Koyaanisqatsi - Music

Music

The film's soundtrack by Glass was released in 1983, after the release of the film. Even though the amount of music in the film was almost as long as the film itself, the soundtrack release was only 46 minutes long and featured only selections from the film's pieces. In 1998, Glass re-recorded the album through Nonesuch Records with a length of 73 minutes, 21 seconds. The re-recording of the album featured two additional tracks from the film, as well as extended versions of previous tracks from the original album. The album was released as a Philip Glass album titled Koyaanisqatsi, rather than a soundtrack to the film. The music has become so popular that the Philip Glass Ensemble has toured the world, playing the music for Koyaanisqatsi live in front of the movie screen.

The opening for "The Grid" is characterized by slow sustained notes on brass instruments. The music builds in speed and dynamics throughout the piece's 21 minutes. When the piece is at its fastest, it is characterized by a synthesizer playing the piece's bass line ostinato.

The complete original soundtrack recording was released on CD in 2009 on Glass's own label Orange Mountain Music.
Koyaanisqatsi
Soundtrack album composed by Philip Glass
Released 1983
Genre Soundtrack, film score, contemporary classical, Minimalism
Length 46:25
Label Antilles/Island
Producer Kurt Munkacsi & Philip Glass
Philip Glass chronology
Glassworks
(1982)		 Koyaanisqatsi
(1983)		 The Photographer
(1983)
Koyaanisqatsi (1998 re-recording)
Koyaanisqatsi: Original Soundtrack Album from the Film (1983)
No. Title Length
1. "Koyaanisqatsi" 3:30
2. "Vessels" 8:03
3. "Cloudscape" 4:41
4. "Pruit Igoe" 7:02
5. "The Grid" 14:50
6. "Prophecies" 8:10
Total length: 46:16
Koyaanisqatsi (1998)
No. Title Length
1. "Koyaanisqatsi" 3:28
2. "Organic" 7:43
3. "Cloudscape" 4:34
4. "Vessels" 8:05
5. "Pruit Igoe" 7:53
6. "The Grid" 21:23
7. "Prophecies" 13:36
Total length: 66:42
Koyaanisqatsi: Original Motion Picture Score (2009)
No. Title Length
1. "Koyaanisqatsi" 3:27
2. "Organic" 4:57
3. "Clouds" 4:38
4. "Resource" 6:36
5. "Vessels" 8:13
6. "Pruitt Igoe" 7:51
7. "Pruitt Igoe Coda" 1:17
8. "SloMo People" 3:20
9. "The Grid Introduction" 3:24
10. "The Grid" 18:06
11. "Microchip" 1:47
12. "Prophecies" 10:34
13. "Translations and Credits" 2:11
Total length: 76:21

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