August slowed down slightly in terms of excellent film scores, but this doesn’t mean much: it’s still filled with some great music across a variety of genres (though this write-up, incidentally, seems to focus almost exclusively on the strange and the experimental! As always, if you think I’ve missed any scores from this month (or any past months), leave a comment or get in touch and I’ll check them out!
As has been the trend for this year, there have simply been too many excellent scores for me to do even these brief writeups on (not to mention the difficulty it trying to keep track of them all!). The upside, of course, is there’s a ton of great music! Make sure to scroll to the end of this article for a list of even more August scores to check out!
Have a quick read about each of these excellent scores below then be sure to give them a listen. Be sure to see what other scores you may have missed by reading past editions of this column. In addition, make sure to listen to my podcast episode where I give a quick rundown of some of the most notable scores of July, August, and September (in case you prefer audio or want a broader survey).
Candyman – Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Interview)
When an older film with a notable score is remade or receives a long-awaited sequel, one question often arises: will the new score continue with what came before or strike off on its own? In Candyman, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe takes a middle route, respecting Philip Glass’s prior work while creating something completely unique. Lowe keeps the memorable “Music Box”/“Helen’s Theme” melody, but mars its gothic elegance with an ugliness and a nauseating cloud of sound. It’s a welcome connection, hinting immediately that the world has continued to decay since the 1992 original. But Lowe’s score is not all homage. The majority is a slow, gnawing drone keen to devour all it can. In some ways this constant noisy aura makes the original theme even more frightening, like a façade has been removed revealing a brutal horror underneath.
Editor’s Note: I recently had the opportunity to join Sideshow Sound Theatre’s Track Swap podcast to talk about Glass’s score to the original film. Check it out.
Cryptozoo – John Carrol Kirby (Review)
Despite working with some of the biggest music artists around, I was unfamiliar with John Carrol Kirby. This was, of course, before I heard his score for Cryptozoo. Through hints of early-electronic influences Kirby sends us on an odyssey of enrapturing psychedelia. It’s quickly become not only one of my favorite scores of the year, but one of the most exciting; a piece of music unabashedly enthusiastic about reveling in its weirdness. That this is only Kirby’s second feature score makes Cryptozoo all the more impressive.
Beckett – Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Beckett was another great surprise of the month, though for a different reason. On its face, the film looked like a relatively standard action-thriller, so I expected a straightforward score as well. But, with Sakamoto at the helm, I should have known better. Instead, it’s almost all noisy, experimental, and formless, with elements of jazz and a heavy percussive overtone. At times it seems to eschew any semblance of music, embracing entropy and devolving into some shapeless void.
Ma Belle, My Beauty – Mahmoud Chouki
On the other end of the spectrum is Ma Belle, My Beauty by master guitarist Mahmoud Chouki. Classical guitar drives the score, giving it a colorful, lush sound and a constant stream of vibrant energy. With both tender intimacy and erupting passion, Ma Belle, My Beauty makes its listener also long for a romance in the south of France.
A Few More Scores
As sometimes happens, too many good scores released in August for me to cover! Check the rest of them out:
- The Suicide Squad – John Murphy (review)
- Louloute – Frederic Alvarez
- The Stairs – BC Smith
- Flag Day – Joseph Vitarelli
- The Night House – Ben Lovett (review)
- To Tokyo – Trevor Jones
- The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf – Brian D’Oliveira
- The Red Orchestra – Eloi Ragot
- Drive My Car – Eiko Ishibashi (review; Interview)
