Deep Blue Sea

 

Deep Blue Sea (Original Motion Picture Score)

Music Composed by Trevor Rabin

Renovatio Records proudly presents you the score for Deep Blue Sea from composer Trevor Rabin. Deep Blue Sea is a thrilling action film mixed with a bit of horror and a bit of science fiction. Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) and starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgård and none other than Samuel L. Jackson, the 1999 movie features vicious mako sharks that have had their brain mass genetically altered by a group of scientists in hopes of securing a cure to Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, the sharks seem to have become a lot smarter than expected and they quickly revel against their human captors. If as a viewer you can shut off your brain and ignore the heavy religious undertones, the film being a cautionary tale with messages such as "don't mess with nature" and "science is our doom", Deep Blue Sea has plenty of action and entertainment to offer: from scenes involving giant sea waves and explosions, to nail-biting sequences in which sharks chase people through flooded corridors. Not to mention lots of blood and gore to satisfy shark-movie fans. All of this highlighted by former Yes guitarist Rabin's impressive score, who at the time was just fresh out of Armageddon and already starting to build his own fan base in the film scoring business.

As it could not be otherwise, Rabin resorted to synthesizers for much of the score of Deep Blue Sea, influenced mostly by the Hans Zimmer/Media Ventures sound that was so popular in blockbusters during the nineties. Rabin took an extra step, though, and added much emphasis on orchestral and choral elements to highlight the fantasy aspects of the story rather than the horror ones. This decision results in many harmonious moments and a substantial amount of thematic material. The score is dominated by two major themes, the primary theme being a majestic series of two four-note progressions, which is a heroic mix of strings and synths in Armageddon fashion, augmented occasionally by a grand choir that will certainly give listeners chills down their backs. This theme will quickly call your attention in the pounding non-stop action track "Death of Aquatica", but its best treatment can be heard in the form of two full ensemble performances in the track "Aftermath", a highlight not only of the score but of Rabin's entire career. The second main idea is an exciting series of two six-note progressions to represent the grandeur of the underwater facility in which the scientists operate. This theme appears during a fly-by sequence in "Journey to Aquatica", at the end of "Decoy" and gets a massive choral and orchestral performance at the end of "Death of Aquatica". Rabin also takes the time to throw in thematic ideas for some of the main characters, one being a tender piano motif for Burrow's character (best heard in "Susan Softens"), and the other one being a chilling theme for the shark themselves, which opens the score with "Main Title & Prologue" and makes its appearances throughout the film in effective Jaws fashion: whenever there's the feeling of the sharks being around just below the surface. In the last part of the track "Final Confrontation", you can hear an effective treatment of the shark motif merged with the primary main theme. The mixing of the music with the L.A. Master Chorale is astounding, especially in the shark attack sequences, which are certain to put your speakers to the test. Rabin's electronic work is quite astonishing as well, since the composer manages to embed many ocean-related sound effects in the score, in many instances resembling whale and dolphin vocalizations, buoy bells and underwater sounds.

The score was released in 1999 by Varèse Sarabande in the form of a short 30-minute album, that features some of the best moments of the score. Unfortunately, many parts of Rabin's work were left out. Renovatio Records has now put together this new presentation of the score, including more than 30 minutes of unreleased material and in chronological order, which is granted to satisfy not only Rabin's most avid enthusiasts but also those who have always felt indifferent to the South African composer' scores. You'll be in for a treat!

Track listing:
1. Main Title & Prologue (4:53)
2. Journey To Aquatica (3:54)

3. Life Underwater (1:51)
4. Hunting In Packs (1:42)
5. Decoy (5:47)
6. Experiment (4:30)
7. Death Of Aquatica (6:03)
8. Jim Returns (1:21)
9. Franklin's Demise (3:12)
10. Elevator Shaft (5:43)
11. Susan Softens (1:25)
12. Lab Attack (4:32)
13. Power Cable (3:55)
14. Back To The Surface (4:57)
15. Final Confrontation (6:25)
16. Aftermath (2:46)
17. Finale (1:06)

Total running time: 64:02

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Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Music by Ramin Djawadi

Renovatio Records' music cycle of scores for ocean-themed films continues with Pacific Rim! The 2013 science-fiction monster film, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi and Ron Perlman is set in a future in which Earth is at war with the Kaiju, colossal sea monsters that have emerged from an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To fight these monsters, humanity has created the Jaegers, gigantic humanoid mechas controlled by two co-pilots whose minds are joined by a mental link. While the script may be shaped like an average "humanity unites to fight extinction" tale, it cannot be denied that Del Toro's film is a feast for the eyes, with stunning visual effects and nail-biting action sequences. After all, what's not to like when a giant robot uses an oil tanker as a baseball bat to hit a massive monster?! 

Much of the film's enjoyment is due to its pounding score put together by Remote Control Productions veteran composer Ramin Djawadi, who was brought by Del Toro based on his work for Game of Thrones. Initially, film music enthusiasts may think that this is just another noisy blend of orchestra and electronics, but fortunately, Djawadi provided much more intelligence for this entry than for similarly conceived film projects. Of course, you'll find lots of synths and samples, and even the infamous Horn of Doom every once in a while, but Djawadi has taken the time to develop very enjoyable thematic material for many characters and situations, not to mention that the orchestra for this score consisted of over 100 musicians, including a Russian choir! The dominant idea for Pacific Rim is a rock guitar riff (awesomely executed by Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello) that sets the mood for the heroic main theme, first heard in its enterity in the cue "Gipsy Danger" and closing the score in the form of an end credits suite. This theme receives several treatments throughout the score, namely as the main driver for the action music, sometimes in the form of calm and solemn guitar solos (hear the cue "Raleigh", for instance), and in certain occasions as an adventurous yet nostalgic piece for humanity's fight against the creatures, best summarized in the cue "Cancelling the Apocalypse". But that's not all! The Kaijus themselves receive a threating motif in low brass that will certainly rock your house, best heard at the beginning of the rumbling cue "Leatherback Brawl". You'll also find a lovely and tender yet gloomy piece for the main female character, Mako Mori, which features the vocals of Priscilla Ahn ("Mako's Theme"). And besides all of these main ideas, Djawadi has also developed themes for several secondary characters, like a horn elegy motif for the dying Marshall Stacker Pentecost ("Last Man Standing"), a bouncy electronic theme for comic-relief Dr. Newton Geiszler ("The Bone Slums"), and a smoth ethnic blues-like piece for black marketer Hannibal Chau ("Finding Hannibal Chau"). Surrounding all of these highly enjoyable themes, you'll get tons of action music, which are quite distinct on its own. In a key fighting sequence ("Thundercloud Formation"), for example, Djawadi employs a Russian male choir for a Russian Jaeger as it joins the brawl between a Kaiju and a Chinese Jaeger, the latter represented by frenetic chants and taiko drummings. The result is a pounding non-stop action cue that will have you on the edge of your seat!

The score was released as an album in 2013 by WaterTower Music. While it effectively summarized some of the best parts of Djawadi’s score, the tracks were not in chronological order and presented in the form of very short cues entangled in a somewhat disrupting listening experience. This new presentation put together by Renovatio Records not only includes unreleased music but also organizes the cues in a much more fluent and cohesive progression that actually evokes the movie’s story and will hopefully make you appreciate Djawadi’s efforts even more.

Many film score traditionalists may label Pacific Rim as just another entry in a lengthy series of electric guitar-driven scores influenced by Hans Zimmer's mannerisms. However, Djawadi has thrown a remarkable amount of thematic development into the mix, constructing what may be the best score of his career so far. Go loud or go extinct!

Track listing:

1. Looking In The Wrong Direction (3:47)

2. Gipsy Danger (3:16)

3. Codename Knifehead (6:03)

4. Raleigh (1:05)

5. Where Would You Rather Die? (3:02)

6. Welcome To The Shatterdome (2:30)

7. Give Her A Shot (2:40)

8. Mako's Theme (5:29)

9. Last Man Standing (1:30)

10. The Bone Slums (1:42)

11. Finding Hannibal Chau (1:30)

12. Mako and Raleigh (2:39)

13. The Tennants Will Take Possession (2:05)

14. Double Event (2:00)

15. Thundercloud Formation (3:53)

16. Leatherback Brawl (3:47)

17. Hunting Otachi (2:17)

18. For My Family (1:04)

19. Still Not Over (2:10)

20. Cancelling The Apocalypse (3:34)

21. Underwater Fight (4:40)

22. Let's Finish This (3:31)

23. Into The Breach (3:21)

24. Finale (1:36)

25. Pacific Rim (4:57)

Total Running Time: 74:08

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Deep Rising

Deep Rising (Original Motion Picture Score)
Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith

Our next title for Renovatio Records’ ocean-related-films cycle is Jerry Goldsmith’s score for action horror comedy Deep Rising. The 1998 film, directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald, Kevin J. O’Connor, Wes Studi, Jason Flemyng and Djimon Hounsou is a tongue-in-cheek monster movie in which a group of mercenaries boards the luxury liner Argonautica with the plan of stealing its safes, only to find that all passengers have been killed by a huge octopus-like creature. They quickly realize that they’re stuck fighting for their lives as the creature's flesh-sucking tentacles swarm the flooded hallways of the cruise ship. While the film was met with very negative reviews, it cannot be denied that it’s a very enjoyable and thrilling ride from start to finish, and much of that is because of Goldsmith’s robust orchestral score.

The music for Deep Rising is the typical 90s Goldsmith action score, with big brass sections dominating the music and unnerving string passages following closely, all augmented by a loud electronic percussion and synthesized effects. Though the highlights can be found in the action music mostly, the most memorable cues certainly involve three distinct themes. The first theme opens the score with the track “Underwater Grave”, and it’s a very effective growling low-register brass descent composed for the menacing monster. The track quickly erupts into a heroic brass and electronic percussion theme, which was unused in the picture and reserved for the end credits only. And the third theme is an adventurous horns theme for Treat Williams' protagonist; this thrilling theme even receives a lovely lyrical treatment in the opening of “Mourning Leila”. And if all the bombastic action music throughout and these three themes are not enough for you, you’ll also find an enjoyable military motif for the heavily armed mercenaries in “Boarding the Ship”, as well as an intriguing small motif for harp, piano and flute for Janssen’s intrepid character. Goldsmith also takes some time to play around with electronics for the quieter suspense scenes, with pulsating electronics that will keep you at the edge of your seat until all hell breaks loose.

The score was released in 1998 by Hollywood Records in the form of a 33-minute album that merged several cues together and was missing some notable pieces of music, namely the majestic cue for the first sight of the Argonautica, as well as the monstrous treatment of the monster theme for the scene in which the creature is fully revealed at the end. In 2014, Intrada Records issued an expanded product with a running time of almost 70 minutes, which many film score enthusiasts found tedious and overlong. Renovatio Records proudly offers you a new presentation of the score that includes all of its highlights, making of it a wild, crazy and exciting experience as it was always meant to be. So sit back and enjoy Goldsmith mastering the genre and certainly putting your listening equipment to the test. Full brass ahead!

Track Listing:

1. Underwater Grave (2:40)

2. The Argonautica (1:32)

3. Coming From Below (4:20)

4. Boarding The Ship (3:46)

5. Stay Close (4:50)

6. Tentacles (5:11)

7. Underwater Attack (2:36)

8. Lurking Monster (2:47)

9. Wall Of Water (3:20)

10. Mourning Leila (1:41)

11. Jet Ski Chase (5:27)

12. Escape & Main Credits (2:57)

Total Running Time: 41:07

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