Koyaanisqatsi / Life Out Of Balance / “The Dark Organ Song“ - composed by Philip Glass

This wonderfully haunting music is from the cult film Koyaanisqatsi (1982) whose title translates as “Life Out Of Balance“. The film presents our planet groaning under the weight of the damage humankind is doing to it. From the start, Glass’s masterful score evokes the chanting of the ancient Hopi people and their wisdom in working with nature rather than trying to subdue it. My recording happened to catch the late afternoon sun pouring through the church windows, throwing a spooky outline of the camera tripod onto me as I play. It’s like a throwback to the accusingly voyeuristic nature of the original film. My version starts on quiet, mysterious reed tone (appropriately out-of-tune at the time of recording!) and then gradually increases in volume right up to Full Organ , reflecting the ever-increasing urgency of the film’s message. Arranged and played by Paul Broadhurst on the Father Willis organ of Christ Church, Birkenhead, England. Recorded 8 June 2021