Synopsis:

Soundtrack replacement of 2001:ASO using the music of Pink Floyd, while respecting the feel and intentions of the original movie. All music used is instrumental, and is used (almost) only where it was used in the original, respecting and preserving the minimal sound design used throughout the film.

Intentions:

The overall approach was to create a version of the movie which would be believable as what could have been if Kubrick had enlisted Pink Floyd to create the soundtrack. The film is kept as close to the original as possible, only being cut to fit to the beat of the new music. Great care has been taken to synchronise the visuals to the music. Each musical replacement was chosen to stay true to the feel of the original scene, and is mostly taken from the early 1968-1971 period, focusing on moody instrumental soundscapes. While a small amount of music has been used in scenes which originally had none, this edit respects Kubrick’s extensive and deliberate use of silence and minimal sound design throughout the original. A secondary audio track allows the viewer to minimise music added to previously non-musical scenes, keeping a closer viewing experience to Kubrick’s original. Acknowledged faults/limitations: While I’m very happy with the creative decisions taken and proud of the overall execution of the project, I think it’s worth acknowledging a few technical hurdles. AI tools are used to modify music in parts, for example to separate vocals from instruments to obtain a version suitable for soundtrack use. The results are acceptable, but not perfect. A keen listener might be able to detect some residual artefacts in the modified audio. In all cases, I prioritised the fit and feel of the song and how it works in the scene, and the viewing experience of the movie as a whole. Any imperfections in the music are not there out of carelessness, but due to limitations of the technology in giving a perfect separation of elements in music recorded more than 50 years ago. I fully believe that an average listener probably won’t notice any problems, but audiophiles are forewarned!

Change List:

The overall narrative is untouched, and no scenes have been removed or added. Setting aside the opening/closing credits, approx 10 minutes of movie content have been removed as follows: 1. Intermission has been completely removed (3 mins) 2. Approx 7 mins of movie footage has been cut to make the film sync with the new music. Hardly any shots have been fully removed; most cuts are just reducing the length of the many long shots. For example, the long scenes of ships floating through space might have a single shot that lasts 20 seconds which gets cut down to 10 seconds to fit the beat of the music. ----- SPOILERS If you’re a Pink Floyd fan and are interested in watching this, I think the best experience would be to just watch it blind without knowing which pieces are used. Otherwise, below is a full listing of which songs are used in which scenes. ----- 1.OVERTURE/OPENING TITLES (Original: ‘Atmosphères’ by György Ligeti for the overture, ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ by Richard Strauss for the opening titles.) PINK FLOYD: Both of these are replaced with the introduction of ‘Echoes’. As a nod to the original overture, the song starts with a black screen about a minute before the title sequence begins. Song fades out as we are introduced to the “Dawn of man” sequence. 2.HOMINIDS SLEEPING (Original: This scene originally featured no music.) PINK FLOYD: I have used the serene opening section of ’Sysyphus Pt 4’ to accompany the hominids sleeping amongst the rocks. (This song is only featured on the primary audio track. The alternate audio track leaves this out and keeps the original audio from the scene.) 3.HOMINIDS ENCOUNTER THE MONOLITH (Original: ‘Requiem’ by György Ligeti.) PINK FLOYD: The final section of ‘Sysyphus Pt 4’. This matches the chilling, chaotic tone of the original piece. 4.DISCOVERING THE BONE — TRAVELLING THROUGH SPACE (Original: ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ by Richard Strauss, ‘The Blue Danube’ by Johann Strauss.) PINK FLOYD: Both pieces in this whole sequence until reaching the space-station are replaced by ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’. While this doesn’t match the epic grandeur of ‘Zarathustra’, it takes a slower approach to representing the moment of dawning realisation when first picking up the bone. The smooth, elegant, rock section of the song is a fitting replacement for ’The Blue Danube’ in the space sequence. 5.ON THE MOON — SHUTTLE JOURNEY (Original: ‘Lux Aeterna’ by György Ligeti.) PINK FLOYD: ‘Quicksilver’ and ‘Absolutely Curtains’. 6.ON THE MOON — THE MONOLITH (Original: ‘Requiem’ by György Ligeti.) PINK FLOYD: ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets Pt 1: Something Else’ is tonally similar to the original piece, formless and chaotic. 7.JUPITER MISSION (Original: ‘Gayane Ballet Suite’ by Aram Khachaturian.) PINK FLOYD: The intro from ‘Childhood’s End’ is combined with ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’ for the introduction to the Discovery. ‘Quicksilver’ is used for Frank’s birthday message. 8.DAVE VS. HAL (Original: This scene originally featured no music.) PINK FLOYD: ‘Welcome To The Machine’ is used as both background music, and also as the pulsing “sound” of HAL’s inner chamber, until it is deactivated. (This song is only featured on the primary audio track. The alternate audio track leaves this out and keeps the original audio from the scene.) 9.JUPITER & BEYOND THE INFINITE (Original: ‘Requiem’ and ‘Atmosphères’ by György Ligeti.) PINK FLOYD: This section uses a combination of ‘Atom Heart Mother’, ‘Quicksilver’, ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’, ‘Echoes’, ’Sysyphus Pt 4’, ‘On The Run’, ‘Echoes’, and ‘Breathe’ (plus additional extras). It is a very ambitious mashup which some people may love but some may hate. The Star Gate is such a bizarre sequence, both visually and narratively, that it didn’t seem to work to just have a normal song play over it. The aim with the elaborate mashup is to convey the strangeness of the alien situation that Bowman finds himself in, such that even though all musical elements used are recognisably Pink Floyd, the end result is an intentionally strange, malformed creature which gets more hectic and chaotic as Bowman gets deeper into his journey. 10.OLD DAVE & STAR CHILD/FINALE (Original: ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ by Richard Strauss.) PINK FLOYD: ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets Pt 3: Celestial Voices’ 11.END CREDITS (Original: ‘The Blue Danube’ by Johann Strauss.) PINK FLOYD: ’The Great Gig In The Sky’.

Additional Notes:

User-selectable dual audio track. Primary track contains additional music in two scenes which did not use music in the original. Alternate audio track omits the additional music. English subs included. Versions in both 4k and 1080p available.

Other Sources:

Music sourced from the Pink Floyd albums: A Saucerful Of Secrets (1968) More (1969) Ummagumma (1969) Atom Heart Mother (1970) Meddle (1971) Obscured By Clouds (1972) Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) Wish You Were Here (1975)