Greek composer Vangelis (Evangelos Papathanassiou, 1943-2022) won the Academy Award for Chariots of Fire (1981) and composed the enduringly influential Blade Runner score (1982), both built on vast synthesizer soundscapes that shaped how electronic music evokes the cosmic and the sublime. Vangelis died on May 17, 2022, at age 79, from heart failure following complications of Covid-19.

Mood and energy: Majestic, atmospheric, expansive. Recommended uses: reflection, meditation.

Sacred Ground Confidence Score: 5 out of 5 stars   Final recommendation: Approved.

Why this artist belongs in Sacred Sounds: An Oscar-winning composer whose cosmic synthesizer language directly shaped the sound of celestial music as a category, with a cultural reach far beyond the New Age genre proper.