Would we have recognised it as sounding futuristic?
If memory serves me correctly, at that time the trend appeared to be that music was headed in the direction of greater complexity and technological wizardry. Bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Focus were starting to infuse complex song structures into the public consciousness. I don't think anyone foresaw that by the end of the 1970's all that would be turned on its head and we would have a reactionary movment towards ultra-simplicity.
2001 had a perfectly good score written for it that was rejected. I wonder if Tangerine Dream was more appropriate than Jerry Goldsmith for the fantasy movie Legend; even though I like T Dream and Bryan Ferry I admire Jerry G a lot, too.
One of the very few where it was done right -- eerie, otherworldly and appropriate music. Viva the Barrons!
I knew someone would mention "Forbidden Planet", and I do love that music. However, when I started this thread, I was referring to movies that have a scene with musicians performing music, not just the background soundtrack.
let's go deep:
Here's Big Jim Sullivan on Space : 1999
This clip from 1963 Czech film Ikarie XB-1 does its best, although it does sound pretty much like avant-garde 1960s jazz rather than anything futuristic :
Probably not the best example, I grant you...
All the "futuristic" music I've ever seen in movies and shows tends to mimic either traditional classical music in some form or another, or is very progressive in nature. Personally, I would be happy with either.
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A gentleman is defined as someone who knows how to play the accordion, and doesn't.
Not sure which Strauss you're objecting to: Richard? Well I think the use of the intro to 'Thus sprach Zarathustra' is absolutely inspired and fits in perfectly with the theme of the movie.
Johann? Watch again - that space ship sequence is edited to precisely replicate a dance.
Kubrick was too great an artist to waste time trying to guess the music of the future.
Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?
Just as bad, IMO, is sci-fi that depicts the future of present-day Earth civilizations. It seems the only music and literature these future civilizations care about are 19th and 20th century products. And Shakespeare. Star Trek, in particular, is a major offender here.
It's certainly disheartening to know that nothing over the next 300+ years will be comparable to what we already have.
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