Adam Young's imagined film score gets inspiration from parachuting
THE KEYBOARD virtuoso Adam Young continues his imagined film scores
series with an album inspired by parachuting. Writing about 'Project
Excelsior' Young explained, "In 2005, Scottish electronic duo Boards
Of Canada released a music video featuring footage from Joe
Kittinger's famous parachute jump in 1960. That was my introduction to
'Project Excelsior', a series of high altitude jumps made by Kittinger
from the edge of space with the purpose of testing parachute systems
intended to be used by pilots ejecting from high altitude. In one of
these jumps, Kittinger set world records for the highest parachute
jump, the longest drogue fall and the fastest speed by a human through
the atmosphere. Reading and daydreaming about Kittinger's feats have
inspired me enormously over the years, and I believe the sense of
wonder and awe they instilled in me can be heard in the music I
create. This score is the way I imagine the tremendous bravery of one
man who ascended to the edge of space, said a prayer, and jumped."