Much of our experience of science fiction tv and film is the music! In my exploration this week, I was curious what it is that characterizes sf soundtracks. What makes music “futuristic”? How were the sounds of early sf created?

Through my exploration I was struck by the idea that as the popular culture of the mid-20th century was exploring what it is to be human through an imagination of the future, the future of music was being made in order to suit those explorations. The BBC actually created the “Radiophonic Workshop” specifically to develop new techniques of making sound. As Mark Ayres put in an interview (“BBC Radiophonic Workshop: A Journey Through Time“), “If you wanted the sound effect of a car crash or a door opening, you could go to a sound effects library. If you wanted the sound effect of someone having a mental breakdown, you needed something a bit more creative.” Out of this workshop came the iconic Dr. Who theme song which was created by looping recordings of recordings and splicing the tape in just the right way. The BBC Radiophonic Workshop went on to be pioneers in electronic music, inspiring artists such as Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix (who are both featured in our class Spotify playlist)!

Other methods for creating science fiction sounds come from physical musical instruments. One of these in particular blew my mind. The theremin creates a sound that is heavily reminiscent of sf films mostly because of its prominence in the classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. It is somehow played without any physical touch as it uses electromagnetic currents to create a sounds whose pitch and volume are controlled by the proximity of the player’s hands to two antennas. I guess it must be “sufficiently advanced technology” cause it seems pretty magical to me. Here is a video of Coralie Ehinger playing the theremin in an arrangement of the prelude. Enjoy!