Blur tune heads for Mars

Blur pitched the idea to scientist Colin Pillinger

Pop band Blur are heading into the studio on Wednesday to program a piece of music to be played on a space mission to Mars.

A track, written and recorded by the foursome, will be launched into space on the Beagle 2 lander, a British craft that will put down on the Red Planet in 2003.

It is kind of like a musical cave painting, a ponderous, clear tune

Alex James

The track will act as a call sign that will be transmitted back to Earth once Beagle 2 is on the surface.

The idea came from Blur's drummer Dave Rowntree and bassist Alex James who contacted scientist Colin Pillinger.

When Professor Pillinger heard about the European Space Agency's (Esa) Mars Express mission to put a spacecraft in obit around the planet, he campaigned for the robotic expedition to include a small lander that could be sent down to the surface to look for evidence of life.

Professor Pillinger is delighted to bring Blur on board with project.

Credibility

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "We have to announce our arrival and normally we send back some piece of computer gobbledygook and wanted to have something that was instantly recognisable.

Beagle 2 will belt out Blur when it touches down

"When we started this project, we really need to demonstrate credibility and we also need to raise a lot of cash. Blur could provide both media appeal and this signal for us."

Alex James explained that while the composition was loosely based on a mathematical sequence, the band had added their own style.

The tune has overtones of the Dr Who theme music and tracks taken from Blur's 13 album, including No Distance Left to Run.

"It is kind of like a musical cave painting, a ponderous, clear tune," said James.