Great Sci-Fi Soundtracks

[Clockworkbot]

Hi all

Recently I randomly downloaded the Blade Runner Soundtrack (by Vangelis) and I've been hooked on it - something about the eerie synth mixed with the samples from the film and random period/world influences make it brilliantly evocative of classic sci fi.

Has anyone got recommendations for other good sci fi soundtracks? For some reason I massivle enjoy listening to it whilst reading/working/walking around the city at night, as rain falls....

 

[Carolyn Hill]

I saw the title of your thread and jumped in to say Bladerunner -- which doesn't help.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Hans Zimmer is a modern favourite, especially the soundtrack to Inception.

 

[J Riff]

There's plenty, and there are comps on YouTube of scfi/monster themes that are fun. It's also fun to sAmple the actual soundtrack from the movie - try the first ten min. of Alien for ex. It sounds great with the odd sound fx in there. Wall-E has some stuff. Mainly soundtrax are made to more or less dissapeaR, as in no strong melodies or clear-cut chords... so's not to distract, so they try to create mood n' atmosphere, which can be great b/g music for writing. What else is out there I dunno but the military drum section of Aliens is very cool too.

 

[ralphkern]

Bear Mccreary does some excellent ones. He did many of the BSG tracks.

 

[Rodders]

Great topic.

You can't talk soundtracks without mentioning John Williams. My favourite is the Empire Strikes Back. Beautiful.

Also, I'm into synth music anyway so I would third Balde Runner, but also add the Terminator by Brad Fiedel and Escape from New York by John Carpenter.

The Aliens soundtrack by James Horner was pretty cool, too.

 

[Zoe Mackay]

Not a film, but many of the Christopher Franke compositions for Babylon 5 are excellent.

 

[Droflet]

James Horner again, Star Trek 2.

 

[BAYLOR]

The music from the original Outer Limits

 

[Clockworkbot]

Great stuff. I feel like there are almost a couple of categories - the original classical score type soundtracks, a la John Williams and Zimmer (bit of a cliche but Gladiator is a favourite of mine there) - and the the more synthy ones. @Rodders will check out Terminator and EFNY, thanks.

And...man, the Blade Runner music is so good. Any favourite tracks? I'm torn between 'Blush Response' and 'Memories of Green'...

 

[Vaz]

Tom Twyker The Cloud Atlas soundtrack is beautiful, also yes Hans Zimmer especially his Interstellar soundtrack.

 

[Rodders]

Tangerine Dream's soundtrack to Legend was pretty good and Stepehen King's Fire Start is excellent. Showing my age somewhat, but I have the LP's at home.

Rocky Horror Picture Show. (That must count as an SF soundtrack.)

A guilty pleasure is Silent Running. Especially the bit where Lowell is preparing his food and the camera pulls back to reveal the Valley Forge. Wonderful piece of music.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Not a film, but many of the Christopher Franke compositions for Babylon 5 are excellent.

Found it really hard to get these.

Also, a personal fave - Basil Poledouris. His soundtrack to the original Conan the Barbarian is without equal, but his Starship Troopers is pretty decent, too.

 

[Jennifer L. Carson]

Hans Zimmer is a modern favourite, especially the soundtrack to Inception.

I second Hans Zimmer. I check out everything he does. And Inception is fantastic. I do a lot of writing to that one.

 

[Jennifer L. Carson]

Tangerine Dream's soundtrack to Legend was pretty good and Stepehen King's Fire Start is excellent. Showing my age somewhat, but I have the LP's at home.

Rocky Horror Picture Show. (That must count as an SF soundtrack.)

I didn't know Tangerine Dream did Legend. I used to listen to them a lot, will have to check it out. And of course...RHPS, love that one.

I'll have to check out Blade Runner.

As someone mentioned, kind of an ambiguous theme as to how far it goes. I got a lot of new music from the TV show Haven...thought I can't think of what right now. They had really good people picking music and I often found myself running to the computer to look up the songs they used.

I fell in love with the song Running up that Hill when I heard it on Warehouse 13 (Track and Field version). Found out another version was used on Vampire Diaries (Placebo). I got both. Good think it's not a record or I'd have worn it out!

 

[ratsy]

I really need to start using some of this while I write. I either just put on random classical, or something like indie folk really low.

 

[Jennifer L. Carson]

I love to write to music, too Ratsy. Really gets me in that altered states zone.

I have several writing playlists.
I have the generic Writing one where I just dump stuff that I like. I talked above about getting music from TV shows. Civil Twilight's song Letters from the Sky I got off some TV show...but can't remember which. It and the song Human have been on over 25 broadcasts. Another group I discovered via TV that I like to write to is Thirty Seconds to Mars. I looked them up after seeing a commercial for the Arrow and Flash tv shows (if you want to see it:

). That song was Birth, but I like others of theirs even more.

Then I have the Writing Fighting which has more aggressive music. It's not from any soundtrack that I know of, but I like Nox Arcana's Highland Storm and Steeds of Thunder. Heather Alexander does a great one called March of Cambreadth, which has the lyric line of "How many of them can we make die"-- Nice rousing music for a good fantasy fight scene.

And I have Writing Romance, which has a lot of Lorena McKennit in it. I especially like The Visit album. She did one of the hits on a Highlander soundtrack, too. The song Bonny Portmore is just gorgeous. My latest discover is For King and Country, Proof of Your Love.

I have a couple of other playlists, but you get the idea.

 

[Rodders]

Not a film, but many of the Christopher Franke compositions for Babylon 5 are excellent.

I have two of these in my collection somewhere and you're right, they were superb.

I never got around to collecting the others.

I also think that Kevin Kiner's doing a great job of the Clone Wars soundtrack. He has some big shoes to fill and he's filling them nicely. I don't want to sound morbid, but do you think it's succession planning by Lucasfilm?

 

[Jennifer L. Carson]

Oh yeah, Last of the Mohicans is a great emotional sound track to write to. It's been a staple of mine for years.

 

[Vince W]

Superman: The Movie soundtrack by John Williams. I bet you're humming the main theme right now.