Yesterday, NASA announced a collaboration with Apple, designed to help further enhance the agency’s efforts to inform and excite the public about dramatic missions of exploration like Juno. “Destination: Juno” is a synergy between two seemingly disparate worlds, that of popular music and interplanetary exploration. The result: the dulcet sounds of some of today’s most exploratory musical artists, including GZA, Brad Paisley, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jim James, Quiñ, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Weezer, and Zoé, whose works have been inspired by Juno and other NASA missions.
On “The Spark,” GZA presents a history of the universe, as only he can. Over a hypnotic guitar sample and a live drumbeat, the Wu-Tang legend makes science sound fit for a comic book or kung fu film. “Matter and antimatter, the archrival,” he says. “Met, obliterating each other for survival.” “The Spark” was recorded to celebrate NASA’s Juno Mission, which arrives in Jupiter’s orbit on July 4, 2016. The song was produced by Paul Ryder (Happy Mondays) & Jesse Pritchett and premiered on Beats 1 Radio.
Apple has also captured moments in this journey with a behind the scenes documentary spearheaded by the Juno mission’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton, and scored by Nine Inch Nails frontman and GRAMMY-winning musician Trent Reznor. All content is available now on Apple Music and iTunes. Other Juno-related content, including educational opportunities with Bill Nye on iTunes U and an “Interactive Guide to NASA’s Juno Mission” on iBooks, will roll out over the course of a year and throughout the length of the Juno mission. Purchase the single via iTunes here.
© 2016, Niyah Nel. All rights reserved.
