The force is with ‘Star Wars Headspace’

Hollywood Records

If you grew up watching the “Star Wars” trilogy over and over, certain sounds are as memorable and evocative as anything else in the films. If you didn’t, there’s enough in “Star Wars Headspace” to make this compilation more enjoyable than its gimmicky premise suggests. All credit goes to the eye-catching contributors — Flying Lotus,
Shlohmo, and A-Trak among them, plus two tracks from executive producer Rick Rubin — who sound amped to play in the “Star Wars” sonic sandbox. TroyBoi dives in early on “Force,” mixing Jabba the Hutt’s baritone laugh and Darth Vader’s heavy breathing alongside a grimy drum-and-bass pulse. Howling Death Star sirens turn into a riot cry on Baauer’s “Cantina Boys,” while Ewok horns smooth out “C-3PO’s Plight,” Kaskade’s campy opener. Even the headier cuts have something to offer: ATTLAS’s moody electronic dreams on “Sunset Over Manaan” is “Star Wars”-meets-Vangelis’s “Blade Runner.” Rubin’s “NR-G7” is another highlight of this solid, surprising set. A marketing team may have thought up “Headspace,” but the producers brought it to life.

Martín Caballero

ESSENTIAL “C-3PO’s Plight“