Back catalogue: Soundtracks

Review: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..." So said Henry V before the battle of Agincourt in one of Shakespeare's many lauded histories. The quote went on to Christen Stephen Ambrose's 1993 novel and a subsequent American war drama miniseries of the same name, chronicling the journey of the "Easy Company," a group of American paratroopers during World War II. Training, combat tussles, and fraternal bonds are given a brutal portrayal in the film, and this mood of brutality and endurance was not unnoticeably underscored by Michael Kamen's soundtrack, now reissued on gatefold 2xLP. Kamen, known for his scores for Die Hard, X-Men and Memento, brought out a mood of orchestral fortuity, successfully mirroring the film's intent to portray themes of glory, tragedy and camaraderie, all of which ooze from its many orchestral swells and windfalls.

Review: In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola tapped Polish composer Wojciech Kilar to create the score for his adaptation of Dracula. Kilar, relatively unknown at the time, crafted a haunting and atmospheric composition that adds depth to the story of the infamous vampire. The score relies on low tones to evoke dread, as heard in the main title, 'Dracula: In the Beginning', where deep cello and bass strings set a sinister tone for Count Dracula's eerie castle. 'Vampire Hunters' builds a tense violin theme, punctuated by woodwinds and percussion, reflecting the determination of Van Helsing in his pursuit of the vampire. 'Ring of Fire' delivers a ferocious climax, blending demonic voices and chorale elements in a chilling fashion. The highlight of the score is its haunting minimalism. Kilar avoids conventional melodies, focusing instead on repetitive, unsettling arrangements that grow in intensity. Tracks like 'The Storm' showcase his mastery, shifting from delicate harp plucking to powerful brass and gothic organ swells. Kilar's score stands out for its unique use of instrumentation and atmosphere, making it a perfect complement to the gothic horror of the film. Now available on 180-gram yellow vinyl, this chilling composition is essential for fans of the legendary story.

Review: A pioneering English drummer and composer, Basil Kurchin's career spanned from the 1940s through to the early 2000s. When he transitioned from big band drumming to scoring and composing films, he became newly credited for experimenting with tape and field recordings, baking the sounds of birds, animals, insects and children into his soundtracks. This retro-harking compilation of never-heard-before soundtrack cuts by the mad sonographer is not the first to reach its wanting hands into the plumbable depths of the Kirchin archives; not a composer for popular media, Kirchin's various scores include The Shuttered Room (1961), Assignment K (1968), and The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). The obscurity of each film alone would render the task of assigning context to each track difficult, if not also for the fact that Kirchin has now left us. However, speculations abound: Trunk Records maintain that the the music for The Mutations dates from 1974, and was the score to a bizarre Jack Cardiff film starring Donald Pleasence and Tom Baker. As for Journey Into The Unknown, this is a tape from the archive with "Journey Into The Unknown" written on it, and very little else. Dating from 1968, it is alleged to originate from a series of spooky British TV dramas with supernatural twists; a forerunner of Tales Of The Unexpected.