Foals reimagine Neptune for new BBC series Universe
October 12, 2021
Rock band, Foals, have joined forces with Hans Zimmer’s critically acclaimed film and TV music scoring company, Bleeding Fingers, to record an exclusive and unique new version of their seminal single, Neptune. The piece will feature as the title track for the forthcoming BBC Studios Science Unit landmark TV series Universe, which premieres globally on PBS (as NOVA Universe Revealed) in the US and on BBC Two and iPlayer in the UK on October 27th.
The title music was exclusively played for guests at the premiere and screening of Universe in London, where the trailer promo for the series was also viewed, set to the score by Bleeding Fingers in collaboration with Foals.
Together with Bleeding Fingers composer Anze Rozman and score producer Russell Emanuel, Foals have created a reimagined version of Neptune – the sprawling song that closes the band’s 2019 album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2, which topped the Album Chart in the UK. Neptune brilliantly captures the sounds and musical palette of Universe, and the Shakespearean drama of cosmic proportions featured in the series. The dramatic and heartfelt title track also reflects the constantly changing and complex nature of space, and the sheer power of the universe, that the TV series delves into across five episodes.
Presented by Professor Brian Cox, Universe is a stunning new series from the makers of the award-winning series, The Planets. A sequel to and expansion on the acclaimed 2019 series, Universe, marks the latest production from the BBC Studios Science Unit. Using stunning CGI imagery, the latest scientific research, and archival footage captured during scientific missions, the series immerses viewers in the expansive and dramatic story of the universe, from its moment of inception 13.8 billion years ago, to what could be its’ ultimate fate, trillions upon trillions of years in the future.
In distant realms far beyond our familiar solar system, an epic drama is continuously unfolding. Its cast list features rogue planets, colliding galaxies, and black holes more massive than a billion suns—and each character has its own extraordinary story to tell. Universe, delves into the vastness of space to capture powerful moments when the universe changed forever. State-of-the-art animation delivers astonishing, photorealistic glimpses of the birth of the very first star, the chaos created as two galaxies collide, and the power of a supermassive black hole as it flings a star across space so violently that it’s still traveling millions of years later. Universe even takes viewers back in time to witness the birth of space and time itself.
Foals commented: “We’re all big fans of Hans Zimmer and were super excited when his team approached us about collaborating with them on Neptune as the title track for Universe. The original is a bit of a mini odyssey and this new version builds on those dynamics as a kind of a response to the changing nature of space.”
Russell Emmanuel from Bleeding Fingers Music added: “As soon as we heard Neptune we knew it was perfect for the opening theme of Universe. Our goal was to orchestrally compliment the majesty of the original song whilst staying true to its rock and roll roots.”
Neptune is written and performed by Foals. It is licensed courtesy of Warner Music UK Ltd, and arranged by Anze Rozman for Bleeding Fingers.
Universe (NOVA Universe Revealed in the U.S.) is a BBC Studios Science Unit Production with NOVA and GBH Boston, for BBC and PBS. It is a Xigua Video co-production and is an Open University partnership. The series is part of a co-production deal between PBS and BBC Studios. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining factual programs that PBS and BBC audiences have come to expect. Executive Producers for BBC Studios are Head of BBC Studios Science Unit Andrew Cohen, and Executive Producer Gideon Bradshaw. Universe was commissioned for BBC Two by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Science & Natural History, and executive in charge for PBS is Bill Gardner, Vice President of Programming and Development. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. Senior Producer for NOVA is Caitlin Saks. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston. BBC Studios is distributing internationally.