Earth's Mixtape

In this final(!?) episode, we talk some Beethoven and we go through the last of the photos from Scenes of Earth. No really, we finish reviewing the whole record in this episode! We also present our long promised wedding playlists made solely from VGR music. So long, everyone!

We're almost done! In this tangent-filled episode, we cover music from India ("Jaat Kahan Ho") and the US ("Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground"). We take a look at a dozen photos showing modern (that is, 1970s) technology. Other topics include: Pirate Knowledge! Swingsters! Sagan Quotes! People with terrible senses of humour! Plus: we consider whether the OSPs are already among us and living in Florida!

For this special episode, Mike takes the role of game show host while Hannah and Roby compete to see who can identify the noises included in the Voyager Golden Record's Sounds of Earth montage. We also cover how the montage was put together, where they got the clips from, and (sigh) the love life of one Carl Edward Sagan. We avoided it for as long as we could!

In this barn-raisin' episode, we talk matrimonial music from Peru "Wedding Song" and qin music from China "Flowing Streams". We have an edifying talk about edifaces of all sizes from the Scenes of Earth. Other topics include: Marriage Experiments! Birthday shenanigans! Chill 70s vibes! Frogs and Pigs! All this plus how to avoid getting "independence day'ed" by the OSPs!

In this contentious episode, we talk about Elizabethan music ("The Fairy Rounde") and music from the Soloman Islands ("Melanesian Panpipes"). We look at photos showing people eating and drinking! Other topics include: Prolific olde-time composers! Time Travelling UFOs! Humanity's grape and fish based diet! How to Eat an Ice-Cream Cone! Fish Business! And a preview of our next podcast: "The Roby'n'Hannah Disagree with Michael Hour"!

In this dog-filled episode, we talk about Bulgarian folk music ("Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin") and music from the Navajo Nation ("Navajo Night Chant"). We look at photos showing people living their best lives from around the world! Other topics include: Outlaw Heroes! Jane Goodall! Is hunting a "bummer"? The Tintin movie! And Mike and Hannah play a rousing game of "Is that a dog or an antelope?"

In this astonishing and grandiose episode, we talk about two fine examples of Western Classical music with selections from Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" and Beethoven's 5th Symphony. We look at photos showing a fast, non-linear trip up the evolutionary ladder for our planet's fauna! Other topics include: tempered scales, harpsichord duels, evolution confusion, the tragic life of Beethoven, and much more! Warning: we get pretty mad in this one.

We get into music from Azerbaijan ("Ugam") and Europe ("Sacrificial Dance from The Rite of Spring"). We look at photos showing a small cross-section of earth flora. We talk about how the VGR people may have managed to get both the title and the instrument used in "Ugam" incorrect! We get into other hard questions such as "Why do people rake leaves?" and "Just how long would it take to dance yourself to death?". Plus, Mike questions the whole recurring UFO segment!

In this special holiday episode, we talk about the Golden Record's greetings to the OSPs recorded in 55 languages! Then, the three of us play a game of Google Translate, wherein we try and speak the actual VGR greetings in languages we do NOT know and see if we can't convince Google that we come in peace! Note: -and we can not stress this enough!- we are only mocking ourselves here and our own horrible ignorance of the world's languages!

We get into music from Peru ("Peruvian Panpipes and Drum") and the USA ("Melancholy Blues"). We look at photos showing the breadth of earth geology and geography. Tautologies! Mythical horse beasts! Sagan's habit of running around NASA sticking plaques onto things! All this plus we talk about that giant celestial hand that hovers over our planet! What? You mean you've never seen it? But it's clearly shown in that NASA approved photo!

We get into music from Austria ("Queen of the Night Aria") and Soviet-era Georgia ("Tchakrulo"). We take a close look at four photos that the Golden Record folks chose to represent families, including a multi-generational photo of a family from the Ozarks. How many generations? Look, we got a little confused but it wasn't entirely our fault! (It was mostly Mike's). But don't worry, "Hannah from the Future" drops in to make it all make sense! Roby also relates her personal experiences with Georgian choirs!

We excitedly talk about tracks nine and ten from the Music of Earth, covering music from Japan ("Cranes in Their Nest") and Germany ("Gavotte En Rondeaux"). We hesitatingly cover photos 26-34, wherein Sagan and the guys attempt to teach the OSPs (outer space people) about human reproduction! Imagine what it would be like for astronomers from the 1970s to teach you about sex and baby-makin'! It goes as well as you think... but the music is amazing!

We talk about tracks seven and eight from the Music of Earth, covering music from the USA ("Johnny B. Goode") and Papua New Guinea ("Men's House Song"). We cover photos 18-23, showing some pretty gross pictures of human anatomy. We also get into some obvious tangents including a list of late 20th century pop songs with sequels and which Pokemon we'd like to have perform surgery on us.

We talk about tracks five and six from the Music of Earth, covering music from Australia ("Morning Star and Devil Bird") and Mexico ("El Cascabel"). We also really start getting into the Question of Attribution for the musical selections, looking into the controversy surrounding track five. We also cover photos 14-17, covering DNA and cell division. Spoiler: we love "El Cascabel"!

In this first installment of the Mixtape Interviews, we talk to Dr. David Simpson. Dr. Simpson is a geophyscist and president emeritus of the IRIS Corsortium. While he was a grad student, David recorded the earthquake in Australia that was included on the Golden Record. He tells about finding out about his work going into space, the ins and outs of earthquakes, and what goes into running a global seismic network.

This episode, we cover the third and fourth tracks of the Music of Earth, which includes music from Senegal ("Tchenhoukoumen") and the Congo region of Africa ("Pygmy Girls Initiation Song"). We will also take you through pictures 5-12 from the Golden Record photo archive, covering our Solar System. Plus, we propose nicknames for Carl Sagan fans!

This episode, we cover the first two tracks of the Music of Earth, which includes a Bach Brandenburg Concerto and a gamelan from Java. Also, we will take you through the first four pictures from the Golden Record photo archive.

For our first episode, we introduce ourselves and outline the history of the Voyager Golden Record and its contents. We talk generally about the music, photos, and other inclusions.

A quick teaser to introduce ourselves! First episode drops Aug. 31!