Foals reimagine epic song for new landmark BBC series Universe’s title track

Multi-award-winning and major festival headlining 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 27, 2021

"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." — Foals

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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.

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About

About Foals

Foals reached new heights with 2019’s ambitious, two-part album ‘Everything Not Saved Will be Lost’. The project instigated the most successful era of their career to date. Released to widespread critical acclaim, the campaign ultimately resulted in Foals landing their first UK #1 album as well as three prestigious awards: Best Group at the BRIT Awards, Best Album at the Q Awards and Best Live Act at the NME Awards. It also led to their third Mercury Prize nomination.

'Everything Not Saved...' was the product of a journey that took them from playing chaotic house parties in Oxford to their current status as major festival headliners. Their acclaim and commercial has grown in tandem throughout their career, with all four preceding albums hitting the UK Top 10 and reaching Gold status in recognition of 100,000+ sales. What’s more, they’ve achieved it all on their own terms, creating a sound that balances unorthodox experimentation with an arena-filling accessibility

The band recently returned to touring with festival headline sets at All Points East and Boardmasters, adding to previous live highlights that have included selling out two consecutive shows at London’s Alexandra Palace. Consisting of Yannis Philippakis (vocals/guitar), Jimmy Smith (guitar) and Jack Bevan (drums), Foals will embark on their rescheduled UK and European arena tour in Spring 2022. The tour includes four consecutive sold-out nights at Olympia London.

About Bleeding Fingers Music

Emmy winning and BAFTA nominated Bleeding Fingers Music is an established creative force in the world of music for visual media. The collaboration-led composer collective has been entrusted with elevating many iconic projects, highlighted by Fox’s “The Simpsons,” and BBC’s “Planet Earth II” and “Blue Planet II.” The team has also become a reliable music source for many networks and studios, such as Netflix, Apple, National Geographic, History, A&E, Sony Pictures, and Dreamscape VR.

Bleeding Fingers has assembled a diversely talented collective of exceptional composers, providing them with a state-of-the-art environment that encourages creativity, experimentation and collaboration. The team hails from eight countries and their diverse styles, influences and backgrounds come together to give our music a wide-ranging appeal. The team has also found innovative ways to bring mainstream musicians into the scoring world, collaborating with artists such as Radiohead, Sia and X Ambassadors.

Twenty state-of-the-art studios based on Hans Zimmer’s world renowned campus and a best-in-class production team allow Bleeding Fingers the ability to produce music at the very highest standard. Bleeding Fingers has created original music for productions including: BLUE PLANET II (BBC), PLANET EARTH II (BBC), SEVEN WORLDS (BBC), THE SIMPSONS (Fox), SUPERFLY (Sony Pictures), PRINCESS DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS (Nat Geo), THE PLANETS (Nat Geo), SAVAGE KINGDOM (Nat Geo), INTERVENTION (A&E), ALIEN CHRISTMAS (Netflix), EARTH AT NIGHT (Apple TV), HOME (Apple TV), GROWING UP ANIMAL (NatGeo), THE REAL RIGHT STUFF (NatGeo), EDEN (BBC), CHILDREN OF THE CORN (RCI Global), and 13 MINUTES TO THE MOON (BBC Podcast). Most recently in 2021, they have been recognized with 2 News & Doc Emmy nominations for their work on PRIMATES (BBC) and Being The Queen (Nat Geo).

About The Science Unit, BBC Studios Productions

The BBC Studios Science Unit produces a plethora of bold and trail-blazing content with an unmatched network of experts and access to some of the world’s most advanced scientific institutions. From blue-chip landmark series to drama-documentary and popular consumer health programming, we use quality journalism, innovation, and pioneering technology to make complex scientific ideas accessible to truth-seeking audiences across the globe. Known for high production values and visual flair, the Science Unit supplies content to a range of broadcasters and platforms across the UK, US and Europe, including the BBC, C4, C5, ZDF, PBS, Discovery Science, Netflix and YouTube. Recent output includes YouTube’s The Edge of Science, the multi award-winning science strand Horizon, landmark series The Planets, the critically acclaimed 8 Days: To the Moon and Back, and established series like The Sky at Night, The Truth About… and Stargazing Live.

BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, including factual, drama, entertainment, and comedy. BBC Studios has offices in 22 markets globally, including six production bases in the UK and production bases and partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which makes around 2,500 hours of content a year, is a champion for British creativity around the world and a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector.

Source BBC TWO