Back catalogue: Soundtracks

Review: This is one of the more unusual Record Store Day releases for 2021. It has come about after film classic Citizen Kane has been brought to a new audience because of the success of Mank which is currently streaming on Netflix. The Citizen Kane overture is presented here on the a-side with all its dramatic orchestral drums, high energy flutes and cinematic qualities. It was composed by Bernard Herrmann and performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, while flip it over and you will find an etching of 'Rosebud'.

Review: Those interested in Japanese cartoons should know Space Adventure Cobra. First broadcast in 1982, it is now considered one of the country's finest animated TV series. This triple-vinyl box set celebrates Kentano Haneda and Yuji Ono's music from the series, combining compositions featured on the show with unheard extended versions and tracks that never made the cut first time round. Musically, it's a mix of Japanese disco, sax-sporting lounge jazz, jazz-funk, neo-classical movements and eccentric interludes, all doused in layers of cosmic dust and stargazing colour. The release also comes packaged with a 12-page booklet telling the story of the series and the making of the appealing, endlessly entertaining soundtrack.

Review: Venice: Infinitely Avant-Garde is a documentary which celebrates the unique history, culture and qualities of one of the most iconic cities in the world. To match the high art which spills out of the subject matter, the film's producers turned to Polish pianist, composer and singer Hania Rani. Her playing style is minimal and delicate, and she drew upon extended visits and explorations of Venice and its museums to create a fitting accompaniment to the film. Whether you have seen the film or not, this is a compelling collection of piano pieces with subtle modern touches which speak to Rani's accomplished career to date.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Venice: Infinitely Avant-Garde is a documentary which celebrates the unique history, culture and qualities of one of the most iconic cities in the world. To match the high art which spills out of the subject matter, the film's producers turned to Polish pianist, composer and singer Hania Rani. Her playing style is minimal and delicate, and she drew upon extended visits and explorations of Venice and its museums to create a fitting accompaniment to the film. Whether you have seen the film or not, this is a compelling collection of piano pieces with subtle modern touches which speak to Rani's accomplished career to date.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent working condition***


The latest in our film soundtracks pot comes from the wondrous Matthew Herbert, the house music producer and musician who's turned his creative focus to making film scores in recent years. 'The Wonder' complements the latest film by Sebastian Leilo of the same name - a recent addition to the mainsteam Irish film canon, it's about a miraculous young girl who has managed to survive without food for 11 months. To bolster the context of the Great Famine, Herbert's music is spectral, pure and sensitive, pushing the outer limits of what a 'cinematic' ambient soundtrack can be conceived to be.

Review: Joe Hisaishi is one of the most successful composers in the history of Japanese film and television, best known for providing soundtracks to a string of much-loved anime movies, as well as tie-in "image albums" - musical scores inspired by a particular anime character, and designed to give an impression of their personality. Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea is one such endeavour: a cheery, playful celebration of the lead character from 2008 flick Ponyo. Across the "image album", you'll find plenty of jaunty songs sung by both adults and children, sweeping orchestral pieces in the usual film score style, and jaunty pieces that draw a surprising amount of influence from non-Japanese popular music styles

Review: The beautiful music of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata's Studio Ghibli films is explored and showcased on this new album from Joe Hisaishi. It is based on the official piano score of the original composer of those films with pianist and Steinway and Sons Artist Nicolas Horvath playing them all. He is known for his interpretations of the works of the likes of Philip Glass, Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy and Eric Satie and this is a complete overview of the work of the famous animation studio. The vinyl edition has 24 tracks on two slabs of wax house in a lovely gatefold sleeve.

Review: A popular and controversial new TV series, This England, documents the recent history of England's most contemptible prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his Conservative government's reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding the surreality of so quickly dramatizing a very real and bad collective experience (there are theories out there that say turning real traumatic world events into TV spectacles has the useful effect of placating a public that would otherwise grow revolutionarily angry), we still commend the OST by David Holmes here, which matches the urgency and quick-action of the pandemic as it spread across the country. Holmes' orchestral score aims for three disparate themes ('creeping', 'urgency', and 'careful'), which cause the music to rise in tactful intensity, contrasting to not-so-tactful 'traffic light' system to which the public was subject - but which the government somehow weren't.

Review: Fans of this one have long been waiting for a reissue and it is now finally here. It's a soundtrack to the movie Marusa no Onna which was directed by Juzo Itami and was set in the National Tax Bureau Inspection Department. The film's main theme marks the start of the album with its epic sax melody. It really shows off Toshiyuki Honda's impressive sound and kicks off an immersive and evocative record that was first released back in 1987 and has been a real digger's delight ever since.

Review: Over the last couple of years, author Justin Hopper has joined folk musician Sharron Kraus and vintage synthesizer fetishists Belbury Poly on stage to narrate sections of his 2017 novel "Old Weird Albion" - a "poetical, autobiographical and psycho-geographical account" of his experiences at Chanctonbury Ring in West Sussex. This album is, in effect, an extended re-recording of those performances, with Hopper reading choice excerpts from his book over an inspired fusion of traditional folk tropes - think recorder, flute, and drifting female vocals - atmospheric field recordings and 1970s style electronic instrumentation. Given that these synths have largely been used to re-record tudor style Baroque tunes (think "Greensleeves" and you're close), the results are not only delightfully eccentric but also admirably unique.

Review: He has been in many cult films but Field of Dreams might be one of the best bits of work of Kevin Costner. The late 80s/early 90s classic also had a standout soundtrack that has never before been available on vinyl. The Real One label correct that wrong and press it to green and yellow 'cornfield' vinyl. It is a spine tingling score with lots of subtly artful piano pieces and rousing synth work that really gets you engaged whether or not you have seen the life-affirming movie itself. Do not sleep on this one.

Review: James Horner's Titanic soundtrack has become a classic in its own right, but it's certainly been a good while since it saw any proper release. Thankfully, it's now the 25th Anniversary of the astonishingly sad film, and as ever, this new reissue sees us reminded of Horner's impressive ability to wrench out just about every tear that could possibly be wrought from our ducts (and they're deep!). Classic string movements and a near-universally recognisable lead motif capture the grandeur and tragedy of the ship's story. Plus, longtime fans will be delighted at the news of an included eight-page booklet on the film and score, a well as a poster.

Review: Within a few moments of a famous film score - or at least one that made an impact on you - scenes and even lines not heard in years come flooding back. And the recollections of the atmosphere in the cinema as the opening credits began. When James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic first hit big screens it was a very different time for movies, and theatres, one that seems remarkably simple compared with today's multi-platform, pre-release buy-in chaos. Simply put, the flick was seen by pretty much everyone, which is rarely the case now, and as such the typically emotive soundtrack, particularly the orchestral sections, will have made an impact on everyone of and over a certain age. First returning us to the glamour and wonder of that ill-fated ship, then the drama and desperation that defined its demise, and the death of an all-too-short love, listening now makes it clear how crucial the tunes and songs were. From the unbridled joy of 'An Irish Party in Third Class', to the somber reflection of 'Nearer My God To Thee', it's the stuff of epics.

Review: Several of Whitney Houston's albums are being reissued right now including this soundtrack to The Preacher's Wife, which is now making its first ever appearance on vinyl. The album is the best-selling gospel record of all time and was released in November 1996. It features songs both performed and produced by Houston herself and she also, of course starred in the film. Her heart-swelling vocals make this an emotional record with the hauntingly beautiful likes of 'I Believe In You and Me,' spiritual sounds of 'Joy To The World,' and fine guest artists including Shirley Caesar, the Georgia Mass Choir, and Houston's mother and singing legend in her own right, Cissy Houston.

Review: Several of Whitney Houston's albums are being reissued right now including this soundtrack to The Preacher's Wife, making its first ever appearance on vinyl. The album is the best-selling gospel record of all time and was released in November 1996, featuring songs both performed and produced by Houston herself and she also, of course starred in the film. Her heart-swelling vocals make this an emotional record with the hauntingly beautiful likes of 'I Believe In You and Me,' spiritual sounds of 'Joy To The World,' and fine guest artists including Shirley Caesar, the Georgia Mass Choir and Houston's mother and singing legend in her own right, Cissy Houston.

Review: .Hollywood heavyweight James Newton Howard has turned his hand to a wide variety of movie soundtrack styles in his tenure as one of the go-to names for Hollywood scores. Allow us a moment to reel off the names, or a few of them at least: Pretty Woman, The Fugitive, Space Jam, The Sixth Sense - a list that could go on, and on, but you get the point. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sits at the more pomp and ceremony-filled end of things, epic classical overtures that invoke a sense of adventure, overcoming adversity, mild peril and inner strength. Even when heard without the visual accompaniment of the film itself you can't get away from those feelings, making for a rousing and compelling listening experience.

Review: Not the first film to be named Babylon and to feature an incredible soundtrack (we'll leave the sleuthing up to you), Justin Hurwitz's soundtrack to Hollywood's latest hedonic product is a perfect match to the movie's 1920s LA setting. Opulence, narcissism and decadence - being a rather fashionable set of subject matters - are among its most pressing themes, and this is most readily portrayed by Hurwitz's liberal use of golden-timbred brasses, big strings, and velvety razzamatazzing claps, on cuts like the aptly-titled 'Champagne' and 'Wild Child'.

Review: It looks like Damien Chazelle, the young, impressive director of Whiplash and the more recent La La Land, likes to surround himself with equally talented youngsters. For the latter film, he's chosen Justin Hurwitz to compose the score for his successful musical featuring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and we have to say that this is a real keeper. There's a bit of everything in here, a little vintage pop, some classical elements here and there, but jazz is what's at the core of this original score, and that's why we think it's great. What's more, you can listen to Gosling and Stone sing on your turntables. Check it out.

Review: When they brought back Tom Cruise's macho fighter pilot for Top Gun: Maverick, they were making no bones about the nostalgia trip. The original remains an endearingly ludicrous slice of 80s action with all the brawn necessary to make it an enduring hit, and the soundtrack more than matches up to that, going nine times platinum, no less. That's a lot of success to match up to, so Maverick pulls out the big guns by tapping up Lady Gaga for the hit-making and Hans Zimmer for the epic Hollywood score. It's tonnes of fun, and it even features Kenny Loggins' classic 'Danger Zone' from the original.

Review: In the John Williams & Hans Zimmer Odyssey, the Orchestre Curieux embarks on a sonic journey through the iconic film scores of two legendary composers. John Williams, known for his sweeping orchestral arrangements in classics like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, contrasts with Hans Zimmer's modern, dynamic and more minimal soundscapes from films like Inception and Gladiator. This orchestral fusion bridges generations of cinema lovers and seamlessly blends Williams' timeless melodies with Zimmer's contemporary flair. The performance promises a cinematic experience, transporting audiences through the rich tapestry of emotions evoked by these masterpieces, all interpreted through the Orchestre Curieux's unique artistic lens.