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Harry Potter may have “wrock”, Doctor Who fans may have “trock”, and Star Wars may have “jizz”, but it can be argued that few works of science fiction or fantasy have had as significant an impact on popular music as Dune. Since its publication in 1965, numerous well-known artists – ranging from Iron Maiden to Grimes – have released songs or entire albums inspired by Frank Herbert’s epic tale of war, colonialism, and human morality. While the book has been particularly influential among 70s and 80s progressive musicians, its influence has also been seen in everything from underground pop music to Fatboy Slim’s 2001 hit, Weapon of Choice, which reached the number 2 spot on the charts. With each new generation, Herbert’s vivid descriptions of massive sandworms, blue-eyed rebels, and superhuman nuns continue to be reimagined and celebrated through music.
As a young teenager, Steve Harris, the bassist and founder of Iron Maiden, discovered the book Dune. At first, he found the unique terminology used by author Frank Herbert confusing and “odd” for the first 20 pages. However, as he continued reading, he became a fan of the series and went on to read several of its sequels. More than ten years later, Harris drew inspiration from Dune for one of Iron Maiden’s songs. The final track on their 1983 album Piece of Mind features lyrics referencing the story’s central character, Paul Atreides, as the “Kwizatz Haderach”, the “born of Caladan”, and destined to take the “Gom Jabbar”.
Harris remembers, “At first, I believed Dune would make a fantastic movie.” He continues, “The melody in the song almost evokes the image of a desert, which led me to envision it being inspired by the book.”
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The original title for “To Tame a Land” was Dune, but the band encountered issues when attempting to gain clearance for the title from Herbert. According to Harris, they realized at the time that a film with the same title was being made. Looking back, it may have been beneficial to name the song Dune, as it could have sparked interest in the original film.
Harris is discussing David Lynch’s well-known 1984 movie version of Dune, which was heavily criticized and performed poorly both commercially and critically. Lynch later distanced himself from the film. Despite its initial failure, the movie has since gained a devoted following and helped to remove the stigma that Herbert’s novel was unadaptable to film. This possibly explains why several music artists have been inspired to reimagine the novel, as they have the freedom to create a musical world without the limitations of special effects and budget constraints.
Lynch’s adaptation of Dune also added to the Dunecore legacy. Surprisingly, the soundtrack was produced by the band Toto, who had just achieved No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their song “Africa” two years prior. However, their work on Dune’s soundtrack was completely different from their popular hit. Collaborating with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, they created a moody and grandiose sound, a far cry from the upbeat and sentimental nature of “Africa” or their Grammy-winning song “Rosanna”. Lynch shared his vision with the band by playing symphonies from Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich. According to Toto keyboardist David Paich, Lynch wanted to create an “anti-Star Wars” film, and instructed the band to steer clear of any uplifting or happy elements in their music for Dune.
Herbert’s novel reimagined the conflicts of his time: the marginalized and rebellious Fremen community in the book drew inspiration from the Algerian FLN fighters resisting French colonial rule; its exploration of environment and gender roles mirrored shifting perspectives and societal expectations. The more serious tone of Dunecore sets it apart from wrock and trock, comedic genres that often satirize sci-fi and fantasy terminology.
After Harris released To Tame a Land, there has been a notable increase in metal musicians finding inspiration in Dune. This includes the iconic stoner band Sleep and their 2018 song “Giza Butler”, as well as Australian trap-metal artist Zheani who references the Litany Against Fear prayer from the book. Dune has also had a significant impact on electronic and progressive musicians, with Canadian pop musician Grimes naming her debut album Geidi Primes after a planet in the novel. She also includes references to characters and locations from the book in other songs. In an interview with Pitchfork in 2020, Grimes shared that her goal was to create an album that would evoke the atmosphere of Dune, which she considers one of her favorite films. She even envisioned directing the film and writing the soundtrack.
One might see the appeal for an artist like Grimes to reimagine Dune, as Herbert’s novel takes place in a world beyond advanced technology, requiring a unique approach to capturing its sound. Despite its serious themes, Dune also has elements of absurdity, making it the only science fiction work that can spark serious discussions about sandworm politics and superhuman nuns with no hint of sarcasm. Fatboy Slim’s track “Weapon of Choice” may be the only example of ‘Dunecore’ that completely flips the source material on its head, utilizing the nomadic Fremen’s “sandwalk” and the Bene Gesserit’s ability of “the voice” as inspiration for dance music.
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The book’s knowing grandeur has made bedfellows of prog and sci-fi, says renowned French experimentalist Richard Pinhas, who wrote an entire album based on Dune, the 1978 song cycle Chronolyse. “There is a direct connection between sci-fi, philosophy and an open mind. I was always concerned with the philosophical concept of time, of repetition, of event” – key ideas in Herbert’s work.
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Alain Neffe and Nadine Bal, a married couple from Belgium, produced minimal wave music during the 1980s under the moniker Bene Gesserit. Their inspiration was directly drawn from Herbert’s book, as the Bene Gesserit possess the ability to use their voices as lethal weapons. Bal explains, “It’s similar to what I attempt to do when making music. We are avid fans of science fiction, and our compositions often delve into fantasy and imaginative worlds. I enjoy singing in made-up languages. Our music is not simply a personal narrative, it’s a creation of an entirely different world.”
Bal and Neffe, along with other musicians who were asked for their opinions, were not impressed by David Lynch’s 1980s adaptation of Dune – and none of them have seen Villeneuve’s recent films. Unlike movie adaptations, music offers unlimited possibilities to expand and interpret Herbert’s universe. Bal reflects, “Dune is one of the few books I’ve read in one sitting, from the first page to the last. It’s a very believable world – you can fully immerse yourself in it, and it’s just amazing.”
Source: theguardian.com
