Sonitron / USA / RE 2015
Originally released in 1959, Count Down! is a legendary milestone of the Space Age Pop and Exotica era. Orchestrated by the prolific Jimmie Haskell, this album is a sonic fantasy inspired by the early Space Race, blending orchestral jazz with primitive electronic sound effects that were truly groundbreaking for their time.
Using a "musique concrète" approach, Haskell integrated the sounds of countdowns, rocket launches, and extraterrestrial bleeps into a big band setting. From the rock-and-roll energy of "Blast Off!" to the ethereal, lounge-inflected "Moon Light," the album is a playful and technical masterpiece of mid-century futurism.
This Sonitron reissue captures the vibrant, wide-screen stereo sound of the original recordings. It’s an essential record for anyone fascinated by the point where pop culture met the dawning of the atomic and space ages.
FFO: Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Raymond Scott, Dick Hyman