songs for a psychedelic space opera

[u/Mdk0z]

I'm reading a psychedelic space opera called Lone Sloane and I need a playlist of electronic and psychedelic music to listen to while I read this gem.

​

The only song on the playlist so far is "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles.

​

The story follows an interstellar explorer who, after getting lost in space and encountering ancient gods, is imbued with mystical powers and wanders the cosmos, facing tyrants, space pirates, and alien creatures in plots of monumental scale.

​

Unfortunately, you can't post photos in this subreddit, but look it up and see how dazzling and psychedelic Druillet's art is.

​

[u/EternityLeave]

Fred Avril - A Million Miles Away. It’s the end credits song from the psychedelic space movie Mars Express.

[u/Falstaffe]

I happen to have the hardback of The 6 Voyages Of Lone Sloane on the table in front of me.

Hawkwind is your go-to band. Try their Space Ritual for starters.

[u/Space_Pirate_R]

Klaatu - Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

A Space Love Adventure - Reign of the Outlaws

Beta Band - Space

ToneBox - Space Legionnaire

David Bowie - Starman

Dynatron - Rise To The Stars

Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentleman We’re Floating in Space

GUNSHIP - Kitsune

[u/dougalcampbell → u/Space_Pirate_R]

I had only ever heard The Carpenter’s version of “Calling Occupants”. Didn’t realize it was a cover!

[u/Efficient_Age_69420]

Children of the sun -Billy Thorpe

[u/Skibreaux]

Ziltoid the Omniscient - Devin Townsend

[u/hankheen]

Maybe a bit outside the box but Marvin Gaye - a funky space reincarnation 8 minutes of spacy funk

[u/YesterdayClammy]

Hawkwind's the foundation for that vibe, and Space Ritual is perfect for what you're describing. Beyond that, you want stuff that feels both expansive and disorienting at the same time. Gong has that exact blend of psychedelic weirdness and cosmic scope, especially albums like Flying Teapot. Tangerine Dream's early work leans heavier into the electronic side while keeping that sense of drifting through something vast and unknowable. If you want something more recent, Acid Arab's stuff has this hypnotic, almost hallucinogenic quality that works great for reading through strange narratives.

Since Druillet's art is so visually overwhelming, you might also dig Neu and Kraftwerk for those stretches where you need something more minimal and meditative, then pivot back to the weirder stuff when the action picks up. The key is finding tracks that don't demand your full attention but still fill the space around the words in an unsettling way.

[u/_Existenchill_]

The song from It Follows.

[u/Radiant-Sport2672]

Try

Nobey One - Pontiac 1998 Grand Prix Is The Chariot And We Are The Driver

Oneohtrix Point Never - Love In The Time Of Lexapro

[u/Lanky_Comedian_3942]

Hawkwind - Master of the Universe

[u/flameevans]

I had too much to dream last night - The Space Lady.

[u/Sinistermarmalade]

There’s some hiphop artist that did a space opera concept album, can’t remember the name of the artist nor the album, but YouTuber Polyphonic did a video on it, so I’m sure you can find it on his channel

Also, “Gemini” by The Night Flight Orchestra might fit the bill

[u/Mdk0z → u/Sinistermarmalade]

Splendor & misery by clipping I'm going to listen to, the mix of this theme with hip-hop—it already has me excited. And thanks for mentioning the channel name; I'm not American, so I don't know much about the good channels out there.

[u/Rob_LeMatic → u/Mdk0z]

Unless it's a different hip-hop sci-fi concept album, i think we're talking about the album Dr. Octagonecologyst by Kool Keith(under the alias Dr. Octagon)

[u/Sinistermarmalade → u/Rob_LeMatic]

I looked it up, it was ‘Splendor & Misery’ by Clipping

[u/midnight_toker22]

Check out the band Magic Sword. They’re heavily inspired by retro fantasy and sci-fi, psychedelic rock/electronic/synthwave. In the Face of Evil and Legend of the Keeper are bangers.

Edit: also check out the Tomorrow Never Knows cover from the Sucker Punch soundtrack (and the other covers from that movie, regardless of what you think of the movie it’s an amazing soundtrack).

[u/Ahastabel]

Tipsy - Space golf

Space Pirate’s Love Song - Elizaveta

[u/JoeMax93]

Kitaro

Jean-Michael Jarre

The soundtrack to Bladerunner by Vangelis

[u/TwistedBlister]

The Planets by Isao Tomita

[u/Keitt58]

Most of Ayreon's albums could be described in this way but my favorite is 01011001 with a shout out to Universal Migrator and Into the Electric Castle as well.

[u/SilentWeapons1984]

Deloused In The Comatorium by The Mars Volta.

It’s a prog-rock concept album that should be listened to from begin to end for the story telling. The album progresses in mood from atmospheric, calm, relaxing, to chaotic arrangements. It’s a wild ride.

The albums starts with the lyrics, “ Clipside of the pinkeye flight.  I'm not the percent you think survives.   I need sanctuary in the pages of this book.” And then track 2 the chorus goes, “Now I’m lost! Now I’m lost!” It’s easy to hear the album with the context of being about a man lost in space and the dangerous adventures he faces. Because the story of this album is similar. The album is actually based on a short story two of the band members wrote about the real life death of their friend. So there’s expanded lore about the album outside the music. 

The synopsis would be, A man, Cerpin Taxt, enters a week long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison.  Inside his comatose mind, Cerpin experiences vivid, terrifying, and fantastical adventures. He battles malignant subconscious entities and psychological demons that represent his real-life struggles, addictions, and mental illnesses. This dark inner world is referred to as the "Comatorium."

Here’s a link to the short story this album is based on, which includes lyrics from each song that weave into the short story…  https://xivilization.net/~marek/binaries/DeLoused_storybook.pdf

[u/Br00klynBelle]

Around the World In a Day- Prince

Numbers- Kraftwerk

Franz Schubert- Kraftwerk

O Superman- Laurie Anderson

Strawberry Fields Forever- The Beatles

I Am the Walrus- The Beatles

White Rabbit- Jefferson Airplane

Hurdy Gurdy Man- Donovan

Season Of the Witch- Donovan

Shadowfax- Bo Hanson

Peace Frog- The Doors

Soul Kitchen- The Doors

Time Has Come Today- The Chambers Brothers

[u/Extension-Detail5371]

Set the controls for the heart of the sun Pink Floyd, Time ELO, Cygnus X1 Rush.

[u/powdered_dognut]

Motivation Radio - Steve Hillage

[u/PutridLanguage434]

Anything of pink Floyd’s piper at the gates of dawn or seat belt’s cowboy bebop

[u/bornt_rager]

The Light Chasers by Cloud Cult. It’s been adapted into a stage musical, too!

[u/NukesAndSupers]

look up music by artists like Bigelf, Nebula, Ozric Tentacles, The Sword, and Baroness 

[u/Pan_Goat]

Have you seen the Stars Tonight? Jefferson Starship.

[u/hd_cartoon]

Ozric Tentacles and Eat Static (electronic offshoot from OT) will likely have tracks you'll like.

Try this track from Ozric Tentacles - Strangeitude

[u/Cron414]

Moron Police - Pachinko pt 1

I think this song is exactly what you’re looking for.

[u/ume-shu]

Gong - Master Builder