Lost In Evisceration

By: Randall D. Larson
Date: Thursday, October 12, 2006

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Steve Jablonsky reprises his dark ambiances from the 2003 remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE with an equally brooding and disconsolate score for THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman (DARKNESS FALLS), the film both replicates the tonality of the original film(s) and extends their mythology by providing an origin story for the young Leatherface and his family of cannibals. Jablonsky's score, released on CD by Varese Sarabande, is a potent and consistently frightening series of layered textures and tonalities that lays down an unsettling sonic ambiance that gives much of the film its dark and unnerving mood.

In less than ten years, Jablonsky has proven himself an extremely versatile and capable composer, moving from the urban riffing of BAD BOYS II to the symphonic lyricism of Katsuhiro Otomo's STEAMBOY, the orchestral speculative sci-fi of THE ISLAND, to the contemporary tunes of television's DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and the straightforward classicism of the BBC documentary series, SEVEN WONDERS OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD. But Jablonsky has shown a particular affinity to films of horror and fantasy crafting marvelously spooky atmospheres for films like THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (remake), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (remake), THE HITCHER (remake, forthcoming), the Korean dragon fantasy D-WAR, and Michael Bay's elaborate take on TRANSFORMERS (forthcoming).

With TCM: THE BEGINNING, Jablonsky plays the horror card with devastating aplomb, creating a transfixing aural ambiance that keeps the listener agitated and apprehensive from start to finish. Which means it probably won't make for frequent listening during those relaxing times at home with the family, but for those times when you want to get your hairs rustling and your spine shivering and experience a claustrophobic tone poem that exudes tangible moods of fear and fright and panic and escape, this is your ticket. Using a variety of synths and symphs, Jablonsky


In my review of his first TCM score (Soundtrax, Nov 6, 2003), I noted that Jablonsky's score for the remake was "a thickly orchestral montage of synth tonalities and blasting stingers that have all the sharp potency of, well, a chainsaw starting up... a suspenseful score filled with seething electronic patterns, tones, and textures that tend to hold together more cohesively than the acoustic-based dissonant textures of the original's score... The composer's use of synth textures creates an honestly compelling suspense score, irresolute and disquieting." THE BEGINNING adopts a similar musical posture: straight ahead musical horror derived from a hybrid combination of sounds and textures, from raging, pulse-endangering electronic fusions to drifting strains of violins and sinewy strands of synth tonalities that tend to signify hopeless solitude in the midst of an inescapable dread. A slight theme crops up from time to time, associated with the character of Chrissie ("Chrissie Alone," "Chrissie Finds Eric") which is the score's sole melodic element, used to bolster the character's unpromising predicament and, as things progress, encapsulate her courage and fortitude as she stands up against the young man with the chainsaw. It's a very potent score again, not the kind of thing you'll listen to for leisure, but it's a great example of how music and texture can generate a very powerful mood all on its own.

Varese Sarabande has also released Michael Giacchino's soundtrack to the second season of TV's popular if infuriating mystery show, LOST. In some ways, Giacchino's LOST music is a lot like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, only without the chainsaw and the cannibalism and the massacre (well, who knows. It's only Season 2...!). Using a hybrid pallet of acoustic and electronic musical instruments, Giacchino crafts a potent fusion of music designed to heighten apprehension, discomfort, and engender a slowly-climaxing panic. "Peace Through Superior Firepower," Giacchino's first cue after producer J.J. Abram's Main Title ambiance. What LOST has that TCM doesn't is an ensemble cast of characters whose lives are becoming fleshed out as the series progresses (TCM fleshes them out via chainsaw, I suppose...), which gives the music the opportunity to develop emotional moments as it underlies various aspects of the characters' pasts as well as support their emotional integration on the island.

A sense of dread hangs palpably in the air during most episodes, and much of it hangs upon the strains of Giacchino's mostly dissonant music. But the constantly evolving storylines and shifting characterizations also provide moments of intricate tenderness ("Hurley's Handouts," "Shannon's Funeral," "All's Forgiven," "A New Trade," "The Last To Know," et al., which harken back to the painful melancholic beauty of the Season 1's moving denouement, "Life and Death."). Giacchino continues to provide amazing music for this addictive show, basing his scoring approach not so much on melody but upon variations of chord structures, shifting tonalities that support the shifting layers of story and mystery and characterization. As the series storyline becomes increasingly complex and aggravatingly continues to produce more mysteries while offering very few answers the music becomes the voice of the island upon which the crew of Oceanic Flight 815 attempts to survive and understand the plentiful mysteries that surround them, just as it also becomes the voice of each character Giacchino captures their inner mysteries and passions and hidden words and he conveys them very fluently through his music.

www.varesesarabande.com



FILM MUSIC NEWS

Film Music Radio has learned that Tyler Bates has been engaged to write the original score for RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, the third Hollywood film based on the popular video games. Milla Jovovich returns in the lead and other cast members include Ali Larter, Christopher Egan and Ashanti. The film, which is helmed by HIGHLANDER director Russell Mulcahy, is scheduled to come out on September 21 next year. The first RESIDENT EVIL film was scored by Marilyn Manson and Marco Beltrami and the sequel had a score by Jeff Danna. Tyler Bates is a horror genre specialist whose recent projects include SEE NO EVIL, SLITHER and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS. He has also been signed to score the upcoming HALLOWEEN movie as well as THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO, both of them for Rob Zombie. Recently, Bates finished work on 300, an epic action adventure based on Frank Miller's novel, directed by Zack Snyder, for whom Bates worked on DAWN OF THE DEAD two years ago. via filmmusicradio.com

Speaking of Jeff Danna, the Canadian composer is slated to score the new film from Sir Richard Attenborough, CLOSING THE RING, a romantic drama starring Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Neve Campbell, Gregory Smith and Pete Postlethwaite. Danna, whose previous credits include THE BOONDOCK SAINTS and the horror film SILENT HILL, has also been hired to compose the music for C7, a new documentary feature by Brett Morgen, for whom Danna worked on THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE. filmmusicradio.com

Perhaps one of the most popular and commercially successful Horror franchises in recent memory, SAW sparked a new wave of gritty, no holes barred chillers, including Eli Roth's HOSTEL, Scott McKinlay's GAG, and of course its own sequel SAW II. If you thought you'd seen the last of 'Jigsaw', think again because the twisted, bloody-games master returns this month in SAW III. Musically, the series is known for its use of heavy rock music and the new film is no different. Artists Addiction Records will release SAW III on October 24th, an album that apparently features some of the 'heaviest, bone-crunching rock bands...' across twenty tracks and a guest vocal on one track by star Shawnee Smith (Amanda). Charlie Clouser's score is represented by just one cue. Visit www.sawsoundtrack.com for further information. via musicfromthemovies.com

The first officially authorized release of Lubos Fiser's score for the elaborate 1070 fantasy film, VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS, will be released next month on Finders Keepers Records. Fiser's music for the haunting and beautiful 1970 Czech new wave film from director Jaromil Jires is one of the film's most acclaimed elements and has not been available until now. Fiser, who died in 1999, was one of the most prolific composers for Czech fantasy films.

On October 24th, Walt Disney Records will release a 2-disc special edition soundtrack for THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in celebration of the 13th anniversary of Tim Burton's cult classic animated feature. Disc One of the soundtrack includes the original score and ten songs by Danny Elfman. Disc Two contains nine songs: five new versions of original soundtrack songs specially re-recorded by alternative rock superstars Marilyn Manson, Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Fiona Apple and She Wants Revenge, plus four never-before-released demo tracks performed by Danny Elfman. www.DisneyRecords.com

The latest Limited Edition release from Intrada is a double header providing two scores from films taking place in New York: THE PICK-UP ARTIST (Georges Delerue, 1987) and SHERLOCK HOLMES IN NEW YORK (1976) by esteemed British composer Richard Rodney Bennett (conducted by Leonard Rosenman). The CD was limited to 1,200 copies and has reportedly already sold out from Intrada try the other online retailers if you want to grab a copy before it hits the expensive eBay traders. www.intrada.com

Mark Mothersbaugh has been signed to score the upcoming comedy FANBOYS, about a bunch of STAR WARS enthusiasts who travel across the country to go to a preview show of STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. The film is directed by Kyle Newman, who is also doing the remake of REVENGE OF THE NERDS for release next year. filmmusicradio.com

Joseph LoDuca (EVIL DEAD, XENA) has taken over scoring duties on THE MESSENGERS from Christopher Young who was originally attached to the project. THE MESSENGERS is produced by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, for whom LoDuca has worked on the EVIL DEAD trilogy, among other things.

MovieScore Media announces the online soundtrack release of the music from the political drama LAND OF THE BLIND directed by Robert Edwards and starring Ralph Fiennes and Donald Sutherland. The strikingly original score for this Bauer-Martinez Studios picture is composed by Guy Farley, a British composer who is considered to be one of the most exciting and promising up and coming film composers in Europe at the moment. Farley just finished work on the score for the Richard Gere thriller THE FLOCK, and has previously written the beautiful music for the Andy Garcia drama MODIGLIANI AND MOTHER TERESA, among many others. Farley's original score is contrasted by the original songs written by Doug Edwards, which results in an interesting mix of styles, where Farley's orchestral marches and themes are effectively juxtaposed by Edwards' ethnic influences and guitar-based ambient tracks. The LAND OF THE BLIND soundtrack is now available to purchase and download in high quality mp3 format from http://www.moviescoremediashop.com and from Apple's iTunes store.

For more information, please visit MovieScore Media's web site at http://www.moviescoremedia.com.

GAMES MUSIC NEWS

Composer and music producer Tom Salta has created the captivating musical score for Ubisoft's exclusive first-person action title for the Wii console, RED STEEL, drawing from traditional and contemporary Japan for the game's original soundtrack. In the game, players will master both the ancient art of the Katana and the sophisticated technology of modern firearms, taking advantage of the emotion and innovative gameplay possible only with the remarkable Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. Salta's kaleidoscopic musical score follows the hero's dramatic journey and immerses gamers in the unique gunplay and swordplay actions set in modern-day Japan.

"Tom Salta has found the perfect balance between Japanese traditional music, classic Hollywood score and various modern styles," said Manu Bachet, music supervisor for Red Steel. "He has composed the most exciting soundtrack I've ever worked on at Ubisoft."

Salta arranged and recorded traditional live Japanese instrumentation including Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi and Taiko performed by expert Japanese musicians including the specialist percussion group Taikoza. The score also features performances from conservatory-trained Japanese opera singers and renowned violinist Lili Haydn. In order to reflect the diverse and Western-influenced soundtrack of fashionable Tokyo, Salta further embellished the soundtrack with a wide spectrum of music styles such as orchestral, electronic, rock, hip hop, dance, easy listening, jazz, lounge, and Japanese pop that truly embrace the game's cinematic story and vibrant locations.

Tom Salta's previous video game credits include the anthemic military-themed orchestral score for TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON ADVANCED WARFIGHTER, which was nominated for Best Video Game Score at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Recording under the artist name Atlas Plug (www.atlasplug.com), Salta is currently working on the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut solo album, 2 DAYS OR DIE. For more information on Tom Salta, visit www.tomsalta.com.


For more information on Red Steel, please visit the official website at www.redsteelgame.com.



Recommended Soundtrack sources:

www.buysoundtrax.com
www.intrada.com
www.screenarchives.com
www.footlight.com
www.arksquare.com/index_main.html (Japan)
www.intermezzomedia.com/ (Italy)
www.moviegrooves.com
www.moviemusic.com

For questions or comments, contact the author at Soundtrax@cinescape.com