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Soundtrack Review: Chaos Walking (2021)

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Back in April, Milan Records released Chaos Walking (Original Score) with music by Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts. Available everywhere now, the album features score music from Lionsgate’s new film starring Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland from the director of The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow. The score continues a long tradition of collaborations between the two-time Academy Award®-nominated composers Beltrami and Roberts, who also garnered an Emmy® Award together for their work on Free Solo.

Of the soundtrack, Beltrami and Roberts had the following to say:

“The score for Chaos Walking provided a unique opportunity for us to create a musical language for a fictitious world that was simultaneously both familiar and alien, and in so doing, explore crossing genres that are rarely combined. There are otherworldly sci-fi elements, as well as classic gritty western themes. We had a lot of fun implementing new instruments that would define this cross pollination. It was an adventure to live in this new musical world.”

The music for Chaos Walking is indeed a blend of the familiar and the alien and it is so much fun to listen to. Marco Beltrami has yet to let me down in any film score he has worked on, and that remains true here. It’s somewhat mind-bending to hear sci-fi music blended with classic western music, because off the top of my head that strikes me as a musical combination that should NOT work. But you know what? It works! Somehow, it all comes together and creates a sound world that is strange and new but oh so enticing for the ears.

While I appreciate that the composers have blended together music from the sci-fi and western genres, I’m still more drawn to the sci-fi elements in the score (it is my favorite genre for a reason), particularly ‘Chaos in Space’, I really like how that one track is practically vibrating with tension. Any time strings can be made to make me feel tense or uncomfortable, it’s a good day because that’s one of my favorite ways to hear those instruments being used in a score.

I’m glad I finally sat down to listen to the music for Chaos Walking. I can’t speak for the film itself, but the music is definitely worth it!

Track List

1. Main Title (2:03)
2. Love That Knife (1:41)
3. Friendship Theme (1:58)
4. Lost in the Woods (1:25)
5. Chaos in Space (1:09)
6. Thief / Gotta Tell (2:35)
7. First Encounter (1:14)
8. Motor Horse Chase (2:11)
9. Posse on the Move / Exploring the Ship (4:41)
10. Spackle Tackle (2:05)
11. Farbranch (2:02)
12. Letter From Mom (3:01)
13. Town Attack (6:52)
14. Lonely (2:09)
15. Riverbank Chase / Rapids (3:32)
16. You’re a Good Man, Todd Hewitt (1:35)
17. Preacher Attack / Antenna Climb (3:14)
18. Showdown (3:42)
19. Women Unite (2:11)
20. I Am Todd Hewitt (2:20)

Let me know what you think about Chaos Walking and its soundtrack in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack News: Decca Records Releasing Original Soundtrack for ‘Dream Horse’ by Benjamin Woodgates

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Decca Records is excited to announce the release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Bleecker Street and Topic Studios comedy-drama ‘Dream Horse,’ composed by Benjamin Woodgates. The digital soundtrack is available on all major streaming platforms, coinciding with the U.S. theatrical release on May 21, 2021, two weeks before the U.K. release on June 4, 2021.

Benjamin Woodgates is one of the UK’s most sought-after young composers. An alumnus of Oxford University and the Royal College of Music, his strong sense of musicality, broad stylistic reach and sensitivity towards picture is evident in his scores for film, installation, video games and high-profile advertising campaigns. He has also worked extensively as an orchestrator and musical director for film and television, recent credits including Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Victoria and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Orchestrator); Madeleine Sims-Fewer’s Violation (Conductor); and Terence Davies’ Benediction (Musical Director & Arranger).

Directed by Euros Lyn (Doctor Who), the film tells the inspiring true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender, Jan Vokes (Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette). With very little money and no experience, Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream in the hope he can compete with the racing elites. The group’s investment pays off as Dream rises through the ranks with grit and determination and goes on to race in the Welsh Grand National, showing the heart of a true champion.

There are two sound worlds in Benjamin’s Dream Horse score. One is that of Cefn Fforest, the village in Wales that is home to the film’s ensemble of characters. At the start of the film, these characters are trapped in a cycle of monotony and struggle to relate to one another. To represent them musically, Benjamin pieced together a rag-tag ensemble of instruments, including an old upright piano, a harmonium, a fiddle, and an accordion. The musical result is wheezy, clunky and jagged edged to begin with; however, as the characters bond together to form a syndicate, so does the sound of the ensemble, bringing out the warmth and character that underlies each of these instruments.

The second sound world is built around the horseraces in the film. In stark contrast to the homespun feel of the village ensemble, Benjamin employed a string orchestra to reflect the prestige of the racecourse and to emphasize the sense of alienation and exclusion felt by the characters as they find themselves up against the racing elites. In the run-up to each race, the orchestra plays with sophisticated reserve; however, as the action zooms in to the race itself, the shackles are off, and listeners will hear a different side of the ensemble altogether – one that aims to capture the mud-spattered, unforgiving nature of the turf.

Regarding the music for Dream Horse, Benjamin Woodgates had the following to say:

“Euros Lyn [director] and I worked closely together to create the musical blueprint for this score, meeting regularly in the cutting room in Cardiff and picking up the phone to bounce ideas back and forth. Euros is an accomplished musician himself but made a point of communicating through dramatic and emotional ideas rather than using musical terminology, so that we could build a musical language from the ground up. He had prepared a broad palette of musical references for the tone of the film as a whole – everything from Nick Cave to The Velvet Underground – but was careful to keep these as broad as possible in the hope that we could forge our own sound for Dream Horse.

Euros was keen to give each race scene its own distinct identity, so each race cue has its own musical flavour and structure, governed by what’s at stake. Dream Alliance himself is voiced as a solo violin – capricious, un-tamed, brilliant – which vies against the mass of the string orchestra, refusing to yield to its pull. This counterpoint between solo violin and ensemble underpins all the race sequences, through highs and lows, a battling duet, an unrelenting passacaglia, and a barnstorming rondo-finale.

One of the film’s key themes is that of giving voice to the unheard; both literally, in the case of Dream Alliance, and more symbolically for Jan and her community. In the early scenes the score lies near-dormant, its step-wise motion punctured only by Jan’s sheer force of will and a faint rumbling of hope. However, as Jan sets out to realize her dream and rekindle a sense of belief in her community, the rumblings intensify and the music’s melodic contours begin to soar.”

TRACK LISTING

  1. The Syndicate
  2. Just Starting On It Now
  3. Cefn Fforest
  4. The Hwyl
  5. Be Brave And Brilliant
  6. It’s Not Much, But It’s Home
  7. In For A Penny
  8. Chepstow
  9. Life Cycle
  10. I’m Jan
  11. Sixteen To One
  12. This Won’t Get Out Of Hand
  13. Procession
  14. Aintree – Prelude
  15. Aintree – Ground
  16. By A Thread
  17. Hanging In The Balance
  18. Dad
  19. The Gallops
  20. Tacking Up
  21. Let Him Run
  22. Proper Valley Boy
  23. Delilah

You can check out the soundtrack for Dream Horse on digital now!

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Soundtrack News: Six Degree Records Releases Belushi (Music From the ShowtimeⓇ Documentary Film) Composed by Tree Adams

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Six Degrees Records’ Belushi (Music From The ShowtimeⓇ Documentary Film) composed by Tree Adams is now available on all major streaming platforms. Directed by award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, the documentary takes a revealing look at the brilliant life of comedic legend John Belushi.

Cutler’s feature documentary details the too-short life of the John Belushi, a once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny-bones of audiences worldwide. Told using previously unheard audiotapes, this film examines Belushi’s extraordinary life in the words of his collaborators, friends, and family, including Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Penny Marshall, Lorne Michaels, Carrie Fisher, Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, Jane Curtin, Ivan Reitman and his high school sweetheart and later wife Judy Belushi.

The original score serves as Belushi’s loyal companion as he blazes through the alluring blues, funk, and rock stylings of the decadent ‘70s. Adams, an Emmy-nominated and BMI Award-winning composer, deconstructs these recorded band elements at times, layering them in a distinctly cerebral and psychedelic stew. For BELUSHI, Adams won the 2020 Hollywood Music in Media Award for Outstanding Score – Documentary TV Series.

“For the Belushi score, R.J. wanted us to be able to layer a driving band sound in there as a backdrop for much of the journey but we also needed to be able to accommodate some cerebral and poignant spaces along the way,” said Adams. “So, to keep things feeling cohesive, we tore the live recordings apart and used the elements to make new pieces by reversing and warping the sounds into something that felt entirely unrecognizable but somehow connected.”

Track List:

  1. Kissing John’s Ass
  2. First And Only Valentine
  3. Good And Bad At The Same Time
  4. Everybody Knows Me
  5. Get Married
  6. Knowing His Appetites
  7. I Got My Woman
  8. Jimbo
  9. John Figures Out What He Wants To Do
  10. John In LA
  11. Cocaine
  12. Tension Between Lorne Michaels And John
  13. Radio Show
  14. Nixon
  15. Ramis Recounts
  16. Ranch For His Parents
  17. Identity Crisis
  18. Belushi Disappears For A Nap
  19. Lemmings
  20. Cultural Icons
  21. Rise Of Chevy
  22. Chevy Leaving The Show
  23. Split Up
  24. People Adored Him
  25. Spin Cycle
  26. Belushi Dead at 33

Be sure to check out the soundtrack for Belushi, which is available now!

See also:

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

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Soundtrack Review: The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021)

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Sony Music Masterworks has released The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with music by prolific composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of DEVO Mark Mothersbaugh. Now available everywhere, the album includes score music written by Mothersbaugh for the animated film, which follows an eccentric family in the middle of the robot apocalypse.  The soundtrack is the latest in a longstanding creative partnership between Mothersbaugh and film producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, having previously worked together on titles like The LEGO Movie, 21 Jump Street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and more.

Of the soundtrack, composer Mark Mothersbaugh had the following to say:

“Just thinking about working on this film during a once-in-a-century, world-wide pandemic makes you want to draw correlations between the story of the film and what was happening in this world (the so-called real world). Doing so really gave everything more meaning and added gravitas to an already amazing project to begin with. I will always remember this film for the added attention the pandemic allowed the directors and producers to bring to it, as we were able to work on an extended schedule. It gave us the rare chance to play with the parts, to get them just the way we wanted them and to make a dang-near perfect film!”

“’On My Way’ is a song about new beginnings. I really wanted to capture Katie’s sense of urgency to grow up and expand her horizons while still being grateful of where she has come from and the people that have gotten her where she is. It’s that push and pull of being on a path towards something new and exciting while remembering and celebrating what you’re leaving behind. I think that is something we can all relate to. ‘On My Way’ is one of my favorite songs I have ever worked on and I am so happy it has found a home in the wild world of the Mitchells,” adds singer-songwriter Alex Lahey of her inclusion on the soundtrack.

This soundtrack is a lot of fun to listen to. Mothersbaugh has created a delightful blend of several musical genres that make for a great experience. As near as I can make out, the music for The Mitchells vs The Machines is a blend of action music, sci-fi music, and family music. It’s really mind-blowing when the music switches over from the quiet-ish family music opening to the sci-fi music that enters when the robot apocalypse begins. That’s not the easiest transition to make given the wide disparity between those two styles, but Mothersbaugh makes it feel easy and the music pulls you along for the ride without hardly missing a beat.

The sci-fi music portion of the soundtrack is easily the best part (though it’s all good if I’m honest). It’s wild, it’s zany, you can almost picture what’s going on, it’s exactly what an animated robot apocalypse should sound like. What really surprised me though, is how quiet the soundtrack can be when the music isn’t focused on the robots. I won’t say if this is good or bad, but sometimes it feels like all of the energy is devoted to the music for the robot apocalypse, and the rest is just…quiet, soft, not as important (though I may be overthinking it).

All that being said, I can’t get over how much I love the way Mothersbaugh can switch between musical styles. There’s traditional instruments in there, there’s electronic music, there’s music that blends BOTH. This is a complex musical score, one that grows on you the more you listen to it. I certainly recommend listening to the soundtrack apart from the film if you get the opportunity.

Track List

  1. Columbia Opening / Apocalypse (1:15)
  2. Katie’s Life / Good Cop Dog Cop (3:17)
  3. Laptop Breaks / Home Movies (3:43)
  4. Rise of the Robots (1:30)
  5. Robots Falling from the Sky (1:25)
  6. Eat Laser Robots (1:15)
  7. Robots Capture Humans (1:36)
  8. On the Roof H (1:53)
  9. Two Dumb Robots (0:55)
  10. We Could Get Our Lives Back (0:13)
  11. Katie’s Speech (1:28)
  12. Drive Drive ! (2:07)
  13. Robots March on PAL (0:45)
  14. Foolish Human Air (0:53)
  15. Abandoned Mall ! (1:35)
  16. Mall Robots Attack (1:56)
  17. Furbies Attack_Router Knocked Out (3:29)
  18. Rick’s Pep Talk (2:21)
  19. The Stealthbots (1:21)
  20. Katie and Linda (1:56)
  21. Entering Robot City (3:05)
  22. The Pod Falls (0:51)
  23. They Capture Linda and Rick (0:57)
  24. Hiding in the Woods (2:36)
  25. Katie’s Video (1:52)
  26. Katie to the Rescue (2:03)
  27. Screwdriver Escape (1:47)
  28. Yub Tub (2:00)
  29. Linda Kicks Ass (1:35)
  30. Katie Explains (1:45)
  31. Katie and Rick Work Together (2:17)
  32. I’m a Mitchell! (0:44)
  33. Humanity Is Saved (1:17)
  34. Katie’s Dead (0:56)
  35. Arriving at College (2:32)
  36. On My Way – Alex Lahey (3:05)

Let me know what you think about The Mitchells vs The Machines and its soundtrack in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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Soundtrack Review: Made in Boise (2019)

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I recently had the opportunity to listen to the soundtrack for Made in Boise, a 2019 film which recently saw its soundtrack released digitally by Note for Note Music. The soundtrack, which you can check out here, is the first feature soundtrack composed by Melisa McGregor.

Made In Boise is the Emmy nominated documentary about four women who find purpose carrying babies for strangers in the conservative heartland of Boise, Idaho – the unregulated and unofficial `surrogacy capital’ of the United States – and encounter unexpected complexities along the way. 

Based in Los Angeles, Melisa McGregor is a Canadian-born Composer, Violinist and Producer, a Sundance Lab Composer Fellow and Member of Labyrinth Theater Company (NYC).  Melisa has worked as a composer’s assistant to Danny Elfman on many diverse film scores, from Tim Burton’s  Alice in Wonderland (2010) to Universals’s The Grinch (2018). 

The music for Made in Boise is a type I haven’t heard in a really long time. After being wrapped up in sci-fi music, video game scores, and all kinds of fast paced music for more films than I can count, it was so refreshing to hear something that was slower and reminded me of a simpler way of life. Because that’s what I hear listening to Made in Boise: music that speaks to a world that is quieter, calmer, where all that matters is you and the baby that is growing inside the different surrogate mothers featured in the story.

One thing that caught me by surprise though is how short some of the tracks are. I know soundtracks can have individual tracks as long or short as the story requires, but some of these are the shortest I’ve ever seen. For instance, #7 ‘Shannon Before’ is only thirty-eight seconds long. That’s not an incredibly long amount of time for a musical piece, just as I’m getting into it, it’s over. If I have one gripe with the music, it’s that some of the pieces feel too short to satisfy me, but perhaps there was a good reason some of the pieces are so short.

All in all, the music for Made in Boise is quiet and pleasing, the perfect backdrop for the story of surrogacy and the struggles that can come with bringing new life into the world. This soundtrack is a nice calm counterpoint for all the more “action-filled” soundtracks I’ve been listening to as of late, and it’s a nice reminder that not all soundtracks have to be “noisy” to be good.

Track List:

1. Main Titles (1:00)
2. Farm Live (1:04)
3. Shannon (1:01)
4. Playground (1:00)
5. Surrogacy Support (1:01)
6. Ernesto (1:02)
7. Shannon Before (:38)
8. Nicole to Hospital (1:21)
9. Afterglow (1:16)
10. Idaho (1:45)
11. Losing Finley (1:30)
12. Whassap (:38)
13. Chelsea’s Birth (1:35)
14. Ernesto’s Goodbye (1:06)
15. Cindy Struggles (1:17)
16. Sammy’s Birth (1:03)
17. Afterglow — Reprise (1:17)
18. Skin to Skin (:35)
19. Chelsea Running (1:32)
20. Epilogue (1:35)
21. On Your Way Now — Sharon Van Etten (2:53)
22. Wild Guitars (Bonus track) (3:10)

Let me know what you think about Made in Boise and its soundtrack in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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Soundtrack News: ‘Army of the Dead’ Soundtrack Releasing 5/21

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Milan Records announced the May 21 release of Army of the Dead (Music from the Netflix Film) by multi-platinum producer, musician, composer and educator Tom Holkenborg aka JUNKIE XL. Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL, is a Grammy nominated multi-platinum producer, musician, composer and educator whose versatility puts him on the cutting edge of contemporary music, and whose thirst for innovation is helping to reimagine the world of composition.

  Available for preorder now, the album features music written by Holkenborg for director Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie heist film.  The project is the latest in a longstanding creative partnership between Snyder and Holkenborg, who most recently collaborated on Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but started their relationship in 2014 with the Snyder-written and produced 300: Rise Of An Empire.

Of the soundtrack, composer Tom Holkenborg had the following to say:

“A zombie heist movie in Vegas with Zack and Netflix, how could I say no? Army of the Dead was a chance to start something very new and fresh, which is certainly ironic for a movie about the undead! It was such a fun project as we got to rip up the rule book, and really re-examine what a zombie movie could sound like. It’s a LOT of fun!”

From filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Army of the Dead takes place following a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in ruins and walled off from the rest of the world. When Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a former zombie war hero who’s now flipping burgers on the outskirts of the town he now calls home, is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada), it’s with the ultimate proposition: break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With little left to lose, Ward takes on the challenge, assembling a ragtag team of experts for the heist. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing’s for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all.

Track List

1. Viva Las Vegas – Richard Cheese & Allison Crowe (5:55)
2. Scott and Kate Part 1 (5:24)
3. Scott and Kate Part 2 (2:49)
4. Scott and Kate Part 3 (4:42)
5. Toten Hosen (3:56)
6. Swimming Pool (1:05)
7. Not Here (1:50)
8. 3 Flares (4:42)
9. Battle Hallway Part 1 (4:00)
10. Battle Hallway Part 2 (6:41)
11. Zeus and Athena Part 1 (3:17)
12. Zeus and Athena Part 2 (4:14)

Be sure to pick up the soundtrack for Army of the Dead when it becomes available on May 21, 2021.

See also:

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

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Soundtrack Review: Wrath of Man (2021)

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Sony Music Masterworks has released the Wrath of Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by composer Chris Benstead. Available everywhere now, the album features score music written by Benstead for director Guy Ritchie’s latest action thriller starring Jason Statham. The score is the latest collaboration between Benstead and Ritchie, the duo having previously worked together on The Gentleman and Aladdin. 

Chris Benstead is a British film composer, arranger and Academy Award®-winning re-recording mixer. Chris received Oscar® and BAFTA awards for his work as re-recording mixer on Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Chris’ unique skillset allowed him to mix and sculpt the music in an extremely immersive way, pushing the limits of surround sound and exploiting the new ‘Dolby Atmos’ standard.

Of the soundtrack for Wrath of Man, composer Chris Benstead had the following to say:

“The score for Wrath of Man is centered around the cold and mysterious character ‘H’. Super close-mic’d cellos and double basses were used (and abused) to created awkward and jarring stabs as well as angry and unnervingly dark textures. A stoic main ‘hook’ is constantly repeated in different guises to help amplify the sense of impending unease and, ultimately, revenge. Sometimes only percussion was needed to create the brutal and exigent action cues. It was an amazing experience to collaborate with the utterly brilliant Guy Ritchie once again.”

I’m probably guilty of saying this too often, but I really enjoyed listening to the soundtrack for Wrath of Man. This is the kind of soundtrack I live for hearing, because it’s the type of music you feel in the very depths of your soul (yes it really is that good). Benstead uses the cello and double bass in a way that is pure genius. Normally, I think of those two instruments as producing warm and gentle music. Not here, not this soundtrack. Benstead turns the cello and double bass into weapons, making sharp, jagged sounds that cut through everything else and demand your attention. This is not the type of soundtrack that just fades into the background, you’re going to notice this music.

I also absolutely love how Benstead utilizes percussion throughout the soundtrack. It sounds like gunshots in a lot of places (and I’m certain that was done on purpose) and gives the music a distinctly prickly feeling. It’s a nice contrast to the harsh sounds of the cello and double bass and serves as a reminder that this is not ‘comfortable’ music in any sense of the word. Once this music gets started, you are on edge and I love that so much about this soundtrack.

There isn’t too much more to say about this music without sounding repetitive. Chris Benstead has created a soundtrack that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: the music for (what is hopefully) a badass action film. This is one of the most purely enjoyable soundtracks I’ve heard this year so far, and I think all of you will like it.

Track List

1. Coffee Frother (3:29)
2. Wrath of Man (2:14)
3. Dangerous Job (2:17)
4. Tooling Up (3:09)
5. Bullet Taken Hostage (3:04)
6. F**king Lunatic (1:57)
7. Coroners Report (1:22)
8. China Town (0:55)
9. Dark F**king Spirit (3:58)
10. Know The Route (1:45)
11. Dougie (3:20)
12. Idolised You (3:40)
13. Built for Combat (2:03)
14. Porn Factory (3:34)
15. Precious Ornaments (3:24)
16. Staples Center (2:38)
17. Go to Work (1:44)
18. Number 1 Loses It (3:58)
19. 120 Million (2:04)
20. The Inside Man (4:42)
21. Wanna be Hero (5:36)
22. Come Out Little Piggy (4:16)
23. Bullet Executions (3:31)
24. The Victor (4:48)
25. Liver Lungs Spleen Heart (4:13)

Let me know what you think about Wrath of Man (and its soundtrack) in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

My Thoughts on: Wrath of Man (2021)

Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack News: Music From Netflix Original Series ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ Available 5/7

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Milan Records announced today that the soundtrack album for the upcoming Netflix Original Series Jupiter’s Legacy will be released on May 7, 2021. The music for this series was composed by Stephanie Economou, who is a composer and violinist based in Los Angeles, CA. She has written the music for the Lionsgate/Starz series Step Up: High Water, as well as the second season of Manhunt: Deadly Games. Stephanie is a long-time collaborator of Golden Globe-nominated composer, Harry Gregson- Williams, composing additional music on scores such as Disney’s live-action re-make Mulan, directed by Niki Caro, Jon Turtletaub’s The Meg, Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer 2, Disneynature’s Penguins, and Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning film The Martian. 

After nearly a century of keeping mankind safe, the world’s first generation of superheroes must look to their children to continue the legacy. But tensions rise as the young superheroes, hungry to prove their worth, struggle to live up to their parents’ legendary public reputations— and exacting personal standards. Based on the graphic novels by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, Jupiter’s Legacy is an epic superhero drama that spans decades and navigates the complex dynamics of family, power, and loyalty.

Of the soundtrack for Jupiter’s Legacy, composer Stephanie Economou had the following to say:

“This first season of Jupiter’s Legacy offers staggering diversity in style, scale, emotion and time period, so I set out to create a musical landscape through which the score could expand and contract; kind of like a kaleidoscope. This afforded me the opportunity to explore varied stylistic sound worlds, from hybrid orchestral to industrial rock to contemporary electronic. At a critical moment in the season, I composed a large-scale choral piece using two of the main musical themes: the heroic ‘Union’ theme and what I call the ‘quest germ,’ which is a cyclical sequence of notes that emerges as our adventure unfolds (Track 28: Jupiter’s Legacy). For the chorale, I decided to source the lyrics from the original comic series by Mark Millar and translated the text into Latin. In order to make this pinnacle moment feel purposeful and impactful, I chose to unwind the choral idea by recording small modules of detuned, experimental vocals with the masterfully innovative singer, Ari Mason. My objective was to have these fragmented vocal elements serve as a kind of musical breadcrumb trail, slowly and abstractly weaving itself into the fibers of the score, culminating in a grand declaration of our main Union theme with full choir at the climax.”

JUPITER’S LEGACY (MUSIC FROM THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES)
TRACKLISTING –

  1. Union of Justice
  2. The Utopian
  3. Chloe
  4. The Patterns
  5. Disembarking
  6. Traversing the Crevasse
  7. “Where to, Ulysses?”
  8. The Island
  9. Raikou
  10. The Overdose
  11. Grace Finds the Sketches
  12. Paragon and Iron Orchid
  13. Service, Compassion, Mercy
  14. Tree Symbols
  15. Through the Storm
  16. Morocco
  17. George’s Isolation
  18. The Hilltop Battle
  19. Everything Ends Up in a Box
  20. Miller’s Farm
  21. Crossing the Desert
  22. Being a Sampson
  23. Hutch
  24. Van Chase
  25. A New Leader
  26. Skyfox and Blackstar
  27. Illumination
  28. Jupiter’s Legacy

The album for Jupiter’s Legacy is available for preorder now, and will be available on May 7, 2021.

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Soundtrack Review: Stowaway (2021)

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With Netflix recently releasing the soundtrack for their new film Stowaway, I had the opportunity to sit down and listen to the film’s official soundtrack. The music was composed by Volker Bertelmann (The Old Guard, Lion) and recently made available digitally.

The film’s synopsis is as follows:

In Stowaway, on a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision.

Says Bertelmann of the Stowaway soundtrack:

“Working on Stowaway and collaborating with director Joe Penna was a special experience in many respects: Joe, who is a musician himself, gave me a lot of freedom to explore different sounds and we had a joint understanding of the purposes the music should serve. This facilitated the compositional process, which was extremely helpful given the considerable amount of music the film needed. The music for Stowaway is one of my favorite scores so far.”

Given what’s at stake in Stowaway, I was surprised at how low-key and passive a lot of the music is. There’s an underlying sense of tension of course, most notably in ‘How Much Oxygen’ but for the most part Bertelmann’s soundtrack is almost perfectly serene. The biggest exception to this comes in ‘Solar Flare’ which covers what is undoubtedly one of the climax points of the film. But even then, there’s still a polished smoothness lingering in the music that takes some of the edge off what might otherwise be a raw piece of action music.

All of this smoothness and serenity in the music confused me until I considered where the film is set. Stowaway is set entirely in space, aboard a ship bound for Mars, and it could be that Bertelmann had it in his mind to back up the interstellar background of the film with music that fit the location. After all, there’s something about space that can generate a lot of musical grace and beauty, and this film is surely no exception. It could also be that the composer wanted to remind viewers that in the grand scheme of things this conflict is barely a blip in the cosmos (or I could be overthinking it entirely). Most likely of all the options is the possibility that Bertelmann wanted the score to backup the story, but not overwhelm it with sheer depth of volume, as some film scores have been known to do.

I really enjoyed listening to the soundtrack for Stowaway. It really subverted my expectations for what I thought this movie would sound like but in the end it was really enjoyable. In some places it actually reminded me a little bit of 2001: A Space Odyssey with some of the more quiet tracks. If you get the chance to listen to the Stowaway soundtrack separate from the movie, I highly recommend doing so.

Track List

  1. Earth Rise
  2. Regaining Consciousness
  3. Favorite Spot on the Ship
  4. How Much Oxygen
  5. Setting Up the Algae
  6. It’s Literally My Job
  7. Can I Take His Place?
  8. I Was in the Fire
  9. Can You Talk?
  10. What Did You Do?
  11. The Algae Are Dead
  12. Climbing the Tethers
  13. On the Kingfisher
  14. More Than Enough Oxygen
  15. Solar Flare
  16. I Will Go
  17. Climbing the Tethers Alone
  18. Into the Solar Storm

Let me know what you think of Stowaway’s soundtrack (and the film) in the comments below and have a great day!

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Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack News: ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ Soundtrack Albums Available Now

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Milan Records celebrates the tenth anniversary of the critically-acclaimed anime franchise Puella Magi Madoka Magica with the first-ever digital release of music featured in the series, movie and the mobile game “Magia Record.” Included within the release are three albums of music from the Aniplex title, including two albums featuring music from the series and movie as well as one album from Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, a mobile game based on the anime with its own original storyline. The release arrives as part of title’s 10th anniversary project, celebrating the original 2011 airdate of the fan-favorite show.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Ultimate Best and Puella Magi Madoka Magica Music Collection include a mix of score music composed by Yuki Kajiura, original vocal tracks sung by the series cast as well as additional tracks by J-pop artists ClariS and Kalafina. Meanwhile the Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story Music Collection includes score music written for the mobile game side story by various artists as well as a vocal track by J-pop artist TrySail.

ABOUT PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA

She has a loving family and best friends, laughs and cries from time to time… Madoka Kaname, an eighth grader of Mitakihara Middle School, is one of those living such a life. One day, she had a very magical encounter. She doesn’t know if it happened by chance or by fate yet. This is a fateful encounter that can change her destiny – this is a beginning of the new story of the magical witch girls.

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA ULTIMATE BEST TRACKLISTING –

1.Connect –ClariS

2.Mata Ashita –Madoka Kaname*

3.Credens Justitiam –Yuki Kajiura

4.Sis Puella Magica! –Yuki Kajiura

5.And I’m Home (Original Master Version) –Sayaka Miki** & Kyoko Sakura***

6.Magia –Kalafina

7.Luminous–ClariS

8.She is a Witch–Yuki Kajiura

9.Hikarifuru–Kalafina

10.Naturally–Madoka Kaname* & Sayaka Miki**

11.Akogaresaita–Madoka Kaname*

12.Mebius Ash–Homura Akemi****

13.Yumeoto –Madoka Kaname* & Homura Akemi****

14.Stairs–Mami Tomoe***** &Kyoko Sakura***

15.mada dameyo–Yuki Kajiura

16.Noi!–Yuki Kajiura

17.Colorful–ClariS

18.Kimino Ginno Niwa–Kalafina

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA MUSIC COLLECTION TRACKLISTING –

1.Prelude to Act 1–Yuki Kajiura

2.Scaena Felix–Yuki Kajiura

3.Postmeridie–Yuki Kajiura

4.Conturbatio–Yuki Kajiura

5.Puella In Somnio–Yuki Kajiura

6.Salve, Terrae Magicae–Yuki Kajiura

7.Desiderium–Yuki Kajiura

8.Gradus Prohibitus–Yuki Kajiura

9.Credens Justitiam–Yuki Kajiura

10.Sis Puella Magica!–Yuki Kajiura

11.Inevitabilis–Yuki Kajiura

12.Pugna Cum Maga–Yuki Kajiura

13.Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14–Yuki Kajiura

14.Umbra Nigra–Yuki Kajiura

15.Venari Strigas–Yuki Kajiura

16.Agmen Clientum–Yuki Kajiura

17.Signum Malum–Yuki Kajiura

18.Serena Ira–Yuki Kajiura

19.Incertus–Yuki Kajiura

20.Ave Maria–Yuki Kajiura

21.Decretum–Yuki Kajiura

22.Anima Mala–Yuki Kajiura

23.Mata Ashita–Madoka Kaname*

24.And I’m Home (Original Master Version)–Sayaka Miki** & Kyoko Sakura***

25.Connect (Game Instrumental Version)–ClariS

26.Prelude to Act 2–Yuki Kajiura

27.Amicae Carae Meae–Yuki Kajiura

28.Clementia–Yuki Kajiura

29.La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin–Yuki Kajiura

30.Pugna Infinita–Yuki Kajiura

31.Confessio–Yuki Kajiura

32.Cor Destructum–Yuki Kajiura

33.Terror Adhaerens–Yuki Kajiura

34.Symposium Magarum–Yuki Kajiura

35.Numquam Vincar–Yuki Kajiura

36.Quamobrem?–Yuki Kajiura

37.Surgam Identidem–Yuki Kajiura

38.Nux Walpurgis–Yuki Kajiura

39.Sagitta Luminis–Yuki Kajiura

40.Cubilulum Album–Yuki Kajiura

41.Taenia Memoriae–Yuki Kajiura

42.Pergo Pugnare–Yuki Kajiura

43.Connect–ClariS

44.Magia–Kalafina

45.Numquam Vincar (Live Version)–Yuki Kajiura

MAGIA RECORD: PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SIDE STORY MUSIC COLLECTION TRACKLISTING –

1.Inception –Ryo Furukawa

2.Infinite Battle –Ryo Furukawa

3.First Contact –Yasuhisa Inoue

4.Awaken –Kyohei Ozawa

5.Place to Hunt –Yasuhisa Inoue

6.Intermediate–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

7.Welcome to Mirrors–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

8.Repeat Days –Yasuhisa Inoue

9.Memories –Yasuhisa Inoue

10.Twilight –Yasuhisa Inoue

11.To Remember –Kyohei Ozawa

12.Remain –Kyohei Ozawa

13.Coordinator –Yasuhisa Inoue

14.Lost Tension –Kyohei Ozawa

15.Anxiety –Yasuhisa Inoue

16.Touch One’s Heart –Kyohei Ozawa

17.Be Terrified –Ryo Furukawa

18.Creation –Yasuhisa Inoue

19.Wings of Magius –Yasuhisa Inoue

20.Full Moon –Yasuhisa Inoue

21.The Imaginator –Yasuhisa Inoue

22.Uwasa-san –Yasuhisa Inoue

23.The Lecture –Yasuhisa Inoue

24.Into the Territory –Kyohei Ozawa

25.Hotel Fenthope –Kyohei Ozawa

26.Thought of You –Kyohei Ozawa

27.Battle Fields –Ryo Furukawa

28.Initiation Battle –Yasuhisa Inoue

29.The Crow –Tatsuhiko Saiki

30.Magical Artist –Kyohei Ozawa

31.Calculated Future –Yasuhisa Inoue

32.Last Dungeon –Ryo Furukawa

33.Reunion –Ryo Furukawa

34.The Other Side –Yasuhisa Inoue

35.Battle Bell–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

36.Depth in the Mirror–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

37.One Day She Meets–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

38.Sunshine of the Mind –Kyohei Ozawa

39.Day of Rest –Yasuhisa Inoue

40.Plot –Ryo Furukawa

41.Farewell –Tatsuhiko Saiki

42.Complex Home –Kyohei Ozawa

43.Painful Memories–Naoki “naotyu-” Chiba

44.Inerasable –Kyohei Ozawa

45.This Morning –Tatsuhiko Saiki

46.There is –Kyohei Ozawa

47.Little Trick –Kyohei Ozawa

48.Hot Summer Day –Kyohei Ozawa

49.Kakawari –TrySail

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