Music discovery · Influence explorer

Artists like Explosions in the Sky — and the music that made them

Post-Rock · 1999–present

Cinematic post-rock architects building cathedrals from guitar and emotion.

Explosions in the Sky are Texas-based post-rock pioneers who transform simple guitar melodies into sweeping, orchestral soundscapes without vocals. Their emotionally charged instrumentals have defined modern post-rock and provided unforgettable scores for films and TV shows like Friday Night Lights.

Essential tracks

►Your Hand in Mine

►First Breath After Coma

►Postcard from 1952

Did you know

They were briefly investigated by the FBI after their 2000 album 'How Strange, Innocence' featured a plane on the cover with cryptic liner notes about flying

The band writes all their song titles after the music is complete, often spending months finding the right words

Their live shows are performed in complete darkness except for a single spotlight, creating an almost religious concert experience

“Cinematic guitar orchestrations that build from whispers to triumphant crescendos”

generations
of influence

If you like Explosions in the Sky, try these

This Will Destroy You

They share the same melodic post-rock DNA with equally powerful emotional buildups

2000s · Post-Rock

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Their sprawling instrumental epics create similarly overwhelming atmospheric experiences

1990s · Post-Rock

Mono

Japanese masters of the quiet-loud dynamic with orchestral post-rock arrangements

1990s · Post-Rock

Russian Circles

They blend post-rock's emotional arc with heavier, more metallic textures

2000s · Post-Metal

Caspian

Their guitar-driven instrumentals follow similar narrative structures and emotional peaks

2000s · Post-Rock

Sigur Rós

Icelandic architects of ethereal soundscapes that build to cathartic climaxes

1990s · Post-Rock

But where did the sound actually come from?

Influence tree

Trace Explosions in the Sky's roots back through history

Every sound has a source. Click any node to hear the connection.

Explosions in the Sky

1999–present

Slint

1986–1992

cited

Tortoise

1990–present

cited

Mogwai

1995–present

cited

Sonic Youth

1981–2011

sonic

My Bloody Valentine

1983–1997, 2007–present

sonic

Talk Talk

1981–1991

sonic

Glenn Branca

1970s–2010s

movement

Ennio Morricone

1946–2020

sonic

↑ Click any influence node to see the connection and where to start listening.

What makes the sound

Sonic elements

Interweaving tremolo-picked guitar melodies

Gradual dynamic builds from ambient to soaring

Reverb-drenched production creating spatial depth

Emotional narrative arcs without vocals

Start with these tracks

Your Hand in Mine

First Breath After Coma

The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

About this page

Music like Explosions in the Sky — Explosions in the Sky are Texas-based post-rock pioneers who transform simple guitar melodies into sweeping, orchestral soundscapes without vocals. Their emotionally charged instrumentals have defined modern post-rock and provided unforgettable scores for films and TV shows like Friday Night Lights.

Artists like Explosions in the Sky today include This Will Destroy You, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono, Russian Circles.