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Your soundtrack discoveries of the last decade


Jurassic Shark

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Probably the best find was in my last year of high school in 2018, when I saw Francesco Rosi's Cronaca di una morte annunciata in Latino film class. The music by Piero Piccioni is truly a delightful exercise in drama, tragedy and romance. A bit of a shame a good chunk of the music wasn't in the film, given its over-reliance on a few key tracks. Also in just how obscure it is, since I can only find one LQ video on YouTube. Perhaps I should upload the full thing there.
 


Last year also had the rather overlooked The Kid Who Would Be King by Electric Wave Bureau. It's exactly how I think retro throwback soundtracks should be handled, and is a lot of fun. My last listen of it wasn't the best, but there was still quite a bit I did enjoy.
 

 

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I listen to some 300-500 new scores every year, in addition to archival releases and whatever I already have in my collection. So this task would be monumental. I've done 'top 10'  podcasts for each year since 2013, so you'll find some recent 'discoveries' there. BUT....I'm currently thinking about creating a top 100 of the 2010s, and publish it as a series of articles onI Celluloid Tunes. So I can chime back later, when this out.

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31 minutes ago, Thor said:

I listen to some 300-500 new scores every year, in addition to archival releases and whatever I already have in my collection. So this task would be monumental. I've done 'top 10'  podcasts for each year since 2013, so you'll find some recent 'discoveries' there. BUT....I'm currently thinking about creating a top 100 of the 2010s, and publish it as a series of articles onI Celluloid Tunes. So I can chime back later, when this out.

 

In the meantime, you could pick for example three discoveries that you'd like to share - it doesn't have to be the top recommendations.

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If I had to choose one score, from one film, then would be the soundtrack to BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, a film that has a sad, and poignant emotional resonance, with me.

The film (which is very well worth watching, btw), stars the ever-brilliant Toby Jones, and the score has its origins in all those '70s Italian horror flicks (think SUSPIRIA). The music (by Broadcast) is a throwback to the '70s, and it sounds like it could have written by Goblin. It's a weird and wonderful score. I recommend it.

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Several spring to mind, barring the usual suspects I would choose 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' for a more pop approach, 'Krampus' by Douglas Pipes for a more traditional approach, Justin Hurwitz' 'First Man' for a good modern blockbuster score, Austin Wintory's 'Strangely in Love' or 'The Rendezvous' as dark horses, and Hugo Montenegro's 'Hurry Sundown' (Intrada) for oldies.

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Here's some cool scores released throughout the last 10 years that I really liked at some point on the decade:

 

Jack the Giant Slayer - John Ottman

 

 

The movie is dreadful, and directed by a truly disgusting, vile person, but the score is certainly the best of Ottman's career. It really should have more fans.

 

Libertador - Gustavo Dudamel

 

 

An epic orchestral score, the likes of which are pretty rare these days. Dudamel is a talented composer and, with Williams' blessing, should've been scoring more movies.

 

The Monkey King - Christopher Young

 

 

China gave Chris Young the greatest opportunity he was not afforded to by Hollywood. I'm not a fan of OSTs whose tracklist is just a set of suites (actually, movies cues from all over the movie combined) centered around characters, but the material is wonderful.

 

Field of the Lost Shoes - Frederik Wiedmann

 

 

Beautiful American Civil War score. It would've been the successor of James Horner's Glory if it was more well known. For some reason, it's not on Spotify or YouTube, but if you can find it, it will worth it.

 

Stalingrad - Angelo Badalamenti

 

 

Another foreign country that gave a great opportunity for a Hollywood composer, Badalamenti wrote a wonderful score for this Russian film.

 

Capture the Flag - Diego Navarro

 

 

The finest James Horner impersonation I've ever heard is the track I just posted above.

 

Maurizio Malagnini - Peter and Wendy

 

 

Wonderful score. A serious case could be made about this being the best Peter Pan score of all time, surpassing even JNH's effort and Williams' Hook.

 

Many thanks to Jon Broxton. It was thanks to him that I discovered all of these great scores.

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3 hours ago, Edmilson said:

An epic orchestral score, the likes of which are pretty rare these days. Dudamel is a talented composer and, with Williams' blessing, should've been scoring more movies.

 

I used to own that, but sold it quickly because it was too boring. :)

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I guess is because the movie is more of a drama than an action epic a la Braveheart or Gladiator, or maybe the OST just didn't include them.

 

Either way, a very touching score.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting!

 

My discovery of the decade is without a doubt Stephen Oliver's score to Lady Jane, a collaborative release between Quartet Records and Tadlow Music. It's listed as out of print on Quartet's website, but it seems to still be in stock at Tadlow's site. Get it while you can!

 

It also has the best ever track named The Hunt!

 

 

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Olivier Deriviere's score for the game 'Remember Me': it's an interesting experiment in manipulating orchestral recordings to reflect the memory-altering abilities of the main character. Sometimes it sounds strange and abrasive, but for the most part there's some great textures and themes that always draw me back to it. I haven't played the game, but I don't care, I just like the music!

 

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REMEMBER ME is indeed interesting, although it's a bit of a hassle to get through. I actually hosted a panel/Q&A with Deriviere in Cannes in 2017 -- where we talk about this score, among other things. I know the conversation is supposed to be on Youtube somewhere, but I can't find it. Only pictures.

 

cannes17a.jpg

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8 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Interesting!

 

My discovery of the decade is without a doubt Stephen Oliver's score to Lady Jane, a collaborative release between Quartet Records and Tadlow Music. It's listed as out of print on Quartet's website, but it seems to still be in stock at Tadlow's site. Get it while you can!

 

It also has the best ever track named The Hunt!

 

 

 

Pity it doesn't seem to be available digitally :(

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11 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

This is one you should purchase.

 

I'd at least like to sample it first. If you had to compare it to something else that's similar, which score would it be?

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45 minutes ago, JTWfan77 said:

 

I'd at least like to sample it first. If you had to compare it to something else that's similar, which score would it be?

 

Didn't you listen to The Hunt that I posted? There's nothing like it that I know of. Perhaps a few cues remind a bit about Rota's Romeo & Juliet.

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4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Didn't you listen to The Hunt that I posted? There's nothing like it that I know of. Perhaps a few cues remind a bit about Rota's Romeo & Juliet.

 

I never know what's legal and what's not on YouTube (except for example, the stuff that is posted by record labels such as Universal Music and Walt Disney Records).

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1 hour ago, JTWfan77 said:

 

I never know what's legal and what's not on YouTube (except for example, the stuff that is posted by record labels such as Universal Music and Walt Disney Records).

 

It's probably not legal, but I doubt you'll be arrested for pushing play. :)

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  • 2 years later...

Sweet! I haven't been able to get anyone around here to take an interest in it. 

 

Resurrections is my next go to track to show off after First Steps

 

 

Though Starjump seems to be often cited as a highlight track elsewhere

 

 

 

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Robert Folk's score to Toy Soldiers - astonishing work. If ever there was a rate on a film composer doing overtime to lift up a film, it is here. Folk needs to be paid alongside the director here:

 

I have totally passed the Malagnini boat....I listened to his latest. Not impressed. His work sounds like TV scoring from the late 80s or early 90s. Not sure why that weird IMFCD>GFSH body of international 'critics' is so keen on him. Coppelia is an average score with a terrible use of synths from the Sopranos theme song - once you hear it, you can't undo it.

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2 hours ago, thestat said:

Not sure why that weird IMFCD>GFSH body of international 'critics' is so keen on him. Coppelia is an average score with a terrible use of synths from the Sopranos theme song - once you hear it, you can't undo it.

Yeah, I don't understand the hype for Coppelia either. I thought it was just an okay, but not a very memorable score. Seems that most film music critics are too easily convinced these days.

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