NP: Public Service Broadcasting's discography. (You can never settle for just one.)
The London-based duo creates retro-futuristic electronic music much in the spirit of classic krautrock. They use samples from old public information films, archival footage, and propaganda material to (quote)
‘teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future’. PSB combines classic synths with banjo, ukulele, sax, and trumpets all propelled by a nearly-motorik beat. But what I love most about their sound is the ever-present uplifting, positive energy (much like the music of Lemon Jelly or Sundae Club).
EDIT: A remarkable note - the track "Fire in the Cockpit" from Race for Space recalls the tragic loss of three astronauts' lives when a fire erupted during a test of the Apollo 1. Strangely, the 50th anniversary of that event was Wednesday of this very week, and
NPR reports that NASA has placed the command module on permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center in their honor.
I love music with history.