Some of the best films wouldn’t be nearly as iconic without proper soundtracks. Although Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar is an absolute masterpiece, Hans Zimmer‘s soundtrack is undoubtedly an integral part of it. Sure, plenty of other composers could have done a great job, but Zimmer is one of the main reasons for the film’s cult status and its enduring popularity many years after its release.
With that said, we’ll be exploring some of the finest interpretations of Hans Zimmer’s “Day One,” popularly known as the “Interstellar Theme,” which features its main melody in most of the soundtrack.
Akmigone — A Pretty Hard Piano Arrangement of the Interstellar Theme
Although Zimmer added a range of orchestral instruments alongside the piano nearing the end of the song, there are ways to replicate the crescendo near the end by just playing one instrument. Of course, it’s far from a simple task, but creator Akmigone cleverly arranged the piece on the piano to create a much fuller sound.
And no, there’s no double tracking, just the good old solo performance. If you ask us, this is the display of true musicianship and artistry that Akmigone pulled off.
Zander Zon Featuring Charles Berthoud — An Hour-long Bass Duet Cover of the Interstellar Theme
For all the bass players and bass lovers, Zander Zon and Charles Berthoud also have an impressive take on the Interstellar theme. This full hour-long version combines two bass guitars to cover the piece, with Charles mostly playing it on a fretless bass.
They end it with that crescendo, utilizing all the flashy techniques to pull it off. However, it’s far from a simple display of technical abilities since the two basses never interfere with each other’s sonic territories. This isn’t by chance but rather Zander’s and Charles’ clever arrangement.
Zander Zon — Interstellar Theme Medley on Bass and Electric Cello (ft. a Loop Pedal)
Knowing his approach to music and his impeccable bass-playing skills, we couldn’t help but mention Zander Zon again. After all, he has another great take on the Interstellar main theme. In this case, it’s him alone playing bass and electric cello, as well as using a loop pedal to paint the full picture.
Since the piece is largely minimalistic, with the main theme repeating many times over, a loop pedal was the obvious choice. Of course, he uses two different basses for more sonic versatility and then adds the cello for a very atmospheric and dynamic performance.
Aryan Khanna — Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Cover of the Interstellar Theme
Performing as a solo instrument comes with its challenges. And using an acoustic guitar to do this piece, without any special additional gear, is one hell of a feat. Well, that’s exactly what Aryan Khanna did in his version of Hans Zimmer’s “Day One.”
Although the recording itself speaks far more than words ever will, we should point out how he came up with clever solutions to build up the song. Apart from an innovative arrangement, Arhyan also uses his instrument’s percussive potential.
Jens Julius Tejlgaard — Electric Guitar Take on an Interstellar Theme (and a Full-on Metal Arrangement)
For all the lovers of prog rock and prog metal, Jens Julius Tejgaard did an incredible take on the theme. Of course, if you want to hear the full-band arrangement, you’ll have to wait until the final part. But in order for it to hit really hard, you’ll just have to listen to the entire thing from the very start, listening to how Jens used his ESP, along with the backing tracks. This one is a really dynamic roller coaster.
Louis Racicot — Violin Version of the Interstellar Theme
Hardly any instrument matches the expressiveness levels of the violin. However, hardly any violinist does this kind of music as well as Louis Racicot of Music 4 Humans does. Of course, the version isn’t violin alone since a piano backing track accompanies it. But Louis makes it work incredibly well, all while also turning this into a tutorial with video instructions and sheet music.
Nicholas Yee — A Cello Arrangement of the Interstellar Theme
Speaking of fretless instruments, the cello is another one that allows for a lot of expressive qualities. If you’re a fan of lower registers as opposed to higher ones of the violin, this cover by Nicholas Yee is what you need.
Although there’s a backing track, most of the magic is done on the cello. Nicholas gives us a lesson on how to really build up the dynamics and paint a fully expressive picture with a solo instrument.
You Should Do It, Too: Here’s Why
Compared to the more “epic” film themes, the main theme for Interstellar was a bit more minimalistic. This was exactly what made it so great, receiving praise from even those who didn’t care about the film. Instead of relying on versatility and constant changes, this piece does an incredible dynamic play, doing a slow-burning crescendo, which could make it a challenge to perform on any instrument.
Doing your own cover of the theme will teach you a thing or two. First, you’ll be learning how to gradually build up, all while discerning all the important and almost unnoticeable dynamic nuances. And, above all, you’ll learn how to deal with creating your own.
