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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The Abyss

The Abyss (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed and Conducted by Alan Silvestri

Next release in Renovatio Records' music cycle for films that take place in underwater settings is Alan Silvestri's superb score for James Cameron's 1989 movie The Abyss. Following the successes of The Terminator and Aliens, Cameron's sci-fi film follows an underwater platform crew that is charged by the US government to find the whereabouts of a missing nuclear submarine. The crew, led by an estranged couple played by Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris, not only has to deal with an unstable and paranoid Navy SEAL Lieutenant (played brilliantly by Michael Biehn) but also with bizarre phenomena involving bright lights moving at great speeds and a water-formed tentacle that curiously inspects the rig. The team eventually discovers that the strange happenings are being produced by bio-luminescent beings living at the bottom of a nearby abyss. The film was a success both critically and financially, with much credit given to the groundbreaking visual effects (namely the incredible water tentacle scene) and Silvestri's score.

When scoring The Abyss, the soon-to-become A-list film composer already had a few hits in his résumé with the Back to the Future series and Predator. With The Abyss, Silvestri delivered one of his finest works in the 80's. The score can be split into three distinctive sections. One third is dominated by pulsing electronic rhythms and synthesizer effects along with minimal orchestral/choir writing to create an ominous atmosphere for the sea depths (tracks "Manta Ship", "The Pseuodopod" and "Lindsey Drowns" being the best examples in this album release). Another part involves a collection of bursting orchestral action cues with Silvestri's distinctive style, best found in the tracks "The Crane" and "Sub Battle". And finally, the highly-acclaimed third part, in which orchestra and choir come to the forefront, with the track "Bud On The Ledge" beginning a finale that many enthusiasts consider to be one of the most remarkable music sequences of the composer's entire career.

The score for The Abyss was released on CD and LP by Varèse Sarabande at the time the film was released, containing the most important moments of Silvestri’s work. However, the album's listening experience was disrupted by a few out-of-place musical inclusions and a poor editing when combining cues together, which left collectors fully enjoying and thus praising only the last three choral and orchestral tracks. In 2014, the same label released an expanded 2-CD version of the complete score, with 45 minutes of new music, along with a dozen of demo cues, alternates and bonus tracks. This was a solid full presentation of the score, but the majority of the music can be categorized as ‘more of the same’, making it quite difficult to enjoy the edition from beginning to end. Now Renovatio Records has rearranged the composer's score into an album that offers a balanced listening experience to keep the listener engaged from start to finish. Take a new leap into The Abyss and let yourself be caught once more into the deep complexities of one of Silvestri's most fondly remembered scores!

Track Listing:

1. Opening Titles (0:37)

2. Search The Montana (3:42)

3. The Crane (3:26)

4. Manta Ship (6:22)

5. The Pseudopod (5:34)

6. Coffey (3:50)

7. Sub Battle (5:14)

8. Leap Into The Abyss (4:42)

9. Lindsey Drowns (4:13)

10. Resurrection (1:50)

11. The Only Way (4:52)

12. Bud On The Ledge (3:14)

13. Back On The Air (1:37)

14. Finale (6:28)

Total Running Time: 55:41

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Sphere

Sphere (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by Elliot Goldenthal

Here at Renovatio Records, we are pleased to announce that we are starting a music cycle! The theme for this cycle is scores for films that take place in underwater settings. When putting together our list, we found ourselves rediscovering some forgotten gems. One of these gems is undoubtedly Elliot Goldenthal's under-estimated score for the 1998 sci-fi thriller Sphere, directed by Barry Levinson and starring an ensemble cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Liev Schreiber, Queen Latifah and Peter Coyote. The film, based on a novel by author Michael Crichton, involves a group of intellectuals summoned by the U.S. government after discovering a supposedly alien spacecraft at the bottom of the ocean. When investigating the remains of the ship they make contact with a mysterious golden sphere that puts their perception of reality in question. Despite its intriguing and original plot, the film did not meet critical nor financial expectations and was soon left in oblivion. Something similar could be said about Goldenthal's score, which was released by Varèse Sarabande in the form of a very short album. This was caused by the fact that Goldenthal recorded half of the score in New York and the other half in Los Angeles. Therefore, due to re-use fees, the composer and the label had to choose one of the two sets of recordings for the album. They eventually decided that the music from the New York recordings was more interesting, but this meant that a great amount of highlights were left out of the release. This was of course not received very well by film music aficionados, who went on to flag the score as unoriginal, predictable and as an overall difficult listening experience due to some forced track edits and merges.

For this Renovatio Records release, we were able to find all the music Goldenthal composed for the music and we put it together in an album presentation that will certainly give film music fans the opportunity to appreciate the composer's unique and usual techniques used in the film. In Sphere, you'll find a very busy brass section, with shrieking horns and frenetic trumpets, as well as the composer's regular use of dissonant strings, piano solos, harmonic passages, electronic sound designs and adagios and crescendos reminiscent of Alien 3. A leitmotif can also be identified for the sphere itself in the form of an ascending six-note theme that dominates the score right from the "Main Titles" onward. The awesome gift that the otherworldly object provides to the main characters, allowing them to manifest their dreams, is also treated with a magical orchestral theme led by strings that explodes in some key scenes, as when the team of scientists approaches the spacecraft, stressing with great narrative effect the sphere's desire to be found. This cue was not present in the original album and you can find it here for the first time in the track "Habitat Arrival". Also worth noticing is a gentle and eerie piano motif that ominously suggests the dangers of giving the human mind the power to make our dreams become real (hear "Formidable Monster" and "Manifest Fire"). Goldenthal also managed to develop tremendous action pieces with a forceful orchestra that will put your speakers to the test. This score deserves a second chance and we can guarantee that you won't be disappointed again!

Track Listing:
1. Main Titles (2:51)
2. Andante (2:31)
3. Helicopter to Ship (2:39)
4. Habitat Arrival (2:30)
5. Life Underwater (1:25)
6. Visit to a Wreckage (4:20)
7. The Cockpit (2:11)
8. Discovery of the Sphere (3:18)
9. Harry Enters the Sphere (4:38)
10. Jellyfish (2:56)
11. The First Exchange (3:37)
12. Formidable Monster (4:08)
13. Battle Stations (3:58)
14. Manifest Fire (3:43)
15. Beth (4:04)
16. My Name is Harry (3:18)
17. Manifest³ (3:43)
18. To the Surface (2:11)
19. The Gift (1:43)

Total Running Time: 58:51

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