Koyaanisqatsi is Hopi (the Uto-Aztecan language of a Pueblo people in northeast Arizona) for “life out of balance.” The 87-minute film is without dialogue or narrative structure and was intended partly as an indictment of late 20th–century Western society. Through a collage of images, from clouds chasing clouds across a Mexican desert to crowds of people swarming through Grand Central Station, Koyaanisqatsi allows the audience to experience the acceleration and density of contemporary society, and invites the consideration of the effects of technology and progress in a modern world.

The original issue of Glass’s score to Koyaanisqatsi in 1983, which won a Golden Globe Award for Best Score, came at a time of transition in the record industry: the era of the LP was coming to a close, signaling the advent of the CD. Since the LP was still the most popular medium, the score for Koyaanisqatsi was radically abridged in order to accommodate the limited capacity of the LP, which could hold a maximum of 25 minutes on each side. The 1998 Nonesuch recording presents Koyaanisqatsi as a full concert piece of more than 70 minutes, encapsulating many of Glass’s compositional innovations that have served as his trademark for decades to follow.

“Since its premiere in 1983, Koyaanisqatsi has assumed the stature of a modern film classic," said Glass at the time of the CD release. "I am delighted that with this recording, substantially all of the score is finally available. Godfrey and I worked over a period of three years assembling the image and music of Koyaanisqatsi. This is a collaboration of film and music that is unprecedented in its intensity.”