Dear listeners,
As you have probably heard, on Monday most people in the United States will be able to witness a solar eclipse that will plunge an ordinary afternoon into otherworldly darkness. Such events require planning. Where are you going to watch the eclipse? Who are you going to watch it with? And, most crucially for Amplifier purposes, what will you listen to during it?
Today’s playlist aims to get you in the mood for this rare cosmic event. It features atmospheric ambient music from Brian Eno and Julianna Barwick as well as ethereal jazz from Alice Coltrane and Amaro Freitas. I also included a few songs that refer to moons and darkness, from Cat Stevens and Will Oldham, a.k.a. Bonnie “Prince” Billy, though I stopped just short of adding Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” because I have at least some restraint.
As far as solar eclipses go, this one is relatively long: Along the totality line, the moon will block out the sun for about four minutes and 28 seconds. A few songs on this playlist run for approximately that duration, so if you press play on, say, Eno’s “An Ending (Ascent)” as soon as the eclipse begins, it can soundtrack the entire experience. If you want to take in the moment in reverent silence, though, I fully support that; this playlist will be here when the eclipse is over, if you want to extend the astronomical vibe. And if you want to spend your eclipse listening to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”? Well, that’s your decision, not mine.
I do love the feeling of human interconnectedness that occurs during an eclipse, though. There’s something powerful about knowing that millions of people in all sorts of locations will be stopping what they’re doing and perhaps reflecting on the fact that, for all our differences, we’re all living under the same sky. Who knows? Maybe some of us will even be listening to the same music.
I’m being followed by a moonshadow,
Lindsay
Listen along while you read.
1. Brian Eno: “An Ending (Ascent)”
Originally written for the documentary “For All Mankind,” a majestically photographed film about the Apollo space program, the ambient music pioneer Brian Eno’s “An Ending (Ascent)” has since been used on the soundtracks for plenty of other films, including “Traffic” and “28 Days Later.” It would also be a fitting accompaniment for a solar eclipse, not only because it conjures a feeling of celestial awe, but also because, at four minutes and 26 seconds, it will last roughly the same amount of time as the totality.
2. Amaro Freitas featuring Brandee Younger: “Gloriosa”
I’ve been listening quite a bit lately to “Y’Y,” the new album by the sonically adventurous Brazilian jazz pianist Amaro Freitas, whose music is at once traditionally minded and forward-thinking. Here, he is joined by the harpist Brandee Younger, who adds some lunar opalescence to his sound.
3. Alice Coltrane featuring Pharoah Sanders: “Journey in Satchidananda”
Alice Coltrane’s luminous harp scatters stardust across this free-form composition — the title track off her great 1971 album — while Pharoah Sanders’s saxophone playing unfurls like one long ribbon of gold. Like much of Coltrane’s work, it’s appropriate music for an encounter with the sublime.
4. Will Oldham: “I See a Darkness”
If you’re looking for a moody and vaguely gothic eclipse soundtrack, I recommend this subtle, stirring ballad by the folk singer-songwriter Will Oldham, who often records as Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Though Johnny Cash popularized the song when he covered it on his 2000 album, “American III: Solitary Man,” I’m partial to the cracked beauty of the original.
5. Cat Stevens: “Moonshadow”
Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) said that this song came to him one night on vacation in Spain, when the moon was particularly bright. But, technically, this song’s title could describe a solar eclipse, which occurs, according to NASA, when “the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth, and blocks or partially blocks our view of the Sun.”
6. John Cale: “Big White Cloud”
Though it’s about a different kind of sky phenomenon, everything feels like a slow-motion reverie when this track from John Cale’s 1970 solo debut, “Vintage Violence,” is playing. “The sound of sun, piercing my eyes,” Cale sings. “Everything’s clear, everything’s bright.”
7. TV on the Radio: “Staring at the Sun”
On this single from the 2004 album “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes,” the Brooklyn band TV on the Radio describes exactly what you should not do during a solar eclipse — unless you have special glasses or a homemade pinhole projector.
8. Julianna Barwick: “Sunlight, Heaven”
Finally, from her dreamlike 2009 EP, “Florine,” Julianna Barwick’s ethereal composition helps you welcome the light back into your life. Here comes the sun indeed!
The Amplifier Playlist
“A Solar Eclipse Soundtrack” track list
Track 1: Brian Eno, “An Ending (Ascent)”
Track 2: Amaro Freitas featuring Brandee Younger, “Gloriosa”
Track 3: Alice Coltrane featuring Pharoah Sanders, “Journey in Satchidananda”
Track 4: Will Oldham, “I See a Darkness”
Track 5: Cat Stevens, “Moonshadow”
Track 6: John Cale, “Big White Cloud”
Track 7: TV on the Radio, “Staring at the Sun”
Track 8: Julianna Barwick, “Sunlight, Heaven”
Bonus Tracks
For more on Amaro Freitas, I recommend this recent Times profile of him by Carolina Abbott Galvão.
Plus, on this week’s Friday Playlist, we’ve got new music from Chappell Roan, the Black Keys, Lizzy McAlpine and more. Listen here.
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