Playstack and Maze Theory’s 2019 game, Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, is virtual reality video game wherein ‘a new mysterious enemy threatens to tear apart the universe and only you can stop them!’ That’s a very high-tech, immersive sort of experience, whereas Demon Records’ release of Richard Wilkinson’s score is also immersive, but very much of a bygone era, given that it’s released as a double vinyl LP.
Given that Doctor Who is also a legacy product in its own right, having existed in as many form as the Doctor himself over the course of its nearly 60-year history, it only makes sense that Demon Records would continue to release all matter of the time-traveling, world-saving character’s on such a nostalgic format. However, as the Doctor has regenerated and re-imagined himself – now herself, courtesy of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, around whom The Edge of Time‘s adventures are based – so has the music of the series itself.
Notably, Wilkinson’s score does not feature the usual odes and tributes to the iconic Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire theme, which is as much of the show’s identity as the TARDIS and sonic screwdriver. In fact, the score for The Edge of Time reminds the listener of many different things. Much of the score is, as the composer himself noted, quite varied: “Percussion made from the actual TARDIS set, custom and vintage synths, solo cello and some fantastic orchestral players.”
While the various different sounds are intriguing, it’s when they all come together to create something unexpected that Wilkinson’s score really grabs the listener’s ear. Consumed by Vanity, which appears on the second side of the first LP, travels from violin to Cristobal Tapia de Veer skronky weirdness to loping reggae in the span of just over two and a half minutes, and it’s absolutely stunning. If nothing else, the score is worth owning for this one track. It’s that superlative, although the grand arrangement of Vanquish the First and the synthetic oddities of the three Dalek tracks are certainly worth hearing, as well.
The Dalek music is completely synthesized, making for a fantastic contrast with the sweeping orchestral work of something like The Doctor Triumphant. Incidentally, that track doesn’t appear on any of the digital versions of the score available on streaming services, only making its full score appearance on Demon’s double LP release, although it does omit the music for the game menu and the original launch trailer, but it’s a fair tradeoff.
The Doctor Who: The Edge of Time double LP is pressed on 140-gram coloured vinyl, with red for the first LP and purple for the second, with Side D featuring an etching of the Seal of Rassilon. It’s presented in a gatefold jacket, with printed inner sleeves. It sounds quite lovely, with a robust pressing that manages to deal with quite a lot of sonic differences.
