The feeling of existential bliss and dread all tied up into one is familiar to any Pink Floyd fan. Listening to arguably their most famous album, Dark Side of the Moon (1973) in any setting, one is filled with an uncomfortable sense of awe as they are confronted with fundamental questions of time and existence. Experiencing this in surround sound and set to surreal visuals in Dynamic Earth’s planetarium amplify these feelings even more spectacularly.
Though the show’s description stated audiences would witness “breathtaking views of the Solar System,” the visuals were far more varied and experimental. There were scenes where planets were explored from a hovering perspective, but also scenes of clocks (during ‘Time’) and floating prisms (from the album cover). The creation of these new visuals to fit in with the album’s themes and changing rhythms was truly impressive. Whether this was a good creative choice is largely left to the viewer’s opinion. It made a more interesting watch for someone who may have been to a planetarium before, but at times felt slightly out of place; for instance, the symbolic prism felt overused. It could have been integrated better, perhaps being filtered by the sun’s light. The planetary renders themselves also lacked detail, resembling what was shown in planetariums a decade ago.
Nevertheless, these unexpected visuals were extremely interesting and immersive. A highlight of the show was when deep space turned to deep ocean, and alien-looking iridescent animals floated above. The audience felt as though in a submarine or spaceship. This, alongside the timeless sound of the album, almost dissolved ideas of time while the planetarium shifted between deep future hyperspace and a past moon landing, while listening to music created over half a century ago.
Moreover, the surround sound elevated the experience even further. The different layers of sound were heard in more clarity; the guitar lines were more distinct and interacted with the other instruments rather than being fused into them, likely how the album was originally intended to be heard. This also brought the album’s narration more to the forefront, rather than a decorative attachment, encouraging the audience to really think about the lines on mortality and insignificance in the universe.
Planetarium Lates: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is running until Sunday, August 30 at Dynamic Earth. Buy tickets here.
Image provided by Dynamic Earth to The Student as press material.
