Playlist: Sci-Fi Suites

Yardfest headliner Janelle Monae’s forays into futuristic soul on her albums “The ArchAndroid” and “The Electric Lady” aren’t the first time a popular musician has crafted albums around heady concepts of dystopia and (occasionally) utopia. This week, the Arts Blog explores a few of our other favorite sci-fi-themed albums.

“Deltron 3030” – Deltron 3030 (2000)

Del the Funky Homosapien may be best known for his endless verse on Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood,” but this futuristic collaboration with Dan the Automator and Kid Koala is his masterpiece. Del’s dense narrative about a 31st-century MC who becomes Galactic Rhyme Federation Champion weaves around bleakly infectious beats, producing one of the definitive hip-hop albums of this millennium, even if it’s set in the next one.

“Moon Colony Bloodbath” – The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice (2009)

This vinyl-only split EP was released around the same time as John Darnielle’s heavily biblical album “The Life of the World to Come,” and centers loosely on the employees of an organ-harvesting operation on the Moon. With its upbeat strumming and hand-claps, the album doesn’t sound heavy, but its lyrics paint a desolate picture of Asimovian ennui; the speaker of “Surrounded” sings, “I find a broadcast station that’s signed off for the night / And the static floods the speakers in glorious black and white / On my ninety-six inch television screen / Let me die. / Let me die surrounded by machines.”

“Preservation Act 2” – The Kinks (1974)

Skip the tame first installment of Ray Davies’ polarizing rock opera for this sprawling, stunningly produced conclusion to the battle between Mr. Black and Mr. Flash for control over England. Highlights include the tuba and clarinet-driven “Scum of the Earth” and the swinging “Slum Kids.” To be honest, “Preservation Act 2” is definitely no “Tommy” as rock operas go—one very confused listen might be enough.

“Crack the Skye” – Mastodon (2009)

Although not as aurally abrasive as 2006’s “Blood Mountain,” this recent release from prog-metal’s ambassadors has a storyline that the writers of “Doctor Who” would probably reject as too bizarre. A paraplegic flies too close to the sun, ends up having his soul transplanted into the body of Rasputin, and meets the Devil after failing to usurp the throne of the tsar. A true standout among the swath of Russo-Icaro-Hawkingpunk records released in the past few years.

“The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars” – David Bowie (1972)

Over forty years later, the lyrics are still weird. Only the Thin White Duke can write lines like “So where were the spiders while the fly tried to break our balls? / Just the beer light to guide us,” off the album’s sort-of title track. Fans looking for another way to appreciate this monument of glam-rock should check out Seu Jorge’s acoustic and Lusitanized covers of its songs produced for Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”