This orchestral piece is the centerpiece of NASA’s ‘Space For Earth’ immersive experience.
Photo credit: Jon Hopkins – Facebook
Composer Jon Hopkins has unveiled his latest work, ‘Forever Held’—a collaborative effort with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This innovative piece is the centerpiece of NASA’s immersive experience ‘Space For Earth’. The exhibition is now on display at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Jon describes the composition as a “Hollywood-style orchestral score” designed to capture the sensation of being embraced by our planet. This ambitious project brought together a team of creatives, including Eric Albernhard, and musician Ólafur Arnalds, who arranged the orchestra.
Ólafur expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “Jon and I had been waiting for an opportunity to create something together for a while, so I was thrilled to contribute to this beautiful piece of music. I can’t wait to see where this creative journey takes us.”
The accompanying music video, directed by Erica Bernhard, features two motion-captured dancers embodying ‘Space’ and ‘Earth,’ their forms adorned with NASA Webb telescope data and satellite imagery, respectively. Bernhard commented on the collaboration, describing it as “surreal” and praising Jon’s ability to capture “the intimacy within the enormity of our planet.”
‘Forever Held’ has gained significant traction in the music industry, opening Coldplay’s chart-topping album ‘Moon Music’. The song’s waveform, encoded on a NanoFiche disk, will be preserved on the moon as part of the Lunar Codex archive through NASA’s Artemis program.
Listen to ‘Forever Held’ below and grab your copy here.
