I’m glad to see Swedish composer Johan Söderqvist get some recognition. He is nominated for his wonderful minimalistic score to the vampire tale LÅT DEN RÄTTE KOMMA IN (Let the Right One in).

Alexandre Desplat is of course nominated for COCO AVANT CHANEL (Coco Before Chanel). You can’t have an award ceremony without him these days and his name seems to be permanently fixed on everyone’s mind when it comes to awards.

Alberto Iglesias is also nominated for LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (Broken Embraces) and Jakob Groth for the movie MÄN SOM HATAR KVINNOR (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

The winners of the European Film Awards 2009 will be announced during the awards ceremony on 12 December.

Bookmark It

How was the initial feeling when you learned that Hans Zimmer was doing his first video game score and that it would be none other than the massive title Modern Warfare 2? For me it was a jumping up and down happy feeling, sort of how you feel after you won a small amount of money actually.

Well the wit is over, the game has been leaked (shame on you people!). What’s also leaked are about 22 minutes of music from the game composed by Hans Zimmer. Excited yet?

Listen to these 3 clips that were taken from YouTube and tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Personally I was a bit disappointed. It sounds like Harry Gregson-Williams or Barton doing their thing, which is fine, don’t get me wrong. I was however expecting something more than fine, rather spectacular. You can definitely hear the Zimmer style choirs in some cues and it’s pretty cool stuff actually, but not satisfying enough. It’s like going to the best restaurant in the world and getting served a good, but not great steak.

I say meh… what say you!? State your opinion in the comment section below.

Bookmark It

This is a review of the motion picture score Princess Mononoke by Joe Hisaishi.

“Some of the composer’s most elegant melodic progressions and uniquely otherworldly moments”

While Joe Hisaishi has written a number of fine, even great scores for animation, casual score listeners will likely only know him by his 1997 composition Princess Mononoke.  The film and score burst into the US in what was supposed to be the big anime entrance into the US, and while this was not the symbolic flagship entry it was intended to be, the genre of animation has still become more commonplace in the US mainstream than it was a decade ago.  As such Princess Mononoke’s score has received a lot of focus from the score community, with many review sites often featuring the score as their sole Hisaishi review.  With the score being no masterpiece, its singling out is a bit unfair to the rest of the composer’s strong collection of music, both in and out of animation.  That aside, any score lover worth his or her stuff would be a fool to pass this score by, for on a few levels it is a unique entry in the composer’s long list of emotional works.

Dark Work

What is obvious right from the first ominous taiko drum hits and following somber strings that start the album is that Mononoke is a much darker work than anything Hisaishi had composed for animation up to this point.  That’s not to say all of his prior works for Miyizaki films were relentlessly upbeat, but the overall tone is a much less optimistic one.  Gone are the peppy moments that defined the composer’s last three works.  Again, that’s not to say they are fully eliminated, but the few moments of sprightly joy like “Kodamas” are rather restrained, confining the exuberance to chattering percussion.  Most of the underscore is understated or, in the case of the climactic battle music, downright somber.  At times the score rumbles forth like a jungle animal, with “The Demon God” showing the score’s percussive flavor at its most diverse and powerful.  The most powerful explorations here remain the climactic 4-track stretch between the Adagio of Life and Death cues that mix tragic strings in with warped electronics and choir for a distinct otherworldly effect.  Noting the electronics here is important, for their mix is much more appropriate and restrained (confined only to this section and a handful of electronic slides) than Hisaishi’s prior scores suggested was possible.  Ironically, in spite of the composer’s delicate balance between the two elements there would be no synthetic elements extended in any future Miyazaki scores.

Conclusion

The above paragraph should in no way suggest the score is depressing, in fact its two gorgeous melodies are its most enticing quality.  The main theme introduced in “The Legend of Ashitaka” is impressive in its sweeping orchestral grandeur, rivaling many golden age epic themes in sheer score and emotion.  The solo performances in “Lady Eboshi” are where the theme’s inherent romantic qualities shine. The five minutes of variations in the album’s closing cue comprise some of the most necessary material in the composer’s canon.  The secondary theme introduced in “The Journey to the West” that follows a more Oriental chord progressions is as heartfelt as any theme the composer has produced and is stunning whether unleashed on full ensemble in the aforementioned cue, solo instruments (“The Encounter”), or vocals (the vocal theme song woefully omitted from the US release).  The score is not a classic, mostly because, outside of its fine thematic references, its middle is fairly unassuming.  Most of the cues from “Lady Eboishi” through “Requiem II” are soothing but also at times too subdued to leave a lasting impression, and the stretch from “The Battle Drums” to “Retreat” features suspense scoring somewhat typical of the composer’s other works.  Yet at times Mononoke features some of the composer’s most elegant melodic progressions, and the darker tones feature a few tracks unique to the composer’s resume.  If that weren’t enough, “Ashitaka and San” throws in an innocent piano part that will enchant fans of the composer’s lighter, more soaring melodies from previous Miyazaki films.  If you have yet to pick up a Hisaishi score, there are few better starting points than this.

Japan Release (63:12)
1. Ashitaka Sekki (The Tale of Ashitaka) (1:39)
2. Tatari Gami (The Curse God) (3:51)
3. Tabidachi, Nishihe (Departure, to the West) (2:33)
4. Norowareta Chikara (Cursed Power) (0:36)
5. Edo (Impure Land) (3:00)
6. Deai (A Meeting) (0:52)
7. Kodamatachi (Kodamas) (2:27)
8. Kami no Mori (The Forest of God) (0:41)
9. Yuugure no Tatara Ba (The Evening at Tatara Place) (0:39)
10. Tatari Gami 2 – Ubawareta Yama (The Curse God 2 – Robbed Mountains) (0:57)
11. Eboshi Gozen (Lady Eboshi) (2:48)
12. Tatara Fumu Onnatachi – Eboshi Tatara Uta (Women Who Push Foot Bellows – Eboshi Tatara Song) (1:29)
13. Shyura (Demons) (1:29)
14. Higashi kara Kita Shounen (The Boy Who Came from the East) (1:25)
15. Requiem (2:21)
16. Ikiro (Live) (0:32)
17. Shishi Gami no Mori no Futari (Two at the Forest of the Shishi God) (1:29)
18. Mononoke Hime – Instrumental Version (2:09)
19. Requiem 2 (2:14)
20. Mononoke Hime – Vocal Version (3:32)
21. Tatakai no Taiko (War Drum) (2:47)
22. Tatara Ba Mae no Tatakai (The Fight in front of the Tatara Place) (1:26)
23. Norowareta Chikara 2 (Cursed Power 2) (2:30)
24. Requiem 3 (0:55)
25. Haisou (A Rout) (1:31)
26. Tatari Gami 3 (1:15)
27. Shi to Sei no Adagio (The Adagio of Death and Life) (2:08)
28. Yomi no Sekai (The Underworld) (1:28)
29. Yomi no Sekai 2 (The Underworld 2) (1:33)
30. Shi to Sei no Adagio 2 (The Adagio of Death and Life 2) (1:07)
31. Ashitaka to San (Ashitaka and San) (3:12)
32. Mononoke Hime – Vocal Ending (1:23)
33. Ashitaka Sekki Ending (The Tale of Ashitaka, Ending) (5:01)

US Release (59:28)
1. The Legend of Ashitaka (1:38)
2. The Demon God (3:51)
3. The Journey to the West (2:32)
4. The Demon Power (0:36)
5. The Land of the Impure (2:59)
6. The Encounter (0:51)
7. Kodamas (2:26)
8. The Forest of the Gods (0:39)
9. Evening at the Ironworks (0:39)
10. The Demon God II – The Lost Mountains (0:56)
11. Lady Eboshi (2:48)
12. The Tatara Women Work Song (1:28)
13. The Furies (1:28)
14. The Young Man from the East (1:25)
15. Requiem (2:21)
16. Will to Live (0:31)
17. San and Adhitaka in the Forest of the Deer God (1:39)
18. Princess Mononoke Theme Song – Instrumental Version (2:08)
19. Requiem II (2:13)
20. The Battle Drums (2:46)
21. The Battle in Front of the Ironworks (1:25)
22. The Demon Power II (2:29)
23. Requiem III (0:55)
24. The Retreat (1:30)
25. The Demon God III (1:13)
26. Adagio of Life and Death (2:08)
27. The World of the Dead (1:27)
28. The World of the Dead II (1:32)
29. Adagio of Life and Death II (1:06)
30. Ashitaka and San (3:11)
31. Princess Mononoke Theme Song – Vocal Version (1:20)
32. The Legend of Ashitaka Theme (5:02)

Listen to Princess Mononoke by Joe Hisaishi below:

Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans

Bookmark It

Amazon MP3 and Philip Glass has a free album featuring music from Candyman, Cassandra’s Dream and more!

Just thought I’d let you know. US only (Unless you know how to use proxies)

Here is the link: Free Philip Glass album

Bookmark It

This is a review of the video game soundtrack Spore Hero by Winifred Phillips.

“Though technically more brilliant than Sim Animals, it fails to deliver consistently great themes, but has a lush orchestral soundscape to keep you entertained”

Spore, one of the most innovative video games to come out this decade (or ever) finally reaches the hands of hungry Wii players. In Spore Hero you have the ability to create your own creature and save the planet on which you have landed. Something evil followed you there and only a true hero can save the world from this menacing threat. As you go along, you will earn various parts to enhance your hero’s ability. The video game soundtrack is by Winifred Phillips who composed Sim Animals earlier this year.

Track List

1. Spore Hero Main Theme (****)
2. Home World (****)
3. Haven (*****)
4. Sporable (***)
5. Sporaging (***)
6. Sporezone (***)
7. Monster Mayhem (****)
8. Sporexplore (***)
9. Beast Brawl (****)
10. Wanderment (***)
11. Sporeward (****)
12. Creepy Things (****)
13. Evolvable (***)
14. Sporabilities (****)
15. Nemesis (****)
16. Critters (***)
17. Spore War (****)
18. Hero Theme (****)

Not Sim Animals

Sim Animals was 35 minutes of great and jolly musical pieces perfect for the game. In Spore Hero there is over an hour of music that fits the game just as well. Spore Hero is a more complex game than Sim Animals and it shows in the music as well. The sound and themes of Sim Animals were simplistic while the sound and themes of Spore Hero are definitely more complex, but is it for the better?

I hear similarities between the two scores and listening to the first three cues, you can be fooled into thinking it’s more of the same, but it’s not. ‘Spore Hero Main Theme’ takes us into the heart of the game with a good but not great theme. ‘Home World’ with it’s very Disney-like sounding opening is more complex than the opening theme while retaining the sound. The best cue on the score has to be ‘Haven’ which is  light, almost dancing along while keeping you entertained.

Bit Too Complex

Some of the cues are a bit too complex to truly enjoy, like ‘Sporable’, ‘Sporaging’ and ‘Sporezone’ that doesn’t allow for a thematic presence to occur. It shifts very quickly with experimental sounds, which I’ve mentioned before is perfect for the game. As a solo listening experience however, it doesn’t feel quite as great. A lot of video game scores are married to the game and are great as a team, but listened to as a work on it’s own is an entirely different experience. That’s why it’s hard to judge the video game score Spore Hero on it’s own, yet that is what I must do.

The feeling of the score changes around track 7 with ‘Monster Mayhem’ that has a much higher tempo, when the mayhem really starts. ‘Beast Brawl’ is another one. It never gets dark like some of Winifred’s work for God of War however. It still feel whimsical, but that is the nature of the game and it’s audience.

Conclusion

Though technically more brilliant than Sim Animals, it fails to deliver consistently great themes, but has a lush orchestral soundscape to keep you entertained. There are some  good stuff in here, and should fit your bill if you like complex, but light orchestral music. I think that since it’s more complex, it loses some of it’s charm in the process. I would personally put some more simplistic thematic cues in there to give it the extra breathing space it needs. Again, Winifred Phillips displays why she considered to be a hugely talented composer and the nomination for Best Original Score at The Hollywood Music In Media Awards is certainly no fluke.

Listen to Spore Hero by Winifred Phillips below:

Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans

Bookmark It

The Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) recognizes and honors the music of visual mediums, the talented individuals responsible, and the music of independent artists from around the globe. Both mainstream and independent artists from around the globe are honored as peers for their compositions and recordings in all forms of media including film, TV, video games, commercial advertisements, movie trailers and music videos. The HMMA is also the first music awards event to recognize and honor excellence in music supervision. In addition, iconic individuals are presented with special awards for outstanding career achievement and longevity in entertainment.

The video game nominees are as follows:

Best Original Score – Video Game
Jesper Kyd – “Assassins Creed II” (Ubisoft)
Inon Zur – “Dragon Age: Origins” (BioWare EA)
Martin O’Donnell / Michael Salvatori – “Halo 3: ODST” (Bungie Studios)
Stephen Rippy – “Halo Wars” (Ensemble Studios)
Tom Salta – “H.A.W.X” (Ubisoft)
Jim Dooley / Amon Tobin / Mel Wesson / JD Mayer – “InFamous” (Sucker Punch)
Joris de Man – “Killzone 2″ (Guerrilla Games)
Winifred Phillips / Winnie Waldron – “Spore Hero” (EA)
Greg Edmonson – “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (Naughty Dog).

Best Original Song – Video Game
Inon Zur / Aubrey Ashburn – “I Am the One” (Dragon Age: Origins)
Carmen Rizzo / Sony Computer Entertainment – “Road to Shambhala” (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves).

Outstanding Music Supervision – Video Game
Giles Martin – The Beatles: Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV)
Emily Ridgeway – Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)
Simon Pressey – Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare EA)
Martin O’Donnell – Halo 3: ODST (Bungie Studios)
Chuck Doud – InFamous (SCEA).

The Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) will be presented Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at The Highlands in the world famous Hollywood & Highlands / Kodak Theater complex in Hollywood, CA. This red-carpet event features live performances, award presentations, a VIP reception and banquet dinner catered by Wolfgang Puck.  Click Here for Complete Details!

For more information and tickets to the awards show, visit the HMMA web site www.hmmawards.com.

Source: Music 4 Games

Bookmark It

Thanks for the comments on my previous Carter Burwell post. I have managed to find 7 tracks I absolutely love from Carter Burwell. When you hear them, you will definitely hear a pattern. They are minimalistic and they all have simple delicate themes.

This is in my opinion when Carter Burwell is best. Most of the time that is forgotten in the quest to fit the movie he scores for. You could argue that his style hasn’t changed much in the last 20+ years when listening to for example Blood Simple and Twilight.

So what!?

Every composer sound like themselves and those who try to reinvent a new style usually fail and eventually revert back to their usual routine.

There’s nothing wrong with that!

Many composers that I love haven’t changed much at all, and I love them for it. Why change when you keep producing wonderful music?

Here’s 7 cues from Carter Burwell that I think is just right… just wish there were more like it.

Blood Simple by Carter Burwell
First up is the cue ‘Blood Simple’ from the 1984 movie Blood Simple. It’s like a simpler version of ‘Bella’s Lullaby’ from Twilight. It has a simple piano motif (light and dark).

[See post to listen to audio]

Early Digs a Pit/Talking about California by Carter Burwell
Next is ‘Early Digs a Pit/Talking about California’ from the 1993 movie Kalifornia. Again, it’s a simple theme, but this is a bit different than the other Burwell cues I have selected. The feeling of it, the sound of it is more desolate than the other cues.

[See post to listen to audio]

Epilogue Pt. 3: Adele’s Message From the Grave by Carter Burwell
I do love that theme, so I will add another one from Kalifornia. It’s called ‘Epilogue Pt. 3: Adele’s Message From the Grave’. It’s even more desolate than the previous cue. Simply beautiful.

[See post to listen to audio]

The end of her day by Carter Burwell
Next up is a cue from the 1997 movie Kiss The Girls. It’s called ‘The end of her day’ and it’s an unused piece with just the right heartstrings. A delicate minimalistic music piece that is really sweet and soft.

[See post to listen to audio]

Prologue by Carter Burwell
The next two cues are from the 2008 movie In Bruges. The theme from In Bruges is really wonderful. Burwell goes back to the piano and it’s simplistic beauty strikes you from the beginning. In ‘Prologue’ we hear  only the piano.

[See post to listen to audio]

I Didn’t Want to Die by Carter Burwell
In ‘I Didn’t Want to Die’ he adds subtle underscoring for that little extra. The theme is the same, except maybe even better with all the other elements added.

[See post to listen to audio]

Lastly we have the one cue that stood out from the 2008 movie Twilight. The rest were kind of meh, but this… this is what I want more of. It’s more orchestral than all the other cues I have selected, but again the simple theme played on a piano is just what the doctor ordered. It’s a hit and if the goal was to convey the feeling of Bella, then this track certainly scores a 10.

[See post to listen to audio]

So there you have it. My selection of 7 cues from the Carter Burwell catalog. What do you think? Do you have any other cues to add or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments section below.

Bookmark It

I woke up this morning and had a thirst for some Carter Burwell , or rather a tune that was stuck in my head that happened to be composed by Carter Burwell. It had nothing to do with his latest score to Where the Wild Things Are (Only heard one cue from there called Lost Fur). It was ‘Bella’s Lullaby’ from his Twilight score if you must know.

After I listened to that I started to wonder about Carter, because I couldn’t remember a single tone of his work. I quickly went to my archive and listened randomly to his music. Not much of it agreed with me, most were passable, indifferent tracks. Still, it’s obvious the man has talents and is best heard (or not heard) in Coen brothers movies. His scores are really excellent in those movies, yet when you take it out of context, it’s nothing special.

He fascinates me though, Carter Burwell. His ability to sneak those notes past you, goes beyond excellence on screen. His similar ability to be quickly forgotten off screen is what makes him an enigma, at least in my eyes (or ears). What I am trying to say is: I really don’t get Carter Burwell!

In my frenetic listening I managed to come across a few gems hidden away in his vast library of scores. What those gems are, I’ll let you know tomorrow.

What do you think of Carter Burwell? Genius or overrated? Lastly, please recommend some Burwell scores in the comment section below this post. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Here’s a clip from Fargo:

Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans

Bookmark It

This is a review of the motion picture G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra by Alan Silvestri.

“It’s a soundtrack full of missed opportunities, but it’s not a bad soundtrack by any means”

Alan Slvestri is back with none other than G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, the movie based on the old comic. I remember reading this comic when I was little, but I’m not in any way a fanboy. I barely remember the names of the characters, but I have to admit it was a fun to see the movie on the big screen. I was curious to what Silvestri would come up with here. Would it be orchestral or not? There are so many characters here as well, and would they all get a theme?

Track List

1. Clan Mccullen (***)
2. Mars Industries (****)
3. Delivering The Warheads (****)
4. General Hawk (*****)
   
5. It Had To Be Nato’s Fault! (***)
6. King Cobra (***)
7. What Happened To Her (***)
8. I Promise (****)
9. The Pit Battle (****)
10. They Intend To Use Them (***)
11. Snake Eyes (****)
12. I Have A Target In Mind (****)
13. The Joes Mobilize (****)
14. Northern Route (****)
15. Who Are You (***)
16. Deploy The Sharcs (***)
17. Final Battle (*****)
    
18. Just About Close Enough (****)
19. The Rise Of Cobra (***)
20. I’m Not Giving Up On You (*****)
    
21. End Credits (*****)
    

Awful Sound

Before or go any further, I have to talk about a great injustice to soundtrack fans all over the world. The soundtrack was mixed from a lossy master meaning the sound quality is pretty awful. Why this should happen in 2009 and with some of the best sound technicians around is beyond belief. You’ll hear it clearly throughout that the sound is cut-off at its highest peaks and this shouldn’t happen. Why Varese? There have been rumors about a Japanese release, but no word whether it’s based on the same source. Oh well… rant over, let’s get to why we’re here.

Alan Silvestri’s score is rarely noticed in the movie itself because of all the action going on. That’s a shame, because it’s only when you hear it on CD that you get why Alan Silvestri is so highly regarded. There’s lot of electronics in here and there’s also a lot of orchestral stuff and I’m happy to tell you that Joe/Hawk theme is a good one, although not a patch on his previous themes. This one is best heard in the cue ‘General Hawk’. There are other themes in here as well, but they are barely noticeable. Cobra, The Baroness and Snake Eyes to name a few get a theme, however they average from poor to good. A missed opportunity indeed.

Electronic and Orchestral

The first half of this score is mostly electronic and the last half is where the best stuff is, the more orchestral themes. There’s a smart little cue in ‘Final Battle’ which to my surprise is only 55 seconds long. Must have been a short battle, but this is what I would love to hear more of. Epic sounding and highly patriotic, the kind of themes that makes me feel something. The last couple of cues are other examples of what could have been. ‘I’m Not Giving Up On You’ is a great thematic non-action track, then there’s the very militaristic ‘End Credits’ which reprises the Joe theme in bombastic manner.

Conclusion

It’s a soundtrack full of missed opportunities, but it’s not a bad soundtrack by any means. There’s a good mix of mostly action cues and some softer thematic ones. It’s certainly better than the movie and it’s sadly gone missing in most of it. There’s some good material, some even great, but it will be forgotten in the long run. Alan Silvestri, like any composer, doesn’t do great memorable scores anymore, but that’s the way it is these days. Overall a decent effort, that could (and should) have been a lot better.

Listen to G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra by Alan Silvestri below:

Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans

Bookmark It

Action fans rejoice!

Solomon Kane, the hunter of all things evil is coming soon and Klaus Badelt is the composer. I didn’t know quite what to expect. I recently heard Le Petit Nicolas and it’s as far from Badelt-action as you can get.

Wouldn’t it be great if old school Badelt came back? You know… the guy from Equilibrium or even better, Pirates of the Caribbean!

I’ll give you one better. Throw in the best of Remote Control Productions and the best of Hans Zimmer and you have Solomon Kane. Enough hype? You can definitely hear Zimmer’s influence from track one, but this sounds spectacular. If you are a fan of RCP action, you will love this (I know I do).

The score is probably going to be download only around December, but I’ll take it in any sort of form and shape. Just listen to the amazing preview:

Bookmark It