Music of Dark Skies

By: Randall D. Larson
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2006

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATION

The taut science fiction score for the 1996-97 TV series, DARK SKIES, has been released as a limited edition 10th anniversary soundtrack CD by Perseverance Records. The CD contains almost an hour's worth of Michael Hoenig's score for the show, as well as Mark (X-FILES) Snow's music for the unaired pilot. Due to his commitment on X-FILES and that show's creator, Chris Carter's perception of DARK SKIES as competition, Snow was unable to score any of SKIES' succeeding episodes. Michael Hoenig, an outstanding synthesist whose fairly limited cinematic repertoire included such genre efforts as MAX HEADROOM and all manner of TV-movies, the 1988 remake of THE BLOB, DRACULA 3000, many of which evidenced that even bad movies could contain great music, provided a score very much along the lines of what Snow was doing in THE X-FILES a very textural hybrid of electronic and orchestral atmospheres, supporting the show's sense of mysterious conspiracies and subtle alien incursions as the series revised history to account for the story's increasing extraterrestrial visitations. Hoenig's music, which won an Emmy nomination for its Main Title music, is well represented on the Perseverance CD through two dozen episodes cues, ranging in length from half a minute to nearly due minutes, plus his Main Title theme. Hoenig has described the arc of his music for the series as "a constantly undulating web of traditional orchestral colors, experimental orchestral techniques, an electronic lacework of patterns and ornamental soundscapes..." and I can't think of better terminology to describe his approach to DARK SKIES' music. In a multiplicity of subtle layers, drifting tone patterns, and captivating sonic textures, Hoenig drafts a heady brew of music that is both frightening and fascinating in its many ambiences. The music serves as the show's emotive core keeping its keel constantly on a course of unease, brooding apprehension, and virulent activity and import. Some tracks effervesce with energy, such as the thrilling "Idaho Crop Circles" with its percussively-driven rhythm, while others exude dramatic portends of doom ("Mesmerized by Light.") There are no real melodies (at least not until Hoenig's poignant and persuasive "Epilogue," which ends the show with quite a melancholic mood) or recurring themes but rather a compelling array of musical configurations and impressions that maintain a progressive and intriguing sonic environment.


Twelve and a half minutes of Mark Snow's music, some of which was kept in for the revised pilot scored by Hoenig, concludes the CD. Snow notes that his main intention with DARK SKIES was not to mimic what he was doing on X-FILES, and chose a more traditional approach fusing modern and old fashion techniques. His approach is quite intriguing, with shards of musical patterns streaking down like invading aliens to clash with drifting atmospheres and spooky sonorities.

A 4-minute hidden track concludes the CD with a rhythmic variant on Hoenig's main theme given a charged-up tempo.

In keeping with the label's tradition of quality liner notes, the DARK SKIES booklet includes text commentary from creator Bryce Zabel, composers Hoenig and Snow, and a complete history of the short-lived series.

www.perseverancerecords.com



FILM MUSIC NEWS

Epic Records in has released the soundtrack to the anime feature, BRAVE STORY, featuring music combining techno riffs and orchestral composition by Juno Reactor (MATRIX series), performed by an 80-member orchestra and 40-member chorus.

Howard Shore's complete Grammy-winning score for THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS will be available in a deluxe four-disc edition from Reprise/WMG Soundtracks on November 7, 2006. This historic release contains over 180 minutes of music on three CDs, comprising the full score of the 2002 film, composed by Howard Shore. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS marks the second edition of the three complete recording releases of the film trilogy whose score has been honored with three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, and which has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. This deluxe set also includes exclusive new artwork, packaging, extensive liner notes written by Doug Adams, and "Gollum's Song" performed by Emiliana Torrini. via soundtrack.net

Veteran science fiction and horror composer Chuck Cirino has written the music for the upcoming Sci-Fi Pictures TV movie ALIEN FIRE, starring Robert Beltran, Nicholas Brendon, Randolph Mantooth and Michelle Morgan. Cirino has also recently scored Sci-Fi Pictures' KOMODO VS. COBRA, A.I. ASSAULT and CRY OF THE WINGED SERPENT, which was produced by Roger Corman. Since the mid 1980s, Cirino has written numerous scores for cult horror films such as CHOPPING MALL, THE RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING and GHOULIES IV. via filmmusicradio

The fourth DIE HARD movie, now entitled LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD to be released next summer, will get an original score by Marco Beltrami. musiconfilm.com

Intrada Records announced their release of a 2-CD set of Jerry Goldsmith's classic 1982 score for the Korean War epic, INCHON, and saw the title sell out almost overnight. The album features the complete original score in the correct order, as well as a remastered version of the original edited album. The release was a limited edition of just 1500 copies. An expanded CD was also released back in 1988, though the sound quality was rather sub-standard. This release marks the most complete pressing, taken from the original masters. Whether the company will print more remains to be seen. In the meantime, better check eBay. www.intrada.com

UK label Harkit Records will continue its delicious trend of releasing pop soundtracks from the 60s and 70s with several new CDs announced for release this coming Winter: Lalo Schifrin's little-known score for RETURN FROM THE RIVER KWAI, the 1989 follow-up to the classic David Lean picture starring Timothy Bottoms and Edward Fox, French composer Maurice Jarre's elusive score for POPE JOAN, the Michael Anderson epic with Liv Ullman playing the title role, David Rose's TV music from BONANZA, Dominic Frontiere's music for the motorcycle racing documentary ON ANY SUNDAY, George Duning's terrific jazz/swing score for the Sophia Loren/Cary Grant comedy HOUSEBOAT, Mikis Theodorakis' score for the thriller FIVE MILES TO MIDNIGHT, and a collection of film music by jazz drummer Chico Hamilton, including the stylish music from REPULSION and THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. -www.harkitrecords.com

La-La Land records will release a soundtrack CD containing A NAME FOR EVIL (aka THE GROVE) and THE UNKNOWN, two exciting, previously unreleased scores from acclaimed composer Dominic Frontiere (HANG 'EM HIGH, BRANNIGAN, CHISUM, THE STUNT MAN). Suspense, horror and lust pulsate throughout Frontiere's orchestral score (performed by The Graunke Symphony Orchestra of Munich) to the 70's cult horror/thriller A NAME FOR EVIL, starring Robert Culp and Samantha Eggar. Frontiere's knack for the supernatural thriller is showcased yet again in his score to the unsold TV pilot THE UNKOWN, which aired as a classic episode of the famed TV series THE OUTER LIMITS entitled "The Form of Things Unknown". Much of the music in "The Unknown" would later show up in Frontiere's score to the television series THE INVADERS. www.lalalandrecords.com

Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack CD to THE COVENANT, Renny Harlin's thriller about a supernaturally-inclined youth gang. The CD includes songs from White Zombie, Killing Joke, Rod Zombie, and five tracks from TomAndAndy's underscore. www.lakescore-records.com

John Ottman (FANTASTIC FOUR) will score THE VISITING, the upcoming remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Malin Akerman. The film is a science fiction story about an alien epidemic and the fight to find a cure against it. Ottman, who recently left scoring duties on NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, also has FANTASTIC FOUR 2 in the pipeline. via filmmusicradio.com

Composer Aaron Zigman is in the middle of recording his score to New Line Cinema's THE MARTIAN CHILD, at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, CA. Directed by Menno Meyjes, the film is about a widower author (John Cusack) who adopts a son who believes himself to be from Mars. Zigman, who orchestrated the score along with Jerry Hey, conducted an 85-piece orchestra in during the morning session. The music was full of high emotion, with strong brass. In the afternoon, the orchestra was smaller, and the pieces recorded were soft and beautiful, with heavy strings accentuated with piano, harp and guitar. Full story and photos from the scoring session: www.soundtrack.net

Decca has released the song soundtrack to HOLLYWOODLAND, the story about the shooting death of George Reeves, the actor who played the title character in the 1950s TV series, THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. The album includes the SUPERMAN show theme and a variety of period 1950s pop and jazz standards. Varese Sarabande has released the score CD, a dramatic and powerful composition by newcomer Marcelo Zarvos.

Steve Porcaro, the composer who scored the Eddie Murphy action comedy METRO as well as TV series THE SENTINEL, has been hired to score COUGAR CLUB, an independent comedy directed by cinematographer and visual effects maestro Christopher Duddy. Duddy recently produced the horror film THE WIZARD OF GORE which also got a score by Steve Porcaro. COUGAR CLUB stars Jason Jurman and Warren Kole as two college graduates who starts a club of young men devoted to the older woman. 49-year old Steve Porcaro is perhaps best known as a keyboardist in pop group Toto. via filmmusicradio

Michael Giacchino (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3, THE INCREDIBLES, LOST) continues his work in television and interactive media. His latest television assignment is the new ABC series SIX DEGREES, starring Campbell Scott, Hope Davis and Erika Christensen. It premieres on September 21 and is produced by Giacchino's longtime employer J.J. Abrams (ALIAS, LOST, M:i:III). Giacchino is also returning to Electronic Arts' MEDAL OF HONOR computer game series and is doing the music for the new MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBOURNE entry. Giacchino did the scores for the first four MoH games. via filmmusicradio

And, speaking of Giacchino, the composer has stated to IGN.com that he has been brought on board as composer for STAR TREK XI, which is being helmed by his frequent director, J.J. Abrams: "Several online discussion forums, including the StarTrek BBS here at TrekWeb, have conducted casual opinion polls to speculate on who'll compose the soundtrack for J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK feature film. That score has now been settled, as the musical maestro was reportedly found at a LOST dvd release party, attended by IGN. The composer says he's just starting to think about his approach to the score for STAR TREK. "It's kind of on the distant radar," said Giacchino. "I know they're working on it. [But] it is so far away we haven't even discussed it yet." Giacchino is likely to extrapolate upon the musical themes in existing STAR TREK soundtracks. "I think that ultimately you might pick the theme that you think is the important one and utilize that in a certain way, and then go completely somewhere else with it," Giacchino said. "That would be I guess in the same way as MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE was fun like that, to take that and go somewhere wholly different with the score that the other two dudes didn't do. Not that it's better or worse but just different."

Via http://filmforce.ign.com

GAMES MUSIC NEWS

Film, television and game composer Garry Schyman has created a new, original score for the upcoming THQ Inc. sequel to the widely acclaimed hit DESTROY ALL HUMANS!® Developed by Pandemic Studios, DESTROY ALL HUMANS!® 2 is set in the 1960s and the game's music is drawn from scoring styles of that period. Schyman's musical influences for DAH 2 include John Barry's scores for the James Bond films of the 1960's as well as early Jerry Goldsmith and TV scores such as THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The 60-minute score was recorded with a live orchestra featuring some of the best A-list studio players in Hollywood. A limited soundtrack album release of Schyman's music will be available at Target with purchase of the game. A commercial release of the game's soundtrack including Schyman's score will also be available through Lakeshore Records.

Schyman, who also wrote the score for the first DESTROY ALL HUMANS! game (nominated for three G.A.N.G awards including Best Original Score), commented, "For DESTROY ALL HUMANS! 2 I immersed myself in the scoring of that period, listening to dozens and dozens of soundtracks from that time of many different genres. However, just as in the original DESTROY ALL HUMANS! was set in the 1950's, with DESTROY ALL HUMANS! 2 I never attempt to intentionally satirize the game experience with the score. Instead the humor comes from playing it dead straight and letting the irony of the 60's images, witty dialogue and straight orchestral scoring from the period create the fun."


Andrew Cheney, Lead Sound Designer for DAH 2, said, "We were looking for a perfect marriage between the alien theme from the first game and an updated feel of the new decade, the 60's. Garry hit this mark perfectly. His use of thematic elements throughout the score lends cohesion to the diverse atmospheres of DAH 2, but with unique twists and perfect understanding of the individuality of each site. Garry's score has an energy and excitement that truly captures the 60's without rehashing existing music."

Schyman concludes, "When you score a DAH 2 landing site set in Japan with an alien and a Godzilla-like monster you end up with some very exciting music! It was a blast to write and record this score. I have to thank Pandemic and THQ for making these amazingly entertaining games and letting me loose in a sandbox to have fun!"

Schyman recently signed to the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency and is currently scoring another highly anticipated video game title. For more information on the composer visit www.garryschyman.com.

Destroy All Humans! 2 is scheduled to release for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft on October 17, 2006. For more information on the game please visit www.destroyallhumansgame.com.





Former editor/publisher of CinemaScore magazine, Randall Larson was for many years senior editor for Soundtrack Magazine and a film music columnist for Cinefantastique magazine. He is the author of Musique Fantastique: A Survey of Film Music in the Fantastic Cinema (Scarecrow, 1984) and Music from the House of Hammer (Scarecrow, 1995). In addition to Soundtrax and Music News for Cinescape.com, Randall reviews soundtracks Music from the Movies, writes for Film Music Magazine, and in many other fields.

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