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LISTEN TO THE FUTURE 200-page book with 10-track CD
A Different Drum is proud to present this unique collaborative project featuring original short stories and accompanying theme songs. As a fan of both electronic pop music (synthpop) and science fiction, I felt that the two pop art forms would be natural partners. Synthpop is a genre which has often been viewed as “futuristic” because its musical foundation is based in the creative use of technology. The synthpop composer uses the latest computer hardware, software, samplers, and other electronic musical devices to build a unique instrumental background, while adding the traditional pop elements of melody, verses, a chorus, etc. This combination helps to create a song which seems futuristic, while remaining rooted in the familiar pop tradition. Similarly, science fiction is a literary genre which builds upon the familiar styles and structures of popular fiction, but stretches the subject matter into the realms of science, imagination, and futuristic speculation. In that way, science fiction and synthpop seem to have a lot of common ground, which is probably why you can often find science fiction themes embedded within synthpop songs. As I considered the best way to create the “Listen to the Future” project, I decided that it would be interesting to first invite aspiring authors to contribute short stories. Then those stories would be presented to the participating synthpop bands. The story would inspire the song or instrumentation that would then become the accompanying partner for the story. My vision was similar to that of a movie soundtrack or music video, where the music could contribute to the mood and vision of the story. I felt that the combination of song and story would even be an interesting (and hopefully pleasant) surprise to the authors, as they are presented with an outside musical interpretation of their literary idea. Many stories were submitted
for this project, ranging in style from outer-space battles to subtle political
intrigue. It was difficult to select only a few from a crop of so many outstanding
stories, but as editor, I decided to follow a general theme which would fit
the title of the project, “Listen to the Future”. Though tagged
as a science fiction project, I thought that a focus on the “futuristic”
side of the genre would have the best results. So, I tried to select a variety
of styles and approaches that were based on a vision of mankind’s future.
This vision could be positive, or pessimistic, silly, or serious. There are
perhaps a couple of exceptions-- for example, the story “Neil the Intelligent”
is more of a social satire than a futuristic vision, but it was so entertaining
that I simply had to include it. “Signals and Noise” is another
story that could be placed in the future, but is also plausible within our
present. All in all, the stories
stand on their own as a wonderful collection, and I very much appreciate the
efforts and talents of the contributing authors. The music that has been created
to accompany the stories also shows a wide range of different styles, varied
approaches, and creative talent. I hope that together, the authors and musicians
can enjoy greater exposure and appreciation through this project, and that
doors can be opened for them in the future. I also hope that you, the reader
and listener, will enjoy this collection, experiencing something new and interesting.
STORY and SONG list: "Creation" story written by Rachael M. Haring "Color Matching" story written by Nathaniel Forgotson "To Carry the Past" story written by Thomas Kelley "Six Minutes of Air" story written by Paul Dworschack-Kinter "Neil the Intelligent" story written by Ian Stoner "Survivor's Guilt" story written by Eric R. Goedken "The Persistent Rhythm of Before" story written by Christopher
Hanks "Firewall" story written by Jennifer Dworschack-Kinter "The Pure Ones" story written by Scottland Jacobson "Signals and Noise" story written by by Jill Ziegler Click on a title for reviews
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