Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email


2016 July 25 • Monday

For the 423rd Soundtrack of the Week we have a double feature CD: John Douglas's score for Crack in the World and Brian Gascoigne's music for Phase IV.

Crack in the World has one of those classic "movie" scores that give you an idea of what's most likely happening in the movie even if you haven't seen it. Main title, development of plot, introduction of characters, love them, discovery, menace, action, consideration of options...

The actual music is very effective, dividing the orchestra into different voices that tell a story together and then bringing the whole group crashing into a cue together.

The music from Phase IV is presented as four suites, most interesting in its use of electronic instruments, which frequently represent the horror of a mutant ant army taking over the world.

While the electronic sections are the strongest parts of the score, the music with more conventional instrumentation serves as excellent dramatic underscore.