Decca Records announces the release of Vangelis’ new album ‘Juno to Jupiter’ on September 24. The album will be available on CD and digital formats, with vinyl and a limited-edition box set to follow.
The work, inspired by NASA’s ground-breaking mission by the Juno space probe and its ongoing exploration of Jupiter, is a multi-dimensional musical journey featuring the voice of opera superstar Angela Gheorghiu. The album includes sounds from the Juno launch event on earth, from the probe and its surroundings and Juno’s subsequent journey that have been sent back to earth from the probe, which continues to study Jupiter and its moons: 365 million miles away from the earth at its closest point.
The Juno mission, one of NASA’s most challenging and scientifically ambitious planetary missions ever attempted, is named so after Hera (in Roman Juno), who, according to Greek mythology, was the mother of Gods and humans and the wife of Zeus, in Roman Jupiter, who was the father of Gods and humans. In order to hide his mischiefs, Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself. However, Hera/Juno was able to peer through the clouds and discover her husband’s activities with her special powers. Similarly, the Juno spacecraft is looking beneath the clouds revealing the planet’s structure and history and how our solar system has been formed.
‘’I thought to put emphasis on the characteristics of Jupiter/Zeus and Hera/Juno that according to the Greek Theogony, had a special relationship. I felt that I should present Zeus/Jupiter only with sound, as the musical laws transform chaos into harmony, which moves everything and life itself. Unlike, for Hera / Juno, I felt the need for a voice. Angela Gheorghiu, represents in this historical depiction of the mission to the planet Jupiter, Hera / Juno, in a breathtaking way. ’’ – Vangelis
This July marks the five-year anniversary of the Juno spacecraft’s orbit insertion at Jupiter. Launched in 2011 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Juno arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Due to its importance the mission that primarily was scheduled to be completed 31st of this July, has been extended by NASA and now Juno will continue exploring the full Jovian system – Jupiter and its moons – until September 2025.
Voices featured on the album, courtesy of NASA, include scientists Randall Faelan (Lockheed Martin, Deep Space Exploration Real-Time Operations Lead), Chris Leeds (Lockheed Martin, Telecom Sr. Engineer), Jennifer Delavan (Lockheed Martin, Spacecraft Systems) and Matt Johnson (Juno Mission Manager, JPL/Caltech).
Vangelis, a pioneer in electronic music, with his ever-expanding imagination and innovative experimentations, is the one that, as no other, has made the perfect blending between the acoustic and electronic world. His orchestrations for this new album expand once again the horizons of electronic music by blurring the line between it and acoustic symphonic music which culminate in a breath-taking and in the same time soothing musical journey. Vangelis’ characteristic use of synthesizers, bold brass riffs and expansive strings convey a sense of mystery about life beyond our own world and commemorate all those who have dealt and still deal with the observation and the exploration of the stars, the planets and the Universe; and who have dedicated their lives to understanding the final frontier and the secrets of our solar system.
Vangelis Juno to Jupiter, CD and Digital, is out via Decca on September 24 and available to pre-order here. Vinyl and a limited-edition box set to follow.
