Entertainment

Beach House Is Out of This World

by Kristie Rohwedder

Oh, my heart is so full right now. Indie pop duo Beach House recorded a new song for a compilation called The Space Project , and it premiered during this week's ep of NPR’s All Songs Considered. “Saturn Song” is, as is expected with any Beach House track, beautiful and dreamy. What I usually don't expect? Sounds from outer space that'd been recorded by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Yep. "Saturn Song" and the other tracks on The Space Project sample space sounds... er, sort of.

Ready for some science? The space sounds aren’t actually sounds. Technically, they’re “electromagnetic radiation fluctuations in the magnetosphere of the planets, moons and large asteroids the Voyager probes traveled near.” Oookay. I'll pretend to understand what those words mean when they’re put together. Every song on The Space Project incorporates recordings from each planet’s electromagnetic radiation fluctuations.

So that means Beach House’s “Saturn Song” literally uses the sounds—excuse me—electromagnetic radiation fluctuations from Saturn. And sure, it may be a space-tastic "collaboration" with the sixth planet from the Sun, but it still feels like a Beach House song. It sounds like what I imagine floating in space feels like, so yeah, I'm into it.

And this probably isn't surprising, but Victoria Legrand's already ethereal voice meshes with the stargazey vibe of the song perfectly. All of it is very rad.

The Space Project will drop April 19.