DJ Spooky: An Antarctic Expedition In Sound
[6 min 59 sec] on All Things Consideredadd to playlist|download
DJ Spooky performs in 2007.
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November 29, 2009 - DJ culture has always been fascinated with the concept of cool. But New York City musician and artist Paul D. Miller — aka DJ Spooky — decided to get to the core of the phenomenon: He went to Antarctica.
Spooky recorded sounds and images from the continent, and brought back the concept for a new composition. His "Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica" receives its New York debut this week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
DJ Spooky has never shied away from a musical challenge. He's collaborated with everyone from the Kronos Quartet to Dave Lombardo, the drummer from the metal band Slayer. And now: penguins.
He told guest host Robert Smith that as a child, he was fascinated by documentaries about Antarctica, especially one scored by the composer Vangelis.
"When you're a kid, some of those things linger and stay in your mind," he says. "And it just always seemed like Antarctica was the most vast, huge, open space that you could never go to. It was like the edge of everything."
DJ Spooky spoke to Smith about his expedition and his composition.
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