Vangelis: Albedo 0.39

The Academy Award winning Greek composer Vangelis – the man behind the music of Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner – is one of electronic music’s most influential figures.

Directed by Mike Roberts, Guildhall Session Orchestra presents their masterful reinterpretation of one of his pioneering solo albums.

From his popular music roots in the bands Forminx and Aphrodite’s Child, and a partnership with Jon Anderson of rock band Yes, Vangelis emerged as a mainstream film composer in the early 1980’s with his hybrid electroacoustic film scores.

Albedo 0.39, released in 1976, was Vangelis’ second album as a solo studio artist and his first UK top 20 title. The record draws heavily on jazz and blues influences, and features Vangelis’ playing all the instruments combined with programmed sequence pulses.

Vangelis was deeply interested in the combination of music and technology: ‘We are part of the universe, and the music is the code … Music is science more than art, and it is the main code of the universe.’ (NPR) Albedo 0.39 was inspired by the ‘albedo value’, a measure of the percentage of sunlight that a surface reflects (rather than absorbs as heat). In 1976, this value was 0.39.

Guildhall Session Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble of talented alumni from Guildhall School of Music & Drama which has recently been making waves in the music world, collaborating with celebrated artists and pushing creative boundaries.

Mike Roberts is an award-winning composer and Head of Electronic Music and Music Technology at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.