12 Neglected Soundtracks
Do you have Oscar Fever? Probably not if you're reading brainwashed.com, but once again Hollywood has managed to engage in their yearly ritual of televised autofellatio. Here we present to you our picks of soundtracks that have, as far as we know, have gone unrecognized in internationally broadcast award ceremonies.
12 Neglected Soundtracks
Alain Goraguer, "La Planète Sauvage"
Known in English-speaking countries as 'Fantastic Planet,' the sountrack from this highly acclaimed cult-classic cartoon film from 1973 is finally available. For any fan of the film, this is a -must have- as the music is spectacularly anthemic and seemingly timeless. As I was browsing aorund the Twisted Village here in Cambridge, I saw the recently arrive disc sitting on the counter, priced up and ready to hit the shelves. My jaw dropped and I had to walk away with it. Minutes later in Other Music, the crew found it fit for in-store play and I was in heaven.
The One Ensemble and Sarah Kenchington, "Dummy Jim"
I haven’t seen Dummy Jim yet, but if this soundtrack is any indication, it must be a truly unconventional and memorable film. With the aid of bizarre instrument builder Sarah Kenchington, Daniel Padden and his cohorts have created a kaleidoscopic collision of traditional Anglo-folk, free jazz, drone, and deep-seated eccentricity that sounds like absolutely no one else.
Angelo Badalamenti, "Twin Peaks Season Two And More"
Angelo Badalamenti is one of film and television's greatest composers, and his association with David Lynch over the past two decades has yielded some of the most haunting, beautiful, dark and unsettling soundtrack music ever produced. Of all these collaborations, arguably the finest is Badalamenti's music for the cult TV show Twin Peaks, and this disc finally collects all of the great music inexplicably left off of the heretofore released soundtracks for the series and its film prequel Fire Walk With Me.
Tuxedomoon, "Bardo Hotel"
While back in San Francisco after a lengthy self-imposed European exile, Tuxedomoon recorded these spontaneous compositions for a film loosely based on Brion Gysin’s novel The Last Museum. The result is an inspired and tantalizing album that thrives independently of its designation as a soundtrack.
Swans, "Soundtracks for the Blind"
I first heard Swans in 1997 when I bought Soundtracks for the Blind in a downtown Portland record store. I picked the album on the strength of the title, but mostly because it was erroneously filed in the “Gothic” section. Immediately after buying it, I went with my father on a trip to Central Oregon. I vividly remember looking out at the blasted volcanic desert along Highway 97 to the accompaniment of the noxious, churning guitar noise of “The Sound”. At the time, I had no idea that Swans were breaking up or that they had been playing music for as long I had been alive.
Matt and Bubba Kadane, "Hell House"
My one true test for any soundtrack or "music from" compilation is whether it can stand alone from the subject matter it was written for. Otherwise, it makes little sense to release it on its own, as the value of having "that music from that one scene" must be incredibly low. Enter the Kadane brothers' EP of music from the film Hell House, and for the most part they pass the test. Unfortunately, some of the tracks are just sketches — as they should be for a soundtrack — and do not blossom into full-fledged compositions.
John Hughes, "Scarlet Diva"
The man behind Slicker and Hefty Records steps out from his protective shell to produce one of the finest soundtracks I have personally heard in a while. Hughes has certainly expanded his range from what has been the electro punchiness of previous Slicker releases to a conceptual effort which encompasses various styles of retro-fitted pseudo-pop post-electronica jazz-influenced multi-instrumentalist filmscapes. After about four listens in a row, my only complaint is that it's TOO DAMNED SHORT!
"Musique Concrète Soundtracks To Experimental Short Films 1956-1978"
In the 21st century, audio preservation and restoration will become a hot topic. I believe it's going to be a struggle as copyright owners (both private and corporate) will be the main factors of letting musical works die. I fear history will only be recorded for the most popular icons of the most popular western music genres. Thankfully, there's a small number out there who aren't willing to accept that. These first three CDs in this series exemplify what I consider 'guerilla preservation'. The music that appears on these compilations has been mastered fro
