I tried to ignore the clown-nosed jpeg for days but, for some reason, gave in when the headline finally screamed "Space Clown lands back on Earth!" Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte paid a reported $35 million to join cosmonaut Maksim Surayev (Russia) and astronaut Jeffrey Williams (US) on a Soyuz capsule flight as a space tourist. During his 10 day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Laliberte hosted a global show to promote ecological awareness with co-hosts including Peter Gabriel and Bono, broadcasting from London and Tampa, Florida respectively. The goal of the show, called "One Drop," was to draw attention to global water shortages.

It's easy to feel jaded toward environmentally-themed music–and environmentalists in general. But, wouldn't it be nice to see more songs explore the long(er)-term implications of impending ecological disaster? Finding a new world to inhabit could just be our greatest adventure. This week's playlist is mostly made up of songs that simulate the feeling of space flight in one way or another but, for me, the trajectory of the featured musicians–from Sun Ra to Brian Eno to Antony and the Johnsons–is the most interesting aspect. It makes me wonder if we'll soon hear more "mature" artists explore this theme with the intensity that hardcore and grindcore explored the seemingly impending nuclear holocaust in the in the 80s. I guess only time will tell.


How Many Worlds Brian Eno