Golden Record Tracklist (10):
1. “Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Opus 67: I. Allegro Con Brio”by Ludwig Van Beethoven, performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
2. “Sokaku-Reibo (Depicting the Cranes in Their Nest)” arranged by Kinko Kurosawa, Performed by Goro Yamaguchi
3. “Cengunmé (Percussion, Senegal)” by Mahi musicians of Benin by Charles Duvelle
4. “El Cascabel” by Lorenzo Barcelata, performed by Antonio Maciel and Los Aguilillas with Mariachi México de Pepe Villa
5. “The Fairie Round” by Anthony Holborne, performed by Early Music Consort of London
6. “Mariuamangi (Men’s House Song)” by Pranis Pandang and Kumbi of the Nyarua clan
7. “Ketawang: Puspåwårnå (Kinds of Flowers)” performed by Pura Paku Alaman Palace Orchestra
8. “The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), K. 620, Act II: Hell’s Vengeance Boils in My Heart” by Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart, performed by Bavarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus
9. “Liu Shui (Flowing Streams)” performed by Kuan P’ing-hu
10. “Melancholy Blues” by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven
To curate this golden record tracklist, I listened to each of the 27 tracks of the Voyager Golden Record many times until I settled with 10 using the process of elimination. I primarily focused on the overall coherence and sophistication of each track, making sure they each covered an impressive breadth and depth in its composition. Each track, from beginning to end, and from its instrumentals to its vocals, should be rich in emotion and intricately sonorous, as if the notes could reassemble themselves into a painting. Some tracks have high vocals, some have low; some are brisk and sharp, and some are more slow burn and languid; some are full, and some just scrape the surface; some are dense and thick, and some are light and airy. I picked tracks that are individually distinguished and preferably layered with metaphorical meaning. Together, they create a robust collection, representative of the sounds of being, quite delightfully, human.
References
Taylor, D. (Host). (n.d.). Voyager Golden Record. Twenty Thousand Hertz. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord.