Thursday 14 March 2024

Peter Bernstein & Mark Goldenberg - Silent Rage ost


[1982]
Quite possibly the best 80s electronic theme tune. There's just something about it. An intangible essense of the groovy yet haunted variety. A meticulously crafted tenebrous synth score yet somehow also jaunty. Uncanny. 

Hauntology fans take note, this could be a blueprint for several Ghostbox artists. 
 

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Drew King & Peter Jermyn - Siege OST


[1983]
Great thick synthetic textures of dystopian sound. The real futuristic bad vibes. This is not a lost future. It's the sound of a future they didn't cancel: Our current deranged state of affairs.  

Sunday 10 March 2024

Jonathan Newton - Unhinged OST


Surely the holy grail of never released horror synth scores. This 1982 score is post-Carpenter synthetic slasher-core with haunting wonky pitched radiophonic synths, unhinged analogue cues and menacing stings.


That melancholic glinting analogue sound so beloved by The Radiophonic Workshop, Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada and their hauntological offspring Belbury Poly, Advisory Circle etc. 


Since the dawn of the sharing mp3 files via blogs thing in the 00s, fans have been putting together their own versions of the Unhinged soundtrack. It's a mystery that the cult Unhinged score has never been commercially released. 

Jonathan Newton aka Jon Newton only ever did a handful of scores and guess what? He went on to be a music professor teaching at Portland Uni. 

Saturday 9 March 2024

Just Before Dawn - Brad Fiedel


Getting a bit more esoteric here in the electronic horror film scoring. Fiedel would later become famous for his Terminator score a few years later. On this 1981 score for Just Before Dawn the synth action is just one aspect alongside industrial, new age, field recording, pre-hypnagogic sleazoid new wave and whatever else.  

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Blood Rage - Richard Einhorn


More 80s synth horror soundtrack goodness. Richard Einhorn is an award winning symphonic record producer but is known around my house for composing legendary electronic horror scores to Don't Go In The House (1980) and Shock Waves (1977) amongst others. The 1983 Blood Rage score however has never been released.


[Added Entry 9/3/24]
A longer and better sounding selection of music from Blood Rage. 

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Theme from C.H.U.D. - Cooper Hughes


(1984)
More 80s synth-y soundtrack goodness. Back in the 00s you could only get like a 13 minute fan-made mp3 download of this soundtrack but a few years back it got the deluxe trendy coloured vinyl reissue  treatment. Theme From C.H.U.D. is an absolute peak of very tasty post Tangerine Dream/John Carpenter synthetic film scoring. What a cracking tone they create here. Cooper Hughes wasn't one dude it was two dudes: Martin Cooper and David A Hughes who If I recall correctly were both in OMD's live line-up for a while. 

Sunday 25 February 2024

Code of Silence - David Michael Frank


More great 80s sumptuous (or is that sickly) synth-y soundtrack gold from films I've never seen. This is another score that I can't believe hasn't been reissued by one of these trendy coloured vinyl reissue soundtrack labels. The evocative synthetic sound of David Michael Frank conjures the grain of vhs, the seedy strangeness of straight to video movies and now the general vibe of life before the internet and the second wave of internet's (social media, wi-fi, i-phones) subsequent destruction of the fabric of society but ironically could be the soundtrack to this actual dystopia.

Tuesday 20 February 2024

Bloodsport Soundtrack - Finals - Paul Hertzog


More synth-y soundtracking from the films I've never seen. This mysterious Paul Hertzog fella only did a handful of scores. 1988's Bloodsport was his second after the legendary My Chauffeur in 1986. Who knows what he did after the early 90s. I'm guessing since this synth-y style of soundtracking became unfashionable he probably ended up in education like the rest of us. Still you'd think some of these 21st century directors with a penchant for 80s sounds would have tracked him down to give their retro movie that authentic 80s feel but it seems after his excellent 1991 score for Breathing Fire he disappeared completely from the music and film industry.  

Monday 19 February 2024

Eye for an Eye Theme · William Goldstein


Futuristic saxophone synth-y goodness with added fretless bass. Many of the best soundtracks are for movies you don't know or care about.

Sunday 18 February 2024

Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Jackie Blue


Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Jackie Blue (1975)
Timeless one hit wonder here in Australia and still occasionally heard on golden oldies radio. The guitar in this is just divine here as is the entire arrangement on this sweet luxurious soft-rock jam. 


[Added Entry]
Old Grey Whistle Test 26/3/76
Me old mate Retina Soup recommends this version in the comments and he's right as these guys are totally peaking here in a laid back, funky in the pocket manner. Masterful.