# The "Koyaanisqatsi" soundtrack can make \*any\* footage "Profound" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348 "2019-11-12T20:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/1 "2019-11-12T20:08:48Z")
I just downloaded the “Koy” soundtrack from iTunes, and after watching the movie after a 30 year hiatus (some of the scenes felt a lot different after the past 30 years or so), I discovered that it can make any slow-mo or time-lapse video more “profound” basically, with modern smartphones/cameras with slowmo/time-lapse features, you can create _your own_ “Koyan”… Slow motion footage of storm waves breaking on York Beach, Maine? Profound… slow motion campfire? Profound… time lapse of an antique pocketwatch counting off time? Profound… slow motion arrow shot by my nephew punching a pressurized soda can? Profound… Slow motion model rocket launches (especially the Estes V2 model 😉 ) Profound… Time lapse of my mother paddling around in a paddleboat in the pond (set to one of the “bouncier” songs) Profound… Just for laughs, i’m going to put together my own version of “Koyan” ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/2 "2019-11-12T20:27:17Z")
Has this film ever been watched sober? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/3 "2019-11-12T20:36:46Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Has this film ever been watched sober? 🙂 This film came out when I was living in Salt Lake City. It played a long time in the major theaters during its initial run – a lot longer than I would have thought likely. Then it played a couple of times every year at The Blue Mouse (the local Art Cinema – heavily used in those early days of VHS players, before Home Video devastated the small cinema). So it was watched a LOT in Salt Lake City. Are you familiar with the social makeup in SLC? Lotsa Mormons (they’re headquartered there). The LDS “Word of Wisdom” forbids alcohol use (Also, as usually interpreted, caffeine drinks. Not to mention illegal drugs). granted that there are a lot of LDS “backsliders” and a lot of non-LDS residents in SLC, but the population is surprisingly sober. Most of the filmgoers were likely high on nothing more than Snelgrove’s Ice Cream. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/4 "2019-11-12T20:44:57Z")
They use part of the _Koyaanisqatsi_ soundtrack\* for the Dr. Manhattan bio segment of the movie **Watchmen**. I thought it was absolutely perfect for that. And it did kinda make it seem more profound. \*Okay, technically _Pruitt Igoe_ and _Prophecies_, although I could swear that they give the pieces a different title in the _Watchmen_ credits. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/5 "2019-11-12T22:06:38Z")
I like _Koyaanisqatsi_ even though it makes me doze off. Usually, if a movie does that, it earns my contempt, but not 'Qatsi. Wonder why that is. Maybe because I like booming out “KOYAAANNISQAAAAAAAAAAATSIIIIIII…” if the occasion seems to call for it. Never cared for the sequel _Powaqatsi_. (sp?) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/6 "2019-11-12T23:12:22Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Has this film ever been watched sober? 🙂 I’ve never watched any movie not sober. And I’m not the only one I know like that. Maybe that’s why I think 2001 is a bit ssssslllooowwwww. But I love Koyaanisqatsi. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/7 "2019-11-13T01:34:40Z")
Works great in [Scrubs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOqtnU2faTc). ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/8 "2019-11-13T02:18:29Z")
Back in the day me and a bunch of friends smoked a whole crapload of hash before checking it out. Quite profound - I was somewhat “out of balance”. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/9 "2019-11-13T03:14:14Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Has this film ever been watched sober? 🙂 In addition to the other folks who have already testified, I saw it first in school on a day I was sober. So, folks certainly have, even if I was thinking "Oh yeah, this would be pretty great for about half an hour on acid. " I still have my VHS copy. But really, yeah. The music for Koaanisqatsi kind of lies on the opposite side of “Yakkety Sax” in our culture. Music can lend a lot to an image, and the melding of them is an art form of sorts. [CBS Sunday morning news](https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-sunday-morning/video/T7c2hAPI7ojt6DBHpYcAWeyRwfJjHORI/scary-music-for-movies-why-it-haunts-us/) recently did a piece about music and how it makes a horror scene work. It’s pretty good, and it basically applies the same principles. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/10 "2019-11-13T04:38:47Z")
Philip Glass is a freaking genius, yo. I had to special order an LP of this back in the day; I still have it. Played it once on a friend’s very expensive turntable so I could record it on cassette, then played that cassette to death. I didn’t listen to it for a few years until I was able to get it on CD. I saw _Koyaanisqatsi_ in the theatre (first run) and then wore out 2 VHS copies during the '90s. I now have the trilogy on BR tho so that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/11 "2019-11-13T05:22:31Z")
It works just as well [_backwards_](https://youtu.be/_5Hr1C62Smk), in fact, it has a happier overall feel, a rocket reassembles itself, buildings spring up from rubble, and a big coal truck sucks a bunch of coal dust out of the air, a couple mushroom clouds coalesce into a bomb, ready for disassembly… …of course, it’s not _all_ good, there are some unpleasant scenes of people un-eating their food, and the police placing a poor injured homeless man back on the street… I did however appreciate the scene of the helpful computer techs _breaking_ the mainframe, and it was cool watching cars get unassembled… here’s a couple links of the ocean scenes I was putting to my 'Qatsi soundtrack [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TkxtNEXmTkI/maxresdefault.jpg "York Beach storm waves") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkxtNEXmTkI) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/u5XjwqaXuEQ/maxresdefault.jpg "York Maine Storm Surge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5XjwqaXuEQ) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/12 "2019-11-13T05:42:16Z")
Never heard of it until I watched a VHS copy with my then boyfriend (now husband). I’ve never seen it on the big screen. We actually bought one of the copies that was privately released ([Home media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi#Home_media)). And I think we bought the DVD when it was released, and then the Blu Ray. I’ve always watched it sober. Might have to watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/13 "2019-11-13T20:54:39Z")
My dad introduced me and siblings to the film in the Eighties when we were kids - I loved it then, partly for the Americana aspect (as a Brit). I do find watching the whole thing a bit much these days, though love the soundtrack, and have the CD. And I’ve found it doesn’t go down that well on the pub jukebox (they have everything these days!). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/14 "2019-11-14T15:02:15Z")
Just saw this: [Gifaanisqatsi](https://www.monkeon.co.uk/gifaanisqatsi/?fbclid=IwAR3oJtfGD4L0fvR2odfY-wtlcbCqzhQvtZ2PNWoP615UgxorqetiWMu2228) (random GIFs set to Koyaanisqatsi). ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/15 "2019-11-14T19:30:49Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Just saw this: [Gifaanisqatsi](https://www.monkeon.co.uk/gifaanisqatsi/?fbclid=IwAR3oJtfGD4L0fvR2odfY-wtlcbCqzhQvtZ2PNWoP615UgxorqetiWMu2228) (random GIFs set to Koyaanisqatsi). That is mighty funny. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-koyaanisqatsi-soundtrack-can-make-any-footage-profound/843348/16 "2019-11-14T19:53:55Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I just downloaded the “Koy” soundtrack from iTunes, and after watching the movie after a 30 year hiatus (some of the scenes felt a lot different after the past 30 years or so), I discovered that it can make any slow-mo or time-lapse video more “profound” Congratulations–you’ve discovered what soundtracks do. Additionally:[ul] [li]Scary music soundtracks make any ordinary footage masterfully suspenseful [/li][li]Bouncy indie-music can make any dumb-fuck fools in a TV ad seem like creative types (so if you shell out for that iPhone you’ll be one, too)[/li][li]Goofy horn music can make any ordinary, poorly filmed event comedic[/li][li]High-gain wooshing sounds can make any unimaginative action shot suddenly dramatic[/li][/ul]Music in soundtracks is probably the most manipulative aspect of film, and the mostly commonly used crutch of mediocre film-makers.