Back catalogue: All genres

Review: From the moment you hit play on 'A New Threat Is Born', the first few minutes on this soundtrack to the acclaimed video game, Resident Evil 3, you could easily close your eyes and feel like you're back sat in front of a TV playing the story through. If you're unfamiliar with the franchise, let's just say it (re)wrote the book on survival horror, and a big part of this was in the scores used to accompany the on-screen tension. Less focused on specific theme tunes and tracks, over time the emphasis has increasingly fallen on building atmosphere and setting up jump scares for unassuming players. On a record, that sounds like a combination of fast moving and quickly developing instrumental movements and intimidating sound effects. Perhaps not the dinner party soundtrack you were looking for, nevertheless it makes a big impact.

Review: This is a delightful celebration of classic cartoon scores that arrives for a special Black Friday 2024 release. The collection showcases the genius of composers like Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn, whose music defined the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies era. Orchestral brilliance and playful synchronisation bring timeless characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck to life. With all new remastered tracks, the album highlights intricate arrangements and whimsical motifs that revolutionised animation scoring. Perfect for collectors and nostalgia enthusiasts alike, this one honours the artistry behind some of the most iconic and enduring cartoon soundtracks in entertainment history.

Review: Four Rooms reflects a very fun time in Hollywood, or at least the annals of American cinema. Co-directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, the story of the fictional Los Angeles-set Hotel Mon Signor, and the strange, demanding, off-putting, and straight up intimidating guests that stay there on New Year's Eve - just as Tim Roth starts his first shift on the job as bellhop - is full of energy and a carefree, playful attitude. It's the kind of movie which, if it were made today, would no doubt be rushed straight to the bottom of the New Releases section on whatever streaming service you've given in to because it would feel cheap rather than charismatic. But in 1994, catching a quintet of fresh filmmakers on the rise, at a time when positivity reigned and the silver screen still had an ounce of class, means the whole thing worked well. As for the soundtrack, we veer between Americana and a reworking of the theme from 1960s US TV series Bewitched, weird, meditative vocal drone and lounge music.

Review: The music from Apocalypse Now is a compelling piece of the film's unique atmosphere, composed by Carmine Coppola and his son, Francis Ford Coppola. This remastered gatefold 2xLP presents a score that is anything but conventional. Featuring bold electronic experimentation, the music complements the film's depiction of chaos and inner turmoil. Tracks like 'The Delta' and 'The Dossier' create a meditative, eerie backdrop, while 'Orange Light' and 'Voyage' highlight the hallucinatory journey of its protagonist, with the latter infusing a touch of psychedelic guitar. While it's not a traditional, action-driven score, the pulsating synths of 'Nung River' and dissonance of 'Chef's Head' bring tension to the forefront. Its final moments with 'Finale' bring reflection to a movie that explores the boundaries of duty and sanity. Although challenging at times, the music's blend of synthetic and natural elements provides a fascinating listen, especially for those open to a bold 1970s electronic sound.

Review: Marking the beginning of Austro-Bohemian romantic-era classical composer Mahler's deep engagement with themes of resurrection and transcendence, Symphony No. 2 stands as his first fully personal statement in the form. Claudio Abbado's recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra remains one of the most striking interpretations available; spanning the breadth of Mahler's vision, from the luminous serenity of the softer passages to the thunderous force of its climaxes. This new edition revisits the original four-track tapes, offering a freshly remixed and recut version.

Review: Laced Records and Halo Studios partner up to bring the epic soundtracks of the original Halo trilogy to vinyl for the first time, remastering and revamping 83 original scores from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3. the music that defined a franchise is thus ethered in perpetuity. Weaving orchestral elements, prog rock, drum corps marches, and heavy metal, Halo presents a perfect bottling of angst and militancy; owing to its popularity with a certain teen gamer cohort, Halo 2's score especially made history as the first video game OST to chart on the Billboard 200. Now, each soundtrack is presented in its own sleeve with custom artwork, and comes in a collector's box adorned with a debossed Halo logo and silver laminate finish.

Review: Fans of this album originally from 1960 need this new reissue in their lives: it is part of the RCA Living Stereo classical LP series which those in the know recognise as the best in the game when it comes to top-quality orchestral performance and sound. It has been remastered from original master tapes and comes on hefty 200g vinyl for the ultimate listening experience. It finds Respighi, the Chicago Symphony and Fritz Reiner really setting a standard for classical music with thundering bass drum, crashing cymbals and gongs next to bellowing brass all jumping right out of the speakers.