Sonologyst turns NASA space probe signals into an ambient 2CD album – Preview now
Sonologyst turns NASA space probe signals into an ambient 2CD album
Italian dark ambient project Sonologyst will release the new double album “Planetarium” on June 27 through Cold Spring. Issued as a 2CD in a matte-finish gatefold ecopak, the release presents an immersive sonic exploration of the solar system, composed using raw data from NASA’s space probes.
The first disc features thirteen dark ambient and drone-based compositions created by converting electromagnetic signals and plasma fluctuations – captured by missions like Voyager, Cassini, and Juno – into audio via a process known as data sonification. These “sounds” of space include phenomena such as solar winds, planetary magnetospheres, and black hole frequencies.
The second disc contains a single 57-minute piece titled “Solar System Data Sonification And Recordings,” presenting the raw sonified material sourced directly from NASA’s instrumentation.
You can preview the album below.
About Sonologyst
Sonologyst is the solo project of Raffaele Pezzella, an Italian sound artist. Founded as an experimental sound laboratory, the project explores the boundaries between science and sound, often integrating space-themed data, literature, and abstract composition.
Based in Italy, Pezzella developed Sonologyst as an evolving “scientific sonic documentary” series, a concept he elaborated in a 2020 interview with Side-Line.
The project traces its conceptual roots to early electronic experimentation of the 1950s and 1960s, while embracing future-forward techniques like data sonification and psychoacoustic processing. Since its founding, Sonologyst has released a series of thematically driven albums, often built around esoteric, scientific, or metaphysical concepts. Early works include “Electrons: A Scientific Essay” (2017), a digital album exploring subatomic theory, and “Silencers: The Conspiracy Theory Dossiers” (2018), which engaged with narratives of state secrecy and paranormal investigations.
Through his label Unexplained Sounds Group, Pezzella has also curated multiple compilations of global experimental artists and maintained a steady discography of solo releases. These include “Phantoms” (2019), focused on paranormal and EVP phenomena; “Ancient Death Cults and Beliefs” (2020), examining esoteric spiritual systems; “Interdimensional” (2022, Cold Spring), themed around alternate realities; and “Shortwave Spectrum” (2023), a project centered on ghost signals in abandoned radio transmissions.
The 2021 release “Dust Of Human Race” presented a dystopian narrative of extinction and planetary memory, aligning with the project’s broader interest in existential and cosmological themes.
Pezzella also curates the Unexplained Sounds Group, a platform that supports and documents the contemporary global experimental music scene.
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