That's no movie: Star Wars Headspace electronic music album is ready to launch

By Ben Rogerson
published

Rick Rubin-curated record features Flying Lotus, Bonobo, Röyksopp and more

Let me Endor-tain you: the Star Wars Headspace cover art.
Let me Endor-tain you: the Star Wars Headspace cover art.

Just when we thought we'd seen every Star Wars-related tie-in possible, along comes Star Wars Headspace, a new electronic music compilation album that features compositions that were inspired by and contain samples from a galaxy far, far away.

Inevitably, there'll be some eye-rolling at what could be perceived as a cynical cash-in, but before you take to Facebook with your 'I have a bad feeling about this' joke, you should be aware that there's a fair bit of talent attached to the project, which has been confirmed on the Star Wars website.

To begin with, it's being executive-produced and curated by none other than Rick Rubin, and the cast of contributing producers includes Flying Lotus, who contributes R2 Where R U?, Röyksopp (Bounty Hunters) and Bonobo (Ghomrassen).

Galactic grooves

We're also looking forward to hearing Rustie's EWOK PUMPP and Breakbot's Star Tripper, while Rubin himself has contributed a track called NR-G7 and a rework of Jabba Flow, one of the tracks written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and J. J. Abrams (AKA Shag Kava) for The Force Awakens.

Flying Lotus appeared on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show last night and discussed the project, saying that "I think all this kind of started with Rick Rubin. He hand picked all the people that he wanted to be a part of this thing. I'm just flattered to be involved in this thing but at the same time I feel like it makes so much sense - I feel real close to these sounds. I feel real close to the Star Wars Universe."

Apple Music has exclusives on three Star Wars Headspace tracks - Flying Lotus's R2 Where R U, Baauer's Cantina Boys and Rick Rubin's NR-G7 - and a full tracklisting is below. The album will be released on 19 February in digital formats and then in retail stores on 18 March.

Star Wars Headspace tracklisting

  • 1. C-3P0's Plight - Kaskade
  • 2. Help Me! - GTA
  • 3. Force - TroyBoi
  • 4. Cantina Boys - Baauer
  • 5. Jabba Flow: Rick Rubin Re-Work (feat. A-Trak) - Shag Kava
  • 6. R2 Knows (feat. Barry Drift) - Claude VonStroke
  • 7. NR-G7 - Rick Rubin
  • 8. Ghomrassen - Bonobo
  • 9. Bounty Hunters - Röyksopp
  • 10. Sunset Over Manaan - ATTLAS
  • 11. R2 Where R U? - Flying Lotus
  • 12. Druid Caravan of Smoke - Shlohmo
  • 13. EWOK PUMPP - Rustie
  • 14. Scruffy-Looking Nerfherder - Galantis
  • 15. Star Tripper - Breakbot
Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.