Back catalogue: Soundtracks

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: If you've not found yourself enthralled by Bluey, the Australian animated kids series about the anthropomorphic six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy, Bluey, her family, curiosity, energy and imagination, then where have you been for the last seven years? Praised for its razor sharp depiction of modern family life in the Western world, it deftly straddles the line between children's TV and adult comedy, hitting both nails squarely on the head. In Rug Isand, Bluey and Bingo discover that a pack of felt tips can be anything - like a snake, or a campfire, or a banana. A perfect example of the creative minds of youth and heir ability to believe in things that grown ups might struggle with, the fact that Dad needs to engage his inner child and suspend disbelief before the episode ends speaks volumes. In musical terms, think fantastical, dreamy and typically witty instrumentation and spoken word, on record.

Review: Since its release in 1997, David Lynch's neo-noir-horror, Lost Highway, has become something of a cult classic. The accompanying soundtrack album, here reissued on weighty double vinyl, is similarly revered in some circles. Put together by Nine Inch Nails' frontman Trent Reznor, composer Angelo Badalamenti, and punk-turned-producer Barry Adamson, it's a mish-mash of darkly intense songs (Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, Lou Reed and Rammstein all contribute), and the kind of creepy, other-worldly soundscapes that have always been a feature of Lynch's work. It's arguably the latter tracks, composed by Badalementi and Adamson, which remain creepily potent all these years on.

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: Musician, writer and sometime member of Kraftwerk Karl Bartos wrote The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari as a tribute to the iconic 1920 silent horror film whose original music score had long been lost. Through electronic compositions, Bartos skilfully captures the eerie atmosphere and psychological depth of the movie, enhancing its haunting narrative with his sonic reinterpretation. The album immerses listeners in a world of suspense and mystery, blending ominous synth melodies with pulsating rhythms and cinematic soundscapes. Bartos' masterful fusion of retro-futuristic aesthetics and contemporary electronic music was made after he dug deep into his own archives to recreate epics he wrote as a young classical musician and offers an all-new perspective on the original soundtrack.

Review: Today, pop stars use visual vehicles to further their reach, image and reputation every day, but back when A Hard Day's Night arrived, the idea of casting a band in a musical movie in which they played themselves, produced simultaneously with a studio album, was still more than novel. Largely unproven territory, the runaway success of this concept would go on to set a precedent. 36 hours in the lives of the group as they prepare for a TV performance, it not only breaks the theatrical fourth wall, it speaks to what was then an emerging appetite among fans to see more rounded, 3D renditions of their idols - now mainstreamed. Inspiring countless TV and cinema releases, from Ferry Cross The Mersey with Gerry and the Pacemakers, to the Monkees' series, A Hard Day's Night remains one of the best examples of the Beatles as revolutionary pop stars.

Review: This is a World Premiere of the recordings of the complete scores from two absolute stone cold classic hammer horror films. Both come from the 1950s There is the Peter Cush starring The Curse Of Frankenstein and Christopher Lee lead Count Dracula, which also featuring Cush in the role of Doctor Van Helsing. Togther they make for one of the many special Record Store Day 2020 releases and are both utterly essential buys and some of the best ever from the soundtrack genre. James Bernard is the man behind the music on both, and it never fails to send chills down the spine. This reissue comes in a special gatefold sleeve with red and green 12" LPs.

Review: For the most part, in 2024 movie soundtracks only really make it into the public domain when the film was a big hit, or has achieved the kind of cult status that turns fans into collectors. April Fool's Day, released in 1986, received widely varied responses from critics at the time, but has since chalked up a strong following among die hard horror, and particularly slasher, movie lovers. We definitely recommend watching it - the flick landed at a great time for genre and sub-genre and refused to kowtow to the canon's rules of the day. In terms of score itself, this is Charles Bernstein working at his most comfortable (his other horror scores include the iconic Nightmare On Elm Street, a year or so earlier), so think tense, ominous refrains, twinkling synths, and descending strings. Oh, and bar room rock & roll.

Review: English actor, writer, and musician Matt Berry - of Darkplace and IT Crowd fame - covers, yes, covers an assortment of classic British TV themes. The result is an album to be appreciated as much as it is to be taken seriously, as it is to be enjoyed. Of course there's a pinch of humour with Berry placing himself alongside a muppet and Doctor Who on the album's cover art, but it's the theatrical, jazz and upbeat, yet easy listening approach of the album which really paints the picture. The LP's opener "Are You Being Served" is undeniable sweetest spot of nostalgia here, with the minutia of Thames Television indents, at 8 seconds long, also checked and covered. Recorded solo by Berry himself, it's a burgundy-beige trip through the technicolour memory of one's formative years enjoying the early-evenings and afternoons watching a select choice of the UKs most iconic TV.

Review: Malignant is the latest work from Conjuring universe architect James Wan, who is well known for previous projects such as Aquaman and Fast and the Furious 7. It is a horror that takes the director back to his roots and is all the more impactful thank to the soundtrack composition of Joseph Bishara (Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Prodigy.) He eschews all the usual hour score musical tropes and instead brings his own avant-garde style and unique approach to instrumentation with strong dissonance and pulsing electronics making the eerie vibe.

Review: Two years after Marc Richter released his most widely available album Back To Comm album, Alphabet 1968, on the ever amazing Tape imprint, he delivered another landmark with Earth. Originally, the music was conceived to accompany two screenings of the video Earth by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen. First commissioned for the Sydney Festival 2011, the visual work was scored by Melbourne's Oren Ambarchi for the grand unveiling, but then toured the planet, with different musicians invited to reimagine the soundtrack for different locations. Germany's Black To Comm was enlisted for Berlin and Krakow, and as the smart money was always on, he offered up a strange, beguiling, abstract but highly visceral score. Almost impossible to describe, at once witty but incredibly sad, troubling and intriguing, traumatised but honest, it might be the perfect accompaniment to a film in which several frames are dedicated to landscapes piled high with human corpses. Following the two live performances, the producer opted to make these 'tunes' his next record, which is now finally getting a reissue.

Review: Codice d'amore orientale may not be Piero Vivarelli's best film according to those who know, but its fantastically groovy soundtrack is a standout feature. Composed by Alberto Baldan Bembo under the alias Blue Marvin, the nine tracks blend Italian pop, orchestral arrangements, Asian influences, breakbeat, funk and experimental sounds. The soundtrack captures the essence of the era and offers a unique mix of genres that perfectly complements the film's vibe. Its eclectic style makes it a must-have for any self-respecting DJ's collection while showcasing Baldan Bembo's versatility.

Review: When it comes to classical and orchestral worlds things often look painfully whitewashed and very male dominated, at least in so far as conduction goes. Talk about understatements. Enter Jongnic Bontemps, one name on a growing list of incredible talent changing that stereotype up for the better. Schooled in church and jam music, formally educated in classical, to date he has been responsible for no less than 50 significant projects spanning video games, cinema, TV series, shorts and documentary films. His contribution to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is emblematic of his dexterity, a collection that shifts between bombastic and high tech, machines supporting brass and string crescendos, then quiet, patient, and at times tense work, marking him out as a true musical storyteller extraordinaire.

Review: It almost (almost) feels pointless to pitch why you should buy Moonage Daydream. After all, David Bowie was one of the 20th Century's best selling and most influential artists. And that legacy continued through the early-21st, when he represented an increasingly rare breed of visionary artist capable of building entire worlds. He straddled mainstream popularity and experimentalism with ease. So, you're probably going to pick up a copy of this on sight and spec alone.
Nevertheless, some context may help. 'Moonage Daydream' is, of course, the title of one of Bowie's most enigmatic and defining tracks, which would go on to form the basis for the concept album The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Now it's also the name of a new documentary about the life and times, and incredible work, of the man in question. In terms of soundtrack, that translates as two discs of rare and iconic material, from 'The Jean Genie/Love Me Do/The Jean Genie' medley (recorded at the final date of the Ziggy tour in 1973), to alternative mixes of tracks like 'Modern Love'.

Review: Talk about a cultural Tardis, Doctor Who ranks among the most longstanding love affairs British TV viewers have ever had with a work of science fiction, ranking up there with global phenomena such as Star Trek in terms of legions of faithful fans and decade-spanning sagas. After a small blip of obscurity in the mid-late-1990s and immediate post-millennium years, the show rebooted and reconfigured for the 21st Century in 2005, and hasn't left the common conscience since.

The score is certainly something to do with that resonance. As far as theme tunes go, Doctor Who's may not still be the most forward thinking (as it was back in 1963), but it's easily up there in the premier league of iconic. On this live rendition of music from the latter-day Series 1 & 2 that theme remains as impactful, while a talented entourage of players and conductors also help us remember just how consistent the music is overall.

Review: Given 'Africa' has been the soundtrack to university athletics union night's out for the last 40 years or so it's safe to say Toto are a band that really deserve more in-depth attention. As this mind-blowing soundtrack to the cult science fiction film Dune goes to show, there's a lot more to the outfit than the chart-friendly glam-riffdom of their most famous single.



Brian Eno's name gives a sign of how arty things get, but in truth he's only responsible for a fraction of this adventurous listen, which is packed with movie soundbites to set the scene among fantastical landscapes, rather than realism. From classical overtures ('Leto's Theme', 'Trip To Arrakis'), through tense incidentals ('The Box') and crystalline synthdom ('Prophecy Theme'), it's only really on the credit-worthy 80s pop balladry of 'Take My Hand' that we get the stadium payoff Toto fans are used to, completing an epic journey.