The new trailer for BBC's prequel to their documentary Blue Planet brought an unexpected but welcome collaboration: legendary film composer Hans Zimmer and Radiohead. The two have worked together on "ocean (bloom)" as a rework of one of the standout songs "Bloom" from Radiohead's 2011 album The King of Limbs.
The trailer opens with the David Attenborough's narration describing the new series, then transitions to Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's opening lines in "Bloom" which thematically fit the visuals perfectly. The new stripped-down version of the song puts Thom's haunting vocals against minimal strings from Hans Zimmer, the man responsible for the soundtracks to Inception, The Lion King, The Dark Knight and many more. The song builds up throughout the three-minute trailer alongside footage of underwater life, culminating in a climax that raises the intensity from both Hans and Radiohead.
Thom Yorke said that the original version of Bloom was inspired by the original Blue Planet series, so it is cool to see this come full circle and have him rework it specifically for the new series. Blue Planet II will be releasing later this year, with Hans Zimmer returning to do the full soundtrack. Enjoy!
Here is the BBC’s Blue Planet II prequel accompanied by the new track (ocean) bloom: a collaboration between @Radiohead & @HansZimmer pic.twitter.com/VsazdZU61X
— Radiohead (@radiohead) September 27, 2017