Back catalogue: Modern Classical

Review: British crime television series Sherlock has proved hugely popular in recent years. The latest adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings have also been hugely enhanced by the soundtrack. That score has been composed by David Arnold and Michael Price, and has won the pair numerous awards including a 2014 EMMY as well as two further nominations for an EMMY and a BAFTA nomination. Their contribution to Sherlock is immeasurable as exemplified by this soundtrack which is thrilling and sinister, playful and suspenseful in equal measure. The music from all three of the first series is captured here on this limited blue vinyl.

Review: When a Yeti is killed by a group of Sherpa, a bunch of university scientists travel out to Nepal in the hope of discovering where the creature came from. There, they team up with a rough and ready tracker, and head out from a remote village into the great white wilderness beyond. Avalanches, prehistoric species, and ancient hominids and alien reptiles all follow as the plot thickens and freezes. If you didn't catch The Primevals when it first arrived on screens, we implore you to watch the 2023 animated sci-fi action romp. Stop motion animator David Allen co-wrote and directed it, spending more than 50 years on the development which sadly completed after he died. It's a family friendly epic that looks gorgeous and plays out compellingly, thanks in no small part to the Richard Bland soundtrack. An homage to the great adventure epics that once defined cinema, the score is classic cinematic stuff, a classical overture of bombastic chase sequences, serene harmonies and pin-drop tension.

Review: Gerry Anderson's Stingray is one of those superbly nostalgic and cult TV shows that, when thinking about them now, transports you right back to your childhood - unless you're lucky enough to be too young to have seen it first time around that is. The series followed the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASPs) on several underwater adventures with a superb soundtrack from Barry Gray adding style and drama to the aquatic odyssey. From minimalist electronic pieces to lush strings, jazzier motifs and driving military marches, this gatefold silver vinyl version of the completed soundtrack is a real doozy.

Review:  As part of Trunk Records' Soundtracks reissues series, comes the vinyl debut of James Bernard's OST for 'The Devil Rides Out', a rather corny yet no less enjoyable gothic horror classic film from the late 60s. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film centres on the macabre antics of an underground group of Satanists. Fittingly, the soundtrack is immediate, full of tribal drumming and stern, expressionistic string zaps; its pieces have titles like 'Orgy Of Evil' and 'Hidden Sacrifice'. You were warned.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Heavy creasing to the top left corner of the outer sleeve, product in perfect working order***


As part of Trunk Records' Soundtracks reissues series, comes the vinyl debut of James Bernard's OST for 'The Devil Rides Out', a rather corny yet no less enjoyable gothic horror classic film from the late 60s. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film centres on the macabre antics of an underground group of Satanists. Fittingly, the soundtrack is immediate, full of tribal drumming and stern, expressionistic string zaps; its pieces have titles like 'Orgy Of Evil' and 'Hidden Sacrifice'. You were warned.

Review: As the 11th doctor, Matt Smith had big shoes to fill by succeeding the incredible run of the 10th doctor, David Tenant, in 2010. The alien time lord's adventures, then, were fittingly scored by 5-time BAFTA nominated composer Murray Gold and orchestrator Ben Foster. Having worked on the series since the sci-fi adventure's revival in 2005, Gold has been able to progress from relying on orchestra samples to having access to one of his own: the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the help of Ben Foster who worked with Gold for over a decade. This, of course, has led to reinvention and, arguably, the improvement of some of the most recognisable sci-fi tracks in TV history. From the cybermen theme to the synonymous opening title sequence, the show and its music have had a big place in Britain, and the world's, hearts and is well deserving of a place in the metaphoric sci-fi music hall fo fame.

Review: Joe 90 is a stone cold classic of the genre for many animation fans of a certain age. The soundtrack is part of what made it so special and is also one of the finest works amongst very many from composer Barry Gray. It is full of jazzy orchestrations and swopping strings, high speed instrumental funk chases and dramatic horns. There is light and dark, tension and release along the way that makes it as thrilling to listen to as the show was to watch. Here the complete soundtrack gets served up on limited gatefold 'jet car green' vinyl.

Review: Tom Ford's second feature film was another classy affair. A refined and sophisticated piece that's based on the1993 novel, Tony & Susan, which was written by Austin Wright. If you're not seen it, we'll not spoil it, but to quickly summarise it involves a gallery owner reading a new novel by her first husband. In its pages, she sees plenty that mirrors how their relationship played out. Reflective, tense and thoughtful moods abound. Who better to provide the soundtrack, then, than Abel Korzeniowski. An accomplished composter, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter responsible for a plethora of excellent scores, here he provides exactly the tonic. Subtle, but incredibly powerful slices if contemporary classical that seem to speak to the mind and heart in equal measure. Those who like this should also check A Single Man, the directorial debut of Ford which Korzeniowski also scored.

Review: The Leftovers is Max Richter's score for the HBO series of the same name. The story is about the Garvey family in the fictional town of Mapleton, New York and explores what happens when 2% of the world's population disappears all of a sudden. It was first aired in 2014 and was a real critical hit and that's in no small part thanks to the score. It is haunting and eerie at times, laden with doom at other and run through with a subtle sense of hope when needed. And would you expect anything less from one of the most influential composers of his generation?

Review: Is there much left to say about Francis Ford Coppola's epic gangster trilogy, The Godfather? We've analysed the symbolism, critiqued the performances, and pondered on how the third part was such a let down so many times, with film history tutors across the world driven to madness, or at least distraction, by the endless stream of first year essays about the use of orange as a colour to foreshadow death and tragedy.
Even the rightly acclaimed soundtrack has been discussed and assessed a hundred times over. Nevertheless, some things are still worth pointing out. One of several instances in which the late, great composer Carmine Coppola scored his son's movies, it's grand, refined, and at times almost has the qualities of the musical accompaniment to a great ballet. Suffice to say, it's more than fitting for the cinematic odyssey in question

Review: As part of the 2016 Ghent Film Festival, the first ever 'greatest hits' album for Ryuichi Sakamoto's soundtrack work was released. This retrospective LP compiles the best selections from the entirety of his career, from Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence to The Revenant. Now reissued 5 years later by Silva Screen, the album sees a wider, exclusive blue vinyl edition, capturing the swelling pangs endemic to Sakamoto's music for screen.

Review: Silva Screen Records return to their mammoth compilation project paying tribute to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, former member of Yellow Magic Orchestra and later acclaimed film scorer: for such blockbusters as Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky and The Last Emperor. 'Music For Film' features star motifs from Sakamoto's back catalogue of film scores, and are all performed by the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brosse. This version comes to black and white splattered vinyl.

Review: Approved by Sakamoto himself, 'Ryuichi - Music For Film' is the first ever retrospective overview of the musician and composer's film scores, adding to Silva Screen's archival series of a yearly nomination of all the current greatest film composers' soundtracks. With Sakamoto's film repertoire focusing on everything from hypermasculine war exploitations ('Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence') to brutish contemporary survival films ('The Revenant'), one can expect a cavernously cinematic treat here.

Review: As Film Fest Ghent awarded Ryuichi Sakamoto with the World Soundtrack Award in 2016, they commissioned the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra under Dirk Brosse to create new renditions of some of the Japanese composer's most treasured scores. It was only with the classic Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 that Sakamoto embarked on what is now a hugely accomplished career in film soundtracks, taking in The Last Emperor, Snake Eyes, High Heels and The Revenant amongst many more. Now this wonderful project bringing such stunning compositions to life once more has been repressed on red splattered vinyl for all to enjoy.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight tear to top of sleeve but product in otherwise excellent condition***


Silva Screen Records return to their mammoth compilation project paying tribute to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, former member of Yellow Magic Orchestra and later acclaimed film scorer: for such blockbusters as Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky and The Last Emperor. 'Music For Film' features star motifs from Sakamoto's back catalogue of film scores, and are all performed by the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brosse. This version comes to black and white splattered vinyl.

Review: While most celebrated in electronic music circles for his work as part of Yellow Magic Orchestra - not to mention a string of experimental solo works - Ryuichi Sakamoto has long been an acclaimed composer of music for the big screen. As the title suggests, this fine compilation gathers together some of his best soundtrack works. There are plenty of familiar favourites present - check the chiming, suitably cheery theme to "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" and the swelling closing theme from "The Last Emperor" - alongside lesser-known gems such as the lilting strings of "The Sheltering Sky (Main Theme)", the simmering beauty of "Little Buddha: Acceptance" and the jazz-influenced bliss of "Femme Fatale: Bolerisch".

Review: David Shire has one hell of a back catalogue. Active within music since the 1960s, and specifically theatre and film soundtracks in the 1970s, while many of the biggest names behind movie scores have a tendency to explore the same avenues, and therefore wind up creating tunes for relatively similar flicks, in this case that's not really true. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original, of course), All The President's Men, and parts of Saturday Night Fever give some idea as to the breadth of his mastery.
The Conversation slips right in there in terms of period and genre, but is, of course, a very different classic to a movie about a New York subway train getting hijacked or social tensions in Brooklyn at the height of the disco era. While largely focused on piano solos, we also get late night dance floor jazz, tense drone, and moody avant-garde, just in case the on-screen action wasn't brooding enough already.

Review: Dudley Simpson's first contribution to Doctor Who was in 1964 when he wrote the music for Planet of Giants which Dr geeks will know starred William Hartnell as the first Doctor. By the end of the decade, he became the go-to composer for the show and in all he scored 294 episodes up until his last, The Horns of Nimon, in 1979. He scored episodes starring numerous doctors from Tom Baker to Jon Pertwee and 58 stories. It is a fine body of work which he started with a small orchestral setup before progressing to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop on EMS synthesisers for a year and then later adding percussion.

Review: British conspiracy thriller Utopia follows a group of young adults who, after discovering a mysterious comic book - The Utopia Experiments - embark on a manic quest for corporate restitution and prophetic fulfilment. As a shadowy government organisation detects their plans and resolves to track their every move, we watch an empathic but deadly game of cat-and-mouse; and Cristobal Tapia de Veer's acclaimed score only heightens the tension. This new 2xLP edition includes such instantly recognisable motifs as 'Brainwave Playground', 'Satan's Waltz' and 'The Monarch's Pyramid', capturing the series' eerie and intense atmosphere. The score continues to resonate to this day, following Tapia de Veer's success with The White Lotus and Babygirl.

Review: Once the leader of iconic and legendary Japanese New Wave rockers EX, Shigeru Umebayashi's Music For A Film compilation showcases the better-known work (in today's terms at least) of this multifaceted and multi-talented composer. 21 tracks of absolute beauty, all of which are taken from his 30-strong-plus oeuvre of movie scores, built over time since he first began writing tracks for screens in 1985, after said band called time.
Opening with what may be his most famous work of all time, 'Yumeji's Theme' (title piece from Siejun Suzuki's critically acclaimed 1991 movie, Yumeji) the playlist here really showcases the vision and musicality Umebayashi is renowned for, and removed from the context of movies the work is elevated to new heights. Classical, choral, quiet epics, and romantic mini-overtures rarely sound so good.