Materials Needed
1 copy of 2001: A Space Odyssey
1 copy of Philip Glass song "Violin Concerto - Part 3" 9 minutes and 39 seconds
1 copy of Philip Glass song "The Grid" from Koyaanisqatsi, 21 minutes and 22 seconds
Supplemental Songs
1 copy of Philip Glass song "Candyman Theme - Piano" 1 minute and 5 seconds
1 copy of Philip Glass song "Knee Play 3" from Einstein on the Beach, 49 seconds
1 copy of Philip Glass song "1000 Airplanes on the Roof"
Necessary Steps
1. Fast Forward 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Entr'Acte, and stop at the very end, before the second act begins.
2. Prepare "Violin Concerto - Part 3."
3. Play the Concerto as soon as the first shot of the spaceship occurs.
4. After the song is over, there will be silence. I fill in this gap with "1000 Airplanes on the Roof", the Candyman theme, and I'm trying to find a spot for the Knee Play, but you can fill it in with any songs you like or just leave it silent. Or, if you bore easily, fast forward to step 5.
5. Right as soon as "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" disappears from the screen, start playing "The Grid."
Since retrieval of these songs is difficult, and you might find different versions on the internet, I post this as a starting point for you. Use any Philip Glass to fill in the silences if you like, or create something entirely new.
Discussion
I really abhor this kind of Synching, because it is more like re-composing the music to the film than Synchronising two independent things. Step 4 should probably be skipped alltogether until we can find a suitable song or two to fill in. Or maybe the silence is good, but it is a long silence. Either way, I hope to try an entire Philip Glass album to parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey one day.
Why this works is beyond me. I created it by merely listening to the Concerto one day and also watching 2001. I was goind to do a Synch of someone else's that started right after intermission and instead I did this. I think it is interesting to see, after the fact, that Philip Glass and Kubrick's 2001 have a few things in common. Glass repeats similar note structures over and over with slight variation and achieves remarkable things. In 2001, Kubrick left most of the movie silent, and the Voyage to Jupiter section is filled with repeating beeps and machines doing their jobs. The repetition gets to you, and makes you feel alone. Glass' repetition fills you up. Together they create something really remarkable. Not to mention that there are some scary sound cues reminiscent of "Echoes from Beyond the Infinite" in both the Violin Concerto and "The Grid." This is expiremental, and you can fiddle with it all you want. Send in any tips you may have, and let's build something really great.
By the way, "The Grid" doesn't sound entirely right towards the end of the sequence, but stick with it and I think you'll be surprised.
What Happens After?
As with every 2001 Synch, watch the credits, but don't talk.
Beware
The Philip Glass recording I have of "The Grid" is a recently recorded remake from the soundtrack album. I do not know if the old 1984 version will work, though it is worth a shot.
Pop Synchs
Strict Synchs
ManiSynchs
Other Synchs
Synch Links
Synch Facts
Ideas