File It Between Ambient Music and Death Metal

What do interstellar alien visitors listen to in their flying-saucer sound systems?

Here’s one thing they may want to pick up on their next Earth trip: An album of music created for “The X-Files,” the Fox TV cult hit about two government agents tracking down ghosts, aliens and other “unexplained” phenomena.

Series creator Chris Carter has recruited musician-producer David Was--formerly of Was (Not Was)--to develop the project, and the two are currently shopping the concept to major record labels.

Among the artists Was has made initial overtures to is PJ Harvey, whose representatives have responded positively, according to Was and Carter. Was hopes to team the English singer--whose psychodrama blues are already rather spooky--with an ambient-techno remixer such as Aphex Twin.

On Carter’s wish list are his current favorites Portishead, Massive Attack and Tricky--English acts known for their haunting sounds.

“I’d be happy to have any or all of those people,” Carter says. “They all reflect the mood of ‘X-Files.’ ”

The two also hope to tap the growing contingent of rock stars among the “X-Files” faithful, such as Tom Petty, who sent Carter an unsolicited signed photo and has tapes of episodes that he’s missed delivered to him while he’s on tour.

“I’d love to put Tom Petty together with Ry Cooder, who could give him that eerie sound he did for the ‘Paris, Texas’ movie soundtrack,” says Was, who is also finishing his own first solo album, “David Was: Undrugged,” which blends rock, jazz, hip-hop and rock with good doses of the weirdness that characterized his old band.

This will be the fourth album tied to a hit Fox series, following albums coming from “The Simpsons,” “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.” The last was a big hit last year and served as a launching pad for Boston band Letters to Cleo.

Was says that, unlike the “90210” and “Melrose” albums, he doesn’t want to merely provide songs that can be played as background for the shows or as videos during the end credits, but a collection that really reflects the “X-Files” aesthetic.

“The show is out-and-out scary,” Was says. “The original idea was to do a death-and-gloom record with a heavy edge. I want to try to find the midpoint between moody ambient music and death metal.”