Space is the place

Since the space craze of the 1960s and its impact on pop culture, countless composers all over the globe have imagined the sound of outer space, filling what is in fact a soundless vacuum with a variety of swirling blips and beeps, suspenseful and airy synthesizers, and other electronic sounds that have become the signifiers of “spaciness”.

Like their foreign colleagues, the pioneers of Italian electronic music explored the mysteries of deep space in bold new ways, creatively taking advantage of the technological innovations of their time to try and grasp the coming future.

Space gave composers like Umiliani, Canfora, Sorgini, Safred, Borgazzi and others the chance to do something new. And the music they created is still able to evoke an exciting range of scenarios, from chases across a deserted planet to dimly lit alien taverns, and from battles among asteroids to solitary space walks.

Today, this tradition of space-inspired music continues with artists like Azzurro 80, Battaglia, Larry Manteca, and Moonbrew & Paolo Apollo Negri, who are enriching it with new musical influences and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a touch of nostalgia.

This playlist will beam you into the fascinating world of Italian lunar tunes with a selection of tracks written between 1972 and the present day. Welcome to the Italian side of the moon!