Moon Landing Live

In July 1969, America sent the first humans to the Moon. It became the biggest global television event of the 20th century.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Channel Four commissioned these two documentaries (as well as six short films) that attempt to capture the magic of the Apollo 11 mission, as the world followed the nail-biting moments leading up to the first ever boot print of Man on the Moon.

This was my second project with 72 Films, and another great film to score. The material was really inspiring – who wouldn’t want to write music to accompany the amazing footage of the first moon landings? One of the best things about these films however, is not the focus on the astronauts themselves, but the broader focus on the people all over the world (in the US, Europe, Russia, even Vietnam) tuning into this televisual moment.

There have been lots of films about the Apollo 11 mission, but what sets this series apart is the way they really capture the mood of a single and unique moment in history.

The score combines orchestral instruments and female choirs with extensive electronic elements. This was the second project on which I used my growing modular synth setup. I frequently began tracks from atmospheric beds derived from the source sounds of the astronauts in space… the crackles of the radio communication between Nasa and the Apollo 11 were a fantastically evocative starting point.

The soundtrack of the music for Moon Landing Live is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes (UK), Amazon (UK)… and all your other favourite digital music stores!