New releases last two weeks: Soundtracks

Review: Michael Giacchino, a decorated Academy Award-r winning composer, delivers a commanding yet tender score for J.A. Bayona's moving film The Society of the Snow. It recounts the harrowing true tale of the 1972 Uruguayan flight that crashed in the remote Andes, and the ensuing battle for survival. Amid despair, the film champions hope which is a sentiment echoed in Giacchino's emotionally charged score. Balancing poignancy with optimism, the music navigates a delicate path that amplifies the film's power. Bayona and Giacchino's collaboration yields a cinematic masterpiece that will surely resonate as one of the year's most compelling narratives.

Review: Earnest, atmospheric, romantic-gothic guitar pieces from Alain Goraguer, whose Rare Soundtracks & Lost Tapes hears a collection never heard before on vinyl. Goraguer is best known as a collaborator and ghostwriter of Serge Gainsbourg, as well as the scoring composer for the surrealist sci-fi animation film Fantastic Planet. At around the same time of the making of these two indelible compositions, Goraguer also wrote two similar, but less publicly-oriented scores, both of which appear on this record in a back-to-back fashion. An array of breathy flutes, eerie backing synth counterpoints, and shaky percussions all combine to cloud the glasses on this beautifully bittersweet album-length hypnosis.

Review: Dave Grusin's score for the whodunit comedy Murder by Death masterfully blends traditional and modern elements. Grusin's intent to approach the comedic affair seriously resulted in a thematic and delightful score that captures the film's eclectic nature. Paying homage to British murder-mystery roots while pushing boundaries, Grusin created a unique and charming musical landscape. The score's first-ever vinyl release allows audiences to fully appreciate Grusin's artistry, highlighting the perfect balance between tradition and innovation that characterizes his work.

Review: Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's All of Us Strangers soundtrack is a superb trip through plenty of highly atmospheric landscapes that blend delicate piano melodies with haunting electronic textures. Each track paints a vivid portrait, evoking a sense of introspection and emotional depth that only heightens the scenes in the movie. Levienaise-Farrouch's narrative captivates and guides the audience through a range of moods from tranquil introspection to moments of poignant intensity, and as such this soundtrack showcases her exceptional talent for composition and storytelling.

Review: Neon White was released to rave reviews in 2022, receiving multiple nominations and awards and featuring on many 'Best of' lists. This is, by no means a stretch, partly due to the sensational soundtrack that scores the combination of fast-paced speedrun-based platforming and visual novel worldbuilding parts of the game. That OST is the brainchild of Matt Stephenson, the founder of the New York alt duo Machine Girl, inspired mainly by the early works of 'RePorpoised Phantasies' and 'Wlfgrl', which centre mainly around bubbly electro-funk and breakcore cuts.
'The Burn that Cures' contains all of the non-level tracks, that soundtrack the conversations you have with your fellow neons or the ambience of certain realms of heaven that Neon White traverses. Printed on two marbled discs, referencing the adversary's Blue and Neon Green, the cover art is made by none other than artists and lead producer Esposito himself, featuring Neon White and Red in one of many sensual moments throughout the story. A big stand-out track is 'Holy Ground', a late-game track that is as unsettling as it is calming, the ambient synths washing over the ear is heavenly.

Review: Fargo Year Five is the fifth instalment of the acclaimed series Fargo and it debuted on screens back in November 21, 2023, and rolled out ten more gripping episodes. Continuing the tradition, Jeff Russo crafted the captivating music for this season, as he did for the preceding four. Notably, Russo clinched the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special in 2017 for his exceptional work on Fargo. Besides his prowess in television composition, Russo is revered as one of the founding members of the band Tonic, showcasing his multifaceted talent across various facets of the music industry, and this score is as good as all the ones that came before it.

Review: For the first time ever, this new silver vinyl release combines the iconic music from all the three Hobbit films into a comprehensive collection all masterfully performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Howard Shore's award-winning compositions for this as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy have captivated audiences worldwide, often accompanied by live film screenings. The meticulous attention to detail in bringing Tolkien's world to life through music is legendary, incorporating diverse musical styles and instruments to evoke the rich landscapes and characters of Middle-earth. From 'Song Of The Lonely Mountain' to 'Protector Of The Common Folk', this journey through cinematic composing is truly extraordinary.

Review: Shame On Dry Land (Syndabocken) is an award-winning Swedish movie that picked up the Guldbagge prize for best feature film soundtrack in 2024. That soundtrack has been written and produced by sometime Studio Barnhus associate and mythical young artist Baba Stiltz. It arrives on vinyl for the first time here and is a dense affair with plenty of esoteric stylings as you would expect of a man with a famously hard-to-pin-down sound. It goes from heavy and dark to airy and Mediterranean and needs to be heard nice and loud for the best effect.

Review: Final Symphony II delves deeper into the cherished melodies of the Final Fantasy series. Renowned composers Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen skillfully craft rich and intricate arrangements of Nobuo Uematsu's iconic compositions from FF5, 8 & 9. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu offers a captivating suite inspired by his monumental original score for Final Fantasy XIII, while Valtonen sets the tone with his atmospheric opening piece 'In a Roundabout Way - Fanfare'. Pianist Mischa Cheung shines brightly in the spotlight, captivating audiences with his masterful performances in 'For the People of Gaia' and the emotive solo arrangement 'You Are Not Alone'.

Review: The Mean Girls"soundtrack encapsulates the vibrant energy of the iconic teen comedy with a diverse array of tracks. From anthems like Renee Rapp's 'Meet The Plastics' to Auli'i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Angourie Rice, Tim Meadows & Cast Of Mean Girls's 'Revenge Party', the album mirrors the film's mix of humour and heart. Renee Rapp & Megan Thee Stallion 'Not My Fault' is another standout that complements the film's narrative and overall, the soundtrack serves as a nostalgic trip back to the early 2000s, capturing the essence of Mean Girls and its cultural impact in a catchy and fun compilation.

Review: An exact dozen Bollywood musical gems, expertly curated to reflect a multitude of styles and sounds within the full spectrum. Tracks from movies such as Blackmail, Apradh, Junglee, Priya, Bhoot Bungla, and Sholay all make appearances, many of which are names that should be familiar to fans of 'world cinema' - for want of a less lazy label - even if the soundtracks themselves are not. Spanning the later mid-20th Century, everything here was recorded between 1958 and 1984, and as such Bollywood Nuggets can be taken as a window on how tastes and demand changed during that time, while certain totems remained. Featuring artists such as Mohammedd Rafi, Kalyanji & Anandji, P Susheela & SP Balasubrahmanyam, and RD Burman, it's a fantastic overview and a fascinating deep dive.

Review: Vampire Survivors Vol. 1, the soundtrack to Poncle's indie hit, receives a fitting tribute with this 2xLP vinyl release from iam8bit. Composed by Daniele Zandara and Will Davies, the music perfectly encapsulates the game's blend of roguelike bullet-hell action and gothic aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from classic vampire-slaying franchises while exploring modern soundscapes, the result is a synthesis of epic, nostalgic, and unexpected tunes filled with rad riffs and high-impact drum fills. The vinyl edition, pressed on Blood Splatter Red Vinyl, not only complements the game's theme but also adds a visual dimension to the auditory experience. Illustrator Nimit Malavia's cover art captures the essence of Vampire Survivors, elevating the release to a bodacious and badass masterpiece. iam8bit's commitment to nostalgia and new-wave sensibilities shines through in this release, appealing to fans of retro gaming and contemporary music listeners.