As the smoke clears in the neon-lit saloon, the sound of a lone shell casing hitting a metal floor echoes out into the silence. Fire up the jukebox for your classic Space Western standoff, set in a dystopian cyberpunk off-world orbital station as your rag-tag group of intergalactic misfits gallivant around the galaxy, peril chasing you around every turn.
An entire generation grew up watching their favorite anime protagonists take to the stars every night on Toonami (and later, Adult Swim). I was one of them, later entering adulthood with a wistful impulse to venture into the unknown. These stalky, enigmatic men with their somber pasts and fates tightly entwined with danger, exhibited an almost heedless ability to sidestep cataclysmic events—a dance of serendipity that I’ve always felt tapped into somehow.
This playlist is Ocean’s Eleven meets Cowboy Bebop, with a tasteful slice of Barbarella, seamlessly merging the nostalgic notes of yesteryears with the electric pulse of future realms. It’s the perfect backdrop for a high-stakes heist, a space odyssey, or any venture into the unknown. Where old-world charm meets cosmic adventure, let these tracks be your flashing red “LAUNCH” button. Saddle up, cowboy.
Made for assembling a crew.
