Cyberpunk gives composers great musical flexibility. Not only is “futuristic” sounding music appropriate, but so is contemporary and classical music. After all, cyberpunk is often a dark imagining of our current trajectory. Rory McFarlane, in his score for the UK release of Cyber City Oedo 808, takes full advantage of cyberpunk’s flexibility as he mixes ambient synth and fast-paced thrash and speed metal riffing.
The original score for Cyber City Oedo 808 was an overwhelmingly cheesy synth/pop/rock combination. It was incredibly hard to take seriously and clashed with the dark and gritty tone of the series. In short, it was an ill-fitting disaster. Fortunately, the UK re-release brought salvation in the form of a new score.
McFarlane uses ambient synth to build the atmosphere for Oedo, the dystopic future metropolis. The cold, dark, lifeless synths are reminiscent of those used in films like The Terminator, of technology run amok.
The highlight, and core, of the score is the pounding thrash/speed metal. There is nothing revolutionary about McFarlane’s metal: galloping palm muted chugging supporting crunchy lead riffs. But, while it may not go into the pantheon of great metal, it provides the perfect backdrop for exploding buildings, cyber vampires, and duels with eight-foot-tall cyborgs. Though the music may be dark, its persistent, infectious speed and rhythm causes an inevitable head bang and smile as the protagonist gives a witty quip before jumping into certain danger.
