Search - Various Artists :: Listen to the Future (Soundtrack)

A Different Drum is proud to present this unique collaborative project featuring original short stories and accompanying theme songs. As a fan of both electronic pop music (synthpop) and science fiction, we felt that the two pop art forms would be natural partners. Synthpop is a genre which has often been viewed as "futuristic" because its musical foundation is based in the creative use of technology. The synthpop composer uses the latest computer hardware, software, samplers, and other electronic musical devices to build a unique instrumental background, while adding the traditional pop elements of melody, verses, a chorus, etc. This combination helps to create a song which seems futuristic, while remaining rooted in the familiar pop tradition. Similarly, science fiction is a literary genre which builds upon the familiar styles and structures of popular fiction, but stretches the subject matter into the realms of science, imagination, and futuristic speculation. In that way, science fiction and synthpop seem to have a lot of common ground, which is probably why you can often find science fiction themes embedded within synthpop songs. As we considered the best way to create the "Listen to the Future" project, it was decided that we would first invite aspiring authors to contribute short stories. Then those stories would be presented to the participating synthpop bands. The story would inspire the song or instrumentation that would then become the accompanying partner for the story. The vision was similar to that of a movie soundtrack or music video, where the music could contribute to the mood and vision of the story. We felt that the combination of song and story would even be an interesting (and hopefully pleasant) surprise to the authors, as they are presented with an outside musical interpretation of their literary idea.