Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-05-14
IMMERSIVE PIONEER AND GRAMMY NOMINATED MUSICIAN JAMES HOOD ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW SOUNDTRACK ASTRONOMICA
James Hood, the Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and immersive pioneer behind acclaimed 360-degree planetarium experiences including Mesmerica and Beautifica, brings his latest multi-sensory journey, Astronomica, to Fiske Planetarium in Boulder this June.
Astronomica will be shown at Fiske Planetarium on Sunday, June 7, and Sunday, June 28, with showtimes listed at 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm, and 7:30 pm. The immersive planetarium experience pairs Hood’s newly released Astronomica soundtrack with a sweeping 360-degree visual journey designed for the dome, inviting audiences to move through cosmic landscapes, inner worlds, and full-sensory wonder.
Watch the James Hood Astronomica sizzle reel
The Astronomica soundtrack, released February 27, serves as the musical companion to Hood’s same-named multi-sensory planetarium and theatre experience, which is now being shown across the U.S. The album was recorded and produced at Hood’s Space Farm Studio in Altadena, California, and includes music recorded with The Hungarian National Orchestra in Budapest, Hungary.
The soundtrack also carries a deeply personal story. Astronomica was the last piece of music Hood recorded at Space Farm Studio before the studio was lost in the Eaton Fires on January 7, 2025. Thankfully, the music had been backed up prior to the tragedy.
So, who exactly is James Hood? Not only did he spend formative time drumming with The Pretenders, but Hood also established an early ambient foothold with Moodswings, the electronica duo he formed with fellow producer Grant Showbiz, known for his work with The Smiths and Billy Bragg. In 1992, the duo released the influential Moodfood album, which included the chart-topping single “Spiritual High (State of Independence) Part II” with Chrissie Hynde on lead vocals.
Soon after, Hood reached for the stars and, in the process, helped bring planetariums back into vogue. His 360-degree multi-sensory theatre and planetarium shows Mesmerica and Beautifica have sold more than 2 million tickets in the U.S. alone, making him one of the world’s leading immersive artists.
In addition to those pulse-pounding planetarium projects, Hood hit #1 on the iTunes World Music Charts with his 2014 album Ceremony and reached #1 again in 2015 and 2017 with Pure Ceremony and Mesmerica.
Now, James Hood has launched Astronomica, an even bigger, broader-reaching multimedia experience with a musical component that contains three-dimensional multitudes. The show’s expansive musical arrangements and imaginative visual presentation were influenced by the time Hood spent in and around Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
“I wanted to create a show where it looks like the music and the visuals are creating each other, and are symbiotically linked,” Hood explains. “And then I found a bunch of really cool artists who work in full dome creation.”
Hood’s creative path remains crystal clear.
“There’s no wrong way to dream. I think the only thing musicians and artists should be doing right now is to try to comfort and inspire,” he says. “The music I make has always been reaching for the softer part of people’s psyche. We’re much more transcendent than we may realize. The real win for me as an artist is to lead people toward experiencing themselves. At my shows, we are providing an environment where people can explore the nether regions of their mind where they discover that they’re much more magnificent, complex, and beautiful than they ever thought possible.”
For Hood, Astronomica takes a deeply human approach to the cosmos.
“What my show does spectacularly well is that it takes a humanistic approach — that we, as human beings, are already magnificent, and indescribably complex,” Hood says. “None of us really know our origins. The reality is that we have a universe inside us, and I think that’s part of what we’re supposed to do, and not just go to work to survive in society. We’re human beings, not human doings.”
Hood concludes, “It’s such an incredible thing I get to do. I mean, it’s the best job in the world, you know.”
It’s also a job that seems perfectly suited for the dome at Fiske Planetarium, where Boulder audiences can experience Astronomica as it was intended: all around them, above them, and within them.
Upcoming Boulder Shows
James Hood’s Astronomica
Fiske Planetarium
2414 Regent Drive
Boulder, CO 80309
Sunday, June 7, 2026
4:30 pm | 6:00 pm | 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 28, 2026
4:30 pm | 6:00 pm | 7:30 pm
Fiske Planetarium show information
About Astronomica: Astronomica is James Hood’s multi-sensory 360-degree planetarium and theatre experience, pairing immersive full-dome visuals with Hood’s expansive soundtrack. The musical companion album is available now on digital outlets.
About Fiske Planetarium: Fiske Planetarium, located on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, presents immersive films, star shows, laser shows, concerts, special events, and full-dome experiences for audiences of all ages.
