Forbidden Planet 1956 - First ever electronic movie soundtrack

Still think that Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre or Pink Floyd invented synth music? Nope. Bebe and Louis Barren did, 20 years before them. Related:
• Forbidden Planet OST (...
• The Music and SFX of F...

[@Stonecutter334]

A huge favorite of mine. I play all the time.

[@hugebartlett1884]

My favourite film since the fifties.

[@starlost8946]

An outstanding classic movie, with a unique and otherworldly soundtrack. LOVE IT

[@MegaAedu]

This movie sounds, looks and feels just brilliantly.

[@DocBolus]

Definitely worth reminding us all of who the pioneers of synthesis were, and what equipment they had to make such a remarkable soundtrack which could be emulated today on your average phone for almost no cost. We have come a considerable distance.

[@NuisanceMan]

What equipment WAS it?

[@SynthesaurusRex]

Well, its nothing you could buy today. Bebe and Louis Barron basically used what you would nowadays find in a physics laboratory, not in a recording studio. Both were rather mathematicians than musicians blabla you can read it up on Wikipedia. Thing is: they are the god couple of electronic music. They were the very first ones to show that electronically produced noises have artistic value - and ARE actually what we call "music". Widening the definition of "music" from "be played by physical / real existing instruments" to "be played by synthesized instruments".

[@urabenowar2167]

I don't agree. If I had to build my sound lab from scratch according to my preferred design, it would cost me more than the Barron's spent from their wealthy donors.

[@SynthesaurusRex]

What are you saying? You would have produced better things when having the same set as the Barrons?

[@DocBolus]

@@SynthesaurusRex I don't think I could. I was just pointing out that technology has come a long way and the sounds they produced laid the groundwork for a lot of what came after. I may have the tech now what I don't have is the creative thinking and talent.

[@paulmicelli5819]

That was "far out" sounds back then, remember seeing this in the movies.

[@hedylamarr1637]

the best soundtrack to a sci-fi movie ever..

[@nathanokun8801]

They never had a later music set and nobody else has ever even come close. I would like a hundred different versions of this kind 0f thing by them. They had a TRUE idea of electronic music!!

[@fredbuckles919]

Hedy, you gave great torpedo. You were as brilliant and you were beautiful.

[@simoncarlile1965]

Blade Runner soundtrack also.❤

[@fredbuckles919]

Yep...and, arguably, the most advanced music as well as special effects. Robby is still around in some series or another; even as late as the Big Bang TV series. The Barons live on in their pioneering work.

[@SynthesaurusRex]

Funny you mention Robby. The other day I watched an old Columbo episode, where they re-used the Robby prop. It was so stupid (but very entertaining): There is a little boy, who works in a "thinktank company", and tells Columbo "let me show you the robot I built myself!" The boy presses a button opening a closet, and the Robby prop from Forbidden Planet walks out of it. And we are supposed to NOT know that its the oroginal Robby. It's hilariously dumb, and it breaks the whole episode.

[@nathanstoysandmore]

this sounds like saturn

[@scottw11354]

The effects still look great

[@hr3800]

Looving it!!

[@alonecoder600]

L'Idée used an electronic instrument back in 1932.

[@jacobsteel]

Very nice compilation and quick-introduction. Thank you! :)

[@FlockOfHawks]

Nice to see ( and hear of course ) this classic , the phrase "Anne Frances stars in Forbidden Planet" made me want to look it up ages ago , but somehow i never actually did , so thanx ! The Barrens did not *invent* electronic music however : e.m. dates back from the early 20th century , the interbellum or maybe even earlier , with contraptions like the Theremin and Ondes Martenot

[@FlockOfHawks]

Typos : "Francis" and "Barron" , sorry . A nice article about the Barrons : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebe_and_Louis_Barron

[@SynthesaurusRex]

You are right, the Barrens of course didn't "invent" electronic sounds, I was a bit polemic on that to make my point. I still think it's a fascinating fact that the Barrens did a whole movie soundtrack with their self-built electronic devices. I looked a bit into that era of EM: In the 1950s and 60s, electronic acts like the Barrens actually existed and performed their sounds on stage, with their huge machines. But they usually played in front of an academic, high-brow audience that considered themselves to be "above" commercial music. It was more like art performances.

[@FlockOfHawks]

@@SynthesaurusRex Those Barrons are really worthy of a couple of Statues , truth be told . When i read the wikipedia article on them , i felt myself filling with awe and gratitude : they meant A Lot ! Thanx for introducing us ; 🙏😀

[@Alikhan-nb2ui]

👽

[@rogerwilco1777]

Wow they were almost spot on for the real thing!.. here's the 'audio' that the Juno spacecraft recorded near Ganymede back in 2021.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3m0e2l4bKmDZrc

[@SynthesaurusRex]

Thanks for that interesting link, Mr SpaceQuest 😁

[@shaynewheeler9249]

😢😢😢

[@user-su2cd3sy8s]

Is that really music ? it's more sound design for me...

[@SynthesaurusRex]

Well, I agree. I wouldn't call it "music" either, in the traditional sense. But it definitely paved the way for the electronic sound we have today.

[@alessandroseravalle8674]

"music is whatever you listen to with the intention of listening music" (Luciano Berio)

[@michaelbauers8800]

IMO, music is organized sound, meant to be interesting in some fashion. A dryer makes organized sound in a sense, at least it's not random. But not terribly interesting, though I admit, I do find the sound of dryers somewhat interesting, but that may put me into a limited group. I have long found the sound of machines interesting at some level. Anyway, if enough people will take the time to listen to some audio composition, and find it interesting, why not call it music? Or to put it another way, the far end of the continuum is uninteresting or annoying. The other end of the continuum is interesting, and enjoyable. And somewhere between that, people will draw a line and decide what's music. Admittedly, some people won't call something music, if there's not enough recognizable notes in it. But I argue that some jazz music I have heard, is just a bunch of uninteresting notes. I will even make that claim for some symphonic music I have heard. One piece of music I heard at a concert I went to, sounding like the string section practicing their scales...I almost feel asleep, maybe I did for a few minutes. Might have been music, but it was sure boring to me.