Juno Recommends Soundtracks: September 2024

Review: The Hazbin Hotel soundtrack is a vibrant and eclectic collection where the series' bold and unique style is to put to vinyl. The opening track, 'Happy Day In Hell,' is a standout, blending catchy melodies with a memorable vocal performance from Erika Henningsen. It's a lively introduction that sets the tone for the show. 'Hell Is Forever' and 'Whatever It Takes' add depth to the world of Hazbin, with the former offering a fun, exposition-filled romp and the latter delivering a more heartfelt moment between Vaggie and Carmilla. Both tracks highlight the series' ability to balance humor and emotion. 'Poison' is a pop-infused gem with a catchy beat and a daring, narrative-driven context that adds a layer of complexity to Angel Dust's character. Meanwhile, 'Loser, Baby' is the crowning achievement, featuring Keith David's soulful vocals in a satisfying and narratively sweet conclusion to the first batch of episodes. Overall, the Hazbin Hotel soundtrack on red vinyl is a delightful mix of catchy tunes and character-driven moments, offering fans a unique listening experience that captures the show. It's an exciting start, with plenty of potential for even more musical magic to come.

Review: You had us at hello. Or at least you had us at weird French sounds from the 1970s, a decade that played a pivotal role in modernising musical processes, techniques and instruments, among other things. With names like Gilbert Becaud & Christian Gaubert, Jean Schwarz, Jacky Chalard & Gilbert Deaez and Alain Goraguer, those more in tune with this era in Gallic sound culture will know this is going to be a varied ride. Hence we open on 'The Organization', a piece that nods to the classical heritage of screen scores and captures the laidback attitude of the late-1960s perfectly, before moving through a wealth of styles, including proto-New Wave, post-punk, Kraut and meditative moods. For want of a better description. Nothing you won't have encountered before, but certainly pushing in new directions at the time.

Review: Something's Up! is a masterful compilation that features the eclectic brilliance of John Barry's film scores. Curated by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley, this collection highlights Barry's transition from a British arranger to a pop icon, renowned for defining the sound of the Cold War spy movie era. Focusing on music from 1964 to 1967, this album features Barry's iconic work on James Bond classics like Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice, cementing his influence on the spy genre. Beyond Bond, Barry's contributions to films such as The Ipcress File and The Quiller Memorandum exemplify his ability to blend tension with sophistication. The collection also includes less-celebrated but notable scores like those for King Rat, The Chase and Seance on a Wet Afternoon, reflecting Barry's diverse range and ability to craft memorable themes beyond the mainstream. Barry's music, characterised by its lush orchestration and emotive power, extended its reach from the silver screen to the vinyl, resonating with listeners even if they hadn't seen the films - and his exceptional talent and enduring legacy in film music is on full display here,

Review: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis created a moving soundtrack for the biopic Back to Black which explores the late great jazz singer Amy Winehouse's rise and enduring impact. Their evocative composition blends melancholic strings with ambient soundscapes to reflect Winehouse's turbulent journey and profound artistry. The duo's music enhances the film's emotional depth as it captures the rawness of Winehouse's struggles and the brilliance of her musical legacy. Through haunting melodies and soulful arrangements, Cave and Ellis pay a poignant tribute to Winehouse and perfectly complement the film's narrative.

Review: Four Flies has released an extraordinary vinyl edition of Mario Migliardi's soundtrack for Matalo!, a unique score that breaks all the conventions of the Spaghetti Western genre. This 1970 film by Milanese director Cesare Canevari features a dark, atmospheric take on the traditional Western, with minimal dialogue and visually experimental techniques that elevate the music to the forefront. Migliardi, a versatile composer, conductor, and Hammond organist, blends psych-rock, electronic textures, and concrete sounds into a compelling auditory experience. Drawing on influences from Jimi Hendrix to Luciano Berio, he mixes acoustic guitars and folk percussion with innovative electronic processing, creating a sound that feels both groundbreaking and timeless. The album's centerpiece is a nine-minute hard blues rock jam featuring vocals by Giano Ton (Giacomo Tosti), finally available on vinyl in its extended version. The score's dynamic phaser effects, created with a Leslie filter, add to the soundtrack's distinctiveness and its packaging - in a beautifully designed gatefold jacket by Eric Adrien Lee - adds a great visual touch to the overall package.

Review: The Arcane Season 1 Soundtrack brings the electrifying energy of the acclaimed Netflix series to vinyl for the first time, featuring 16 dynamic tracks that set the tone for the epic clash between Piltover and Zaun. With contributions from renowned artists like Imagine Dragons, JID, Woodkid, Denzel Curry, Jazmine Sullivan and Sting, this album offers a rich mix of styles and emotions. Side-1 begins with Bea Miller's 'Playground,' and includes standout tracks like 'Enemy' by Imagine Dragons featuring JID and 'Guns for Hire' by Woodkid. Side-2 continues the journey with Pusha T's 'Misfit Toys' and Denzel Curry's 'Dynasties and Dystopia.' Presented in a high-quality vinyl format, this is collector's gem for both music lovers and Arcane fans equally. This soundtrack is great for anyone looking to relive the powerful moments of the series, while listening to the music makes you appreciate the series in such a different and unique way.

Review: Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow's soundtrack for the 2024 thriller drama Civil War is a triumph of atmospheric soundscaping. Known for their work on Ex Machina, the duo brings their signature touch to this film, blending ambient synths with subtle guitar to create an immersive auditory experience. The score, perfectly complements the film's intense narrative and striking visuals. Tracks like 'Body Pit' deliver a haunting, dissonant edge, while 'Flashback,' 'Aftermath,' and 'Moving Out' offer a poignant, minimalist theme that subtly underscores the emotional journey of the characters. The music's simplicity and repetitive motifs evoke a powerful sense of place and mood, making it an essential companion to the film's story. Now available on vinyl for the first time, this score is for fans of the innovative film music and those who appreciate Salisbury and Barrow's evocative style.

Review: The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Beyond Good & Evil official soundtrack offers a revitalised take on the game's original music. The soundtrack features a full orchestra which manages to preserve the intimate, improvised feel of the original compositions while adding new tracks recorded with unconventional instruments. Christophe Heral, the composer, speaks of the balance between modern orchestration and the quirky, spontaneous creativity that defined the 2003 release in the accompanying notes. With additions like a broken guitar and unique tuning, this anniversary edition celebrates the artistic spirit of the franchise and offers a fresh yet faithful homage to the original music.

Review: Demon Records honors Tom Baker's iconic portrayal of the Time Lord with a new 4xCD set, nearly five decades after his unforgettable debut on 28 December 1974. The Tom Baker Collection offers fans a blend of classic audio dramas, rare interviews, and readings by Baker himself, capturing him in the iconic role as Fourth Doctor. The collection includes Genesis of the Daleks, the original 1979 album version of the much-loved TV serial, and Doctor Who and the Pescatons, the exclusive audio drama from 1976. Also featured is Exploration Earth: The Time Machine, a special production for BBC Schools Radio in 1976, along with The State of Decay, an audiobook reading from 1982, available on CD for the first time. The set is rounded out by Tom Baker in His Own Words, a compilation of BBC radio interviews from the 1970s and 1980s. Packaged in a deluxe gatefold cover with striking Fourth Doctor artwork, the set includes four CDs in individual sleeves, along with a full-color booklet detailing cast, credits, and track listings. This collection is an essential tribute to one of Doctor Who's most beloved eras.

Review: Stephen Schwartz's Tony Awardr-winning musical and enduring stage favourite Wicked gets a special 15th Anniversary Edition release here across double vinyl that is split green and black in colour. Wicked Original Broadway Cast Recording, to give it its full title, features four bonus live tracks recorded at the Marquis Theatre in 2018. Performers on these tracks include Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Pentatonix, Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert, and Ledisi, and they all bring the magical sounds to life in a way that makes this a truly immersive listen.

Review: Clark must be ranked among the most innovative, forward-thinking and shape-shifting music producers in the world today. At times ferociously intense, in other moments serenely beautiful, here he turns his abundant talent to Naqqash Khalid's award-winning debut feature film, 'In Camera', and the results are every bit as sophisticated and mesmerising as we might hope. Stop-you-dead synth overtures like 'Running Dreams' dissipate into otherworldly covers of The Carpenters and Sonic Youth's 'Superstar', the heartbroken alt-pop of 'Green Blood' and its compatriot, 'Blue Blood'. It's a stunning piece of work that showcases the refined talents of a studio behemoth, fitting in perfectly next to recent artist albums Playground In A Lake and Sus Dog. "I knew from the outset I wanted to work with an artist and have the soundtrack not be something that acts in support of the film," Khalid is quoted in the release notes here. Mission accomplished.

Review: Laced Records bring the musical experience of Braid, Anniversary Edition, to life with a beautifully remastered collection of 15 tracks on heavyweight vinyl. This edition features music from the original 2008 indie classic, enhanced for modern listeners. Eight of these tracks, composed by Jami Sieber, Shira Kammen, Pam Swan, and Cheryl Ann Fulton, transport players into the evocative world of Braid, blending perfectly with the game's intricate puzzle mechanics. Additionally, seven fresh electro-ambient remixes by Martin Stig Andersen infuse a darker, more atmospheric energy into the soundtrack. Andersen's reinterpretations align with the game's more intense later stages, offering a unique contrast to the original compositions. The music, designed to enhance the player's immersion, remains as vital and engaging as ever. With its striking packaging, including printed inner sleeves and a wide-spined outer sleeve, this edition is ideal for both fans of the game and vinyl collectors.

Review: The Bridgerton Season 3 soundtrack continues the series' tradition of blending regency-era elegance with modern pop hits. Season 3 focuses on the romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), featuring string covers of iconic songs and the series' first-ever original track, 'All I Want,' performed by Tori Kelly. Episode highlights include Gayle's 'Abcdefu,' BTS's 'Dynamite,' Nick Jonas's 'Jealous,' and Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey's 'Snow on the Beach.' Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' and Sia's 'Cheap Thrills' also shine, while Coldplay's 'Yellow' and Ellie Goulding's 'Lights (Stripped Down)' close out the season beautifully. Available on wedding band-coloured vinyl, not something we get to say very often.

Review: Tigran Hamasyan's latest album, The Bird of a Thousand Voices, is his most ambitious work yet and one inspired by a traditional Armenian tale. This transmedia project includes a staged play that premiered at the Holland Festival back in June of this year plus two cinematic music videos, a documentary video, and an online game. The ancient firebird tale, passed down through spoken word over the generations, symbolises the modern world's quest for connection amidst ecological, psychological, and spiritual challenges. By blending Armenian traditional music with jazz improvisation, Tigran, who himself is one of today's most innovative jazz pianists, continues his artistic collaboration with filmmaker Ruben Van Leer to create unique musical experiences.

Review: Carine Coppola broke the mold with the score to the first Godfather movie, perfectly encapsulating a film that's as much about pitting old world - or, at least, old ways - against new as it is mafioso wresting for control and the hierarchical organisation of the Cosa Nostra clans. The Godfather Part III was released almost 20 years after that inaugural landmark, and to say times had changed by then would be an understatement. Maligned at the time and rightly remembered as the weakest in the epic trilogy, this isn't to say that parte tre is a rubbish flick, but more emphasising how high the benchmark was set by the preceding pair. It also arrived into a far faster era for movie gangsters, but remained committed to the slow, thoughtful, almost sophisticated approach to getting dirty deeds done. The music reflects this, offering plenty of references to the earlier scores, and refusing to entertain modern sounds, while still cementing its own identity.

Review: The Dirt Soundtrack was released in 2019 and accompanied the Netflix biopic The Dirt, chronicling the wild and chaotic rise of Motley Crue. The album features 18 tracks and blends classic hits like 'Dr. Feelgood,' 'Kickstart My Heart,' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' with four new songs, including the title track 'The Dirt (Est. 1981)' featuring Machine Gun Kelly. The soundtrack captures the band's famously hard-hitting, rebellious spirit while highlighting their influence on the glam metal scene of the 80s. With a mix of nostalgia and fresh material, this one serves as both a tribute and introduction to Motley Crue's legacy.

Review: Celebrates the 50th anniversary of Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto (which is better known in Engish as Swept Away) with the ultimate edition of this classic soundtrack from Decca. Piero Piccioni's iconic score perfectly captures the 1974 film's exotic ambience with samba, bossa nova and lounge music sounds all enriched by Nora Orlandi's wordless vocals. Fully remastered from the original archive master tape, this version comes on double vinyl and tastefully honours Piccioni's remarkable contribution to Italian cinema.

Review: Few artists have had such a global impact on electronic music than Thomas Bangalter, the legendary DJ, producer and songwriter who is best known as one-half of the former dance titans Daft Punk. He has many more skills up his sleeve though as he has proven since leading the duo. One is writing soundtracks such as this one, Chiroptera, for Acte 2: Retour a la Caverne, which was a JR creation with choreography from Damien Jalet. It was performed in Paris in front of the Opera de Paris (Opera Garnier) on November 12th, 2023 and involved more than 150 dancers. You can now relive it musically with this limited 12".

Review: "A stunning use of Poe's work as the Cliffs Notes to his own majestic, intricate brand of storytelling, Flanagan's The Fall of the House of Usher showcases what the One Percent is willing to sacrifice to remain in high places." So says Vanity Fair of the Netflix Original Series, The Fall of the House Of Usher, a decade-spanning narrative that nods to several of the master horror author's most famous nightmares while telling tales of the wealthy and wealthier. It's typically polished-looking stuff from the country that can't stop making polished-looking dramas for video-on-demand services. But how about the score? Written by the Newton Brothers, regular collaborators of Gothic Horror creator Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), the music could loosely be described as contemporary classical, and certainly does well in setting a scene and creating a brooding atmosphere, even if you're not actually watching the show.

Review: Strange Gardens, or Effroyables Jardins, tells the story of a French clown whose son is embarrassed by him, but this tomfoolery has a serious past - antics saved the street performer and his friend, Andre, both members of the French Resistance during the war, from certain death at the hands of the Nazis. It's an intimate and, at times, troubling exploration of innocence, persecution, identity, friendship, loyalty and escapism in the most harrowing circumstances. Not to mention the short memories of mankind and the prejudices we unfairly develop when truths are committed to faded sepia photographs. Zbignieuw Preisner encapsulates this thoughtful atmosphere beautifully, providing a piano and string score that's tender, poignant, emotional, and musically captivating. A record that can just as easily stand alone as it can next to its visual brethren.

Review: The Wiz is a vibrant urban adaptation of the classic musical turned spooky-as-hell movie The Wizard of Oz, and it is set in Queens, New York, rather than the deepest Kansas as was the original. Featuring a talented Black cast, the musical stars iconic artists like Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones and was a huge success. The soundtrack, certified Gold by the RIAA, was just as much of a hit and now it arrives on vinyl. The album includes hit singles such as 'You Can't Win,' 'Ease on Down the Road' and 'A Brand New Day.'