Colin Lynch

Philae and Rosetta // R Cat Records

Philae and Rosetta is a gorgeous instrumental album inspired by the European Space Agency’s mission bearing the same name. The mission was to land a probe on the comet known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is just two and a half miles wide and travels at a speed of 24.600 mph. The twelve year mission was deemed a success as the probe (named Philae) landed on November 12th, 2014. Colin Lynch watched in awe from 317 million miles away as the impossible became a reality. The event was overshadowed in the media by typically unimportant non-news, which sprung Lynch into action to score a tribute for the landing. The album is comprised of two parts. Part one is steeped in classic romanticism and much of the songs are inspired by love. Although most of the album’s initial praise has been for this half, it’s part two that really showcases Lynch’s ability to score the Philae & Rosetta mission by adding electronic ambient sounds into the mix. The best example is “Gravity Assist” which transports you onboard the Rosetta during its trip. Synths added by electronic artist Battlemoose offer a cosmic landscape of near oblivion, but listen hard and you’ll hear the moments when the spacecraft used the required gravitational assistance of Earth and Mars to make reaching the comet possible. The album continues with the orbiting of the comet, the landing of the Philae and the inevitable end when the batteries die due to obscured solar panels. Each moment can be sensed, making Colin Lynch’s Philae and Rosetta an immersive triumph that honours one of man’s greatest achievements.