Decca Records has released Juno To Jupiter, the latest album by Academy Award-winning composer and synthesist Vangelis.
The album grew out of the composer’s interest in space exploration and his ongoing work with NASA and its European counterpart, ESA. Juno To Jupiter is inspired by NASA’s Juno space probe mission to Jupiter, along with classical Greek mythology.
“I thought to put emphasis on the characteristics of Jupiter/Zeus and Hera/Juno that according to the Greek Theogony, had a special relationship,” explains Vangelis. “I felt that I should present Zeus/Jupiter only with sound, as the musical laws transform chaos into harmony, which moves everything and life itself.”
“For Hera / Juno, I felt the need for a voice. Angela Gheorghiu, represents in this historical depiction of the mission to the planet Jupiter, Hera / Juno, in a breathtaking way.”
The result is an album that could be seen as a summation of 50 years of Vangelis’s career. The music combines his ‘synthier’ space music style of ’70s works like Albedo 0.39 with the more bombastic symphonic electronica style of soundtracks like Alexander. As a result, it could be his most satisfying work in decades.
Juno To Jupiter reflects Vangelis’s style of working, improvising complete pieces at a stack of synthesizers. As a result, the music is endlessly melodic and lushly orchestrated, but also largely lacking the development and counterpoint of traditional classical music. But who else can weave together synths and symphony and opera, and take you on an hour-long voyage like Vangelis?
You can preview Juno To Jupiter via the playlist below:
The album is available now in CD and digital formats, with vinyl and a limited edition box set to follow. It’s also available in a spatial audio mix via Apple Music.
Tracks:
1. ATLAS’ PUSH
Spoken word samples courtesy of NASA
2. INSIDE OUR PERSPECTIVES
3. OUT IN SPACE
4. JUNO’S QUIET DETERMINATION
5. JUPITER’S INTUITION
6. JUNO’S POWER
7. SPACE’S MYSTERY ROAD
8. IN THE MAGIC OF COSMOS
9. JUNO’S TENDER CALL
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, as Juno
10. JUNO’S ECHOES
11. JUNO’S ETHEREAL BREEZE
12. JUPITER’S VEIL OF CLOUDS
13. HERA/JUNO QUEEN OF THE GODS
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, as Juno
14. ZEUS ALMIGHTY
15. JUPITER REX
16. JUNO’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, as Juno
17. APO 22
Spoken word samples courtesy of NASA. (*)
18. IN SERENITATEM
Anyone an idea what instruments Vangelis is playing on the picture?
He has a lot of custom-built controllers, so probably those.
To his right is a korg m3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOWB7KWS9CA
There’s a Korg M3 to his left
He’s standing on a Korg M3, there’s a korg M3 on the ceiling.
Bahaha this comment almost made me do a spit take.
It’s a midi controller, not really an instrument.
Basically two full size keyboards and a few dozen channels where he triggers his sample libraries ,VSTs and occasionally hardware with.
Everything goes through a DAW where he edit the midi and then records it.
Like a pro 🙂
https://youtu.be/UOWB7KWS9CA
needs more reverb-b-b-b-b-b
jan hammer is way better. listen to his rare track called “black mercedes”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDddvzHFv44
Extremely nice, as you’d expect from someone who has been at it since about Day Two of synthesizers. Its the somewhat neglected classical branch of electronic music.
I like some ambient, but spliced with a little assertive power like this, it steps up a lot more. “Jupiter’s Veil of Clouds” sounds like “Albedo 0.39 Mark II.”
And there was me thinking it was his long awaited Roland tribute album
this one here reminds me of John McLaughlin stuff a bit
Too clean. Hasn’t he heard of lofi?
I was hoping I’d be into this… but honestly, at its best it just makes me want to go back and listen to Albedo 0.39 or the Blade Runner soundtrack.