Review Category: Audio

DALEK TERROR

Released in support of the first of this year’s Record Day celebrations, Dalek Terror is a gorgeously retro and hugely collectible two-disc set from Demon Music Group. Two beautifully presented vinyl records gather together several stories and features from the classic World Distributors’ Dalek Annuals issued during what might be called the ‘second wave of Dalekmania’ in the 1970s narrated by – inevitably – Dalek voice actor Nicholas Briggs and several other alumni from the world of the TV show itself.

The stories themselves – culled from previously released CD collections – are the wonderfully creaky and hokey space opera stuff that Dalek creator Terry Nation excelled in, shamelessly unsubtle and naïve adventure stories in which square-jawed heroes wage a war against the relentless advance of the mighty Dalek empire. ‘Terror Task Force’, read by Briggs, sees the establishing of the ADF – Anti-Dalek Force – a military fighting elite set up to lead the charge against the Daleks. In this first story, they launch a surprise attack on the Dalek homeworld of Skaro. Later stories include all hallmarks familiar from any number of Nation TV scripts – races against time, escapes and captures, bomb countdowns. It’s all wonderfully simplistic and one-note but great fun, largely thanks to straight-faced vocal performances from Briggs, classic series actors Louise Jameson and Matthew Waterhouse, and comic actor/impressionist (and Who superfan) Jon Culshaw. Waterhouse does a particularly good job bringing to life the rather chilling ’Nightmare’ from the 1976 Dalek Annual with its gruesome body horror storyline that echoes the likes of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. Also included on the discs are several of the ‘supporting features’ from the Annuals, fruitily narrated and exploring the anatomy of the Daleks, the ‘genius’ of the Dalek race, and an amusing piece that compares Skaro timelines with Earth timelines and suggests that the Daleks have been interested in and influencing life on Earth far longer than we might have suspected.

The content is great fun but what really makes Dalek Terror a collector’s item is the gorgeous packaging. A lurid cover depicting two Daleks in full battle mode opens up into a gatefold illustration of the Dalek city on Skaro and the two albums themselves are sheathed in sleeves which again illustrate the Daleks in action and the credits and references for the stories themselves. The ultimate selling point is likely to be the two discs that are presented in glorious “extermination splatter” yellow and red vinyl and look both outlandishly hideous and absolutely beautiful at the same time. A terrific collectible still available online and well worth tracking down even if you’re likely to spend more time looking at it than listening to it.

FARGO [OST]

Low tones, drones, and other sounds suited for tickling the back of the listener’s neck, ever-so-slightly raising one’s hackles, are the name of the game here. Given the numerous lies, deceptions, and machinations at play during the first season of FX’s Fargo, one can’t be surprised that Jeff Russo’s score plays it equally close to the vest, rarely if ever stepping out for any grandiose music statements. This is mournful, laden with violin and other bowed strings.

Fargo is dark, dark, dark, moody, and then, BAM! – “Malvo’s Theme,” a still-moody, yet nevertheless jazzy piece which uses just a hint of xylophone to offer up the maddening whimsy atop Billy Bob Thornton’s mysterious character. It’s immediately followed by the hi-hat and tom workout which is “Wrench and Numbers,” before returning to the menacing tones which otherwise pervade Russo’s score.

Interestingly enough, it’s only when Malvo comes onto the scene that the strings are plucked, rather than bowed, which keeps the score within a certain milieu, while still differentiating between our villain and all the other characters. The sound of a plucked upright bass is so readily, jazzily indentifiable, the menace is instantly recognizable. Were that brass made more than the rare appearance they do, because although the woodwinds are rather pleasant, a bit of high-toned trumpet does give things a much-needed energetic kick in the pants.

Music on Vinyl‘s reissue of their original 2014 Fargo soundtrack release is limited to 666 copies on green vinyl because, “Did you know the human eye can see more shades of green than any other colour?” It included an insert with wonderful stills of all the main characters from the show’s main characters. The resulting package, coming as it does on the heels of Fargo‘s fourth season, has us champing at the bit to go back and revisit the show from the beginning.

NIGHTMARE CITY [OST]

Unavailable on vinyl since its original Cinevox release in 1980, Stelvio Cipriani’s score for Nightmare City, also known as Incubo sulla città contaminata, has been given a deluxe double LP release from Death Waltz Recording Co. Pressed to 140-gram “Contamination Green” wax, this expanded edition goes far beyond the original eight cues on the original version, which ran a scant 23 minutes.

This new edition features 18 additional tracks, heretofore only available on Digitmovies’ 2013 compact disc reissue. Death Waltz’s double LP presents the original soundtrack release as the first LP, with the second chockablock with alternate tracks (including seven versions of “Incubo” and two takes on the main theme, “L’attesa”).

Sister Hyde’s artwork ably conveys Rendezvous DJ Alfonso Carrillo obi notes, wherein he refers to Nightmare City as a “radioactive contaminated zombie (?) film,” because maybe the creatures onscreen in Umberto Lenzi’s madhouse of a film are and maybe they aren’t. Hugo Stiglitz never seems to find out, and given the film’s notoriously cyclical ending, neither does the viewer.

It’s apt, then, that the listener is given so many options for alternate takes on the second LP, as it allows for aural glimpses into other ideas regarding the tone of the picture. Interestingly enough, the two alternate versions of “Una città deserta” are “Virus Mortale” and “Ombre Nel Buio,” which translate into “deadly virus” and “shadows in the dark,” respectively, making it a toss-up as to which particular kind of film this could be.

The disco-lite tracks like “Masquerade” and Grace Jones’ “I’ll Find My Way to You” are light and fun, though stereotypical of most Italian gut-muncher scores of the period, and fine, but it’s the bass-and-organ-heavy groove of “Incubo,” the flute-laden hauntingness of “Una notte pericolosa,” or the dirge of “L’attesa” which more ably capture the nightmarish qualities of Nightmare City.

Nevertheless, whether one prefers disco or dirge, Stelvio Cipriani’s score for Nightmare City is an absolute necessity for any horror fan’s record collection, and there’s no more complete recording than this one. With robust sound, wherein the bass really hits hard, it sounds great while also looking like the stereo has been irradiated.

JUDGE DREDD: AMERICA (FULL CAST AUDIO BOOK)

PUBLISHER: PENGUIN AUDIO AND REBELLION PUBLISHING| RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

America is broadly considered to be one of the key stories in the Judge Dredd cannon. The majority of Judge Dredd stories tend to be action-packed adventure tales that tend to sweep the harsh reality of Dredd’s post-apocalyptic fascist world to one side. Instead they tend to focus on one thing to examine and parody. Conversely, America is a meditation on the nature of law and justice and one of the more cerebral Dredd stories, which explains why Penguin Audio and Rebellion Publishing have turned it into a full cast audio book.

Judge Dredd: America eschews the usual tales of reality hopping horrors, weird telepathic children and crazy citizens in favour of a tale about the consequences of power and the cost of justice. In the world of Judge Dredd, the USA is long gone, replaced by places such as Mega City One. The city’s judges are also the jury and executioner and they rule with an iron fist. America explore’s Mega City One’s Democratic movement; a team of men and women who want to subvert the harsh control of the Judges and replace it with something saner.

The pace is both slow and brutal. We don’t meet the titular character, a pro-Democracy advocate called America Jara until we are well into the story. The narrative itself is about as subtle as a tonne of bricks, but at its core, this is a story about how a society governs itself and the sacrifices it’s willing to make. It is a tale that will always be relevant, no matter what is happening in the news today.

It’s a very solid production. Joseph Fiennes puts in a powerful performance as Dredd here, though he’s leaning on the ‘Dirty Harry’ interpretation of the character rather than something gruffer and more heroic. It’s a strong take but it does take a little getting used to. Becca Stewart is brilliant as America and Paterson Joseph’s narration keeps the narrative going throughout.

This is a solid adaptation of a classic Judge Dredd and if you haven’t had a chance to read the comic, this is well worth a listen.

SLAINE THE HORNED GOD (FULL CAST AUDIO BOOK)

PUBLISHER: PENGUIN AUDIO AND REBELLION PUBLISHING| RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

2000AD’s biggest contribution to the fantasy genre is Sláine, a reworking of various Celtic myths mixed with various barbarian hero tropes. This muddy take on the swords and sorcery genre started out as a pretty straight-forward homage to the likes of Conan but over the years evolved into something with a lot more depth and engagement. The Horned God is considered one of the best stories in the Sláine cannon, as it brings together many of the elements that have made this series endure for decades. This probably explains why Penguin Audio and Rebellion Publishing have given it the full cast audio treatment.

The story brings together multiple plot threads from earlier books and sees Sláine as a king. He only has seven years before he is ritually returned to the Earth and his goal is the defeat the festering corruption that threatens his lands, namely in the form of Lord Weird Slough Feg, a crazed death worshipping demi-god. Sláine must bring together powerful treasures to defeat this darkness.

Writer Pat Mill’s is quite correctly regarded as one of the industry’s legends and his work is well known for its solid approach to social and political commentary. However, in the case of Slaine, the comic strip has always hinged on amazing fantasy art. After all, you can’t have a barbarian fantasy without bulging muscles and gore, and graphic novel version of the Horned God heavily relied on Simon Bisley’s striking and exaggerated art to tell the more exciting parts of the story.

As the audio has to rely heavily on Mill’s writing, this means that much of the writer’s excesses are very obvious to the listener. The Horned God becomes a very straight-forward subversion of the usual male power fantasy this sort of story tends to be. Sláine is not only fighting Feg and his corrupt forces, but also toxic masculinity and the clichés that drag fantasy stories down.

This adaptation is very faithful to the original work, and as such, Mill’s urge to break the fourth wall and tell the reader exactly what he’s doing is all the more obvious here. It’s not enough to break down the structure of myth and deconstruct the male gaze, the listener is explicitly told this is going on. Without Bisley’s art to run interference, this is all the more apparent and a little draining in places.

Fortunately, the actual audio production more than makes up for it. Colin Morgan is brilliant as the brutal yet cunning Slaine, but it’s Gerry O’Brien who steals the show as Ukko the Dwarf. Much of the narration is told in Ukko’s croaky and knowing tones and O’Brien nails the humour of the character every time. Gemma Whelan is also a delight in her various roles, as is Ayoola Smart. The soundscape for the various battles is appropriately epic and though the music and effects don’t quite capture Bisley’s art, they have a very good try.

At its heart, this is a solid fantasy tale that is well worth a listen. We would love to see audio and visual combine to turn Sláine into a truly epic spectacle some day, but right now, this epic audio hits the spot.

THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES: COMPLETE EDITION (AUDIO BOOK)

PUBLISHER: PENGUIN AUDIO AND REBELLION PUBLISHING| RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Ballad of Halo Jones is considered one of Alan Moore’s best sci-fi tales, so it was perhaps inevitable that Penguin Audio and Rebellion Publishing would pick this popular story as one of the first 2000AD graphic novels to get an audio book treatment.

It is the tale of Halo, a young 50^th Century woman trapped in generational unemployment on an Earth that has become ruined thanks to hyper-capitalism and war. The story begins with Halo being presented as one of history’s legends; a Robin Hood or Dick Turpin like figure for whom the legends never stop. The truth is much more fantastic and mundane. Halo is an ordinary woman who became part of extraordinary things.

The comic strip has been collected into a graphic novel format many times since its original run, and though Alan Moore’s writing is incredibly strong, the story owes an awful lot of Ian Gibson’s art; his smooth lines and eye-catching art builds Halo’s gritty and failing world; so the challenge here was how does one tell such an obviously visual story as a full-cast audio drama. The result is simply stunning.

The answer was to through an awful lot of very good voice talent at the production. Sheila Atim completely nails the role, bringing Halo’s humanity to the forefront of the drama. Halo is just a girl in a world bigger than she can ever be and Atim gets the voice and strength of the character perfectly. The production and flow of the story is brilliantly done and this is easily one of the best adaptations of the story we’ve ever seen.

They are a handful of highly visual moments that are handled very well by the sound design and acting, though those familiar with the text may find the pay-off in these moments less powerful. Such is the cost of relying purely on audio to tell the story.

The story originally appeared in the pages of the Galaxy’s Greatest comic, 2000AD way back in 1984. This more considered and steady tale is widely cited as one of the stories that took 2000AD away from being a collection of power fantasies for an adolescent audience and into the realms of something more memorable. Halo Jones is a story that everyone should experience and if you’re simply not a comic book reader (and you missed the stage play), then now is your chance to discover this science fiction classic.

JUDGE DREDD – THE PIT

If The Cursed Earth was Judge Dredd as Mad Max, and The Apocalypse War his big, uh, apocalyptic war story, then The Pit is The Wire, or as close to it as Dredd stories get. The disgraced Sector House 301 is a simmering cauldron of vice, corruption and seediness… and that’s just the Judges. Enlisted to whip the misfit Judges of ‘the Pit’ into shape, Dredd comes down on the gang hard, as their new Sector House chief.

Joseph Fiennes is Judge Dredd in this audio adaptation of the Mega-epic (one of the longest in the character’s history), narrated by Paterson Joseph, and featuring a full supporting cast. Listeners lose out on Carlos Ezquerra’s magnificent illustration, but audio is an ideal medium for John Wagner’s blunt brute-force writing. The Pit clocks in at 140 minutes, but speeds along at a tremendous rate, barely stopping to breathe. That’s life in the Pit.

It takes a while to get settled. The biggest sticking point is Fiennes’ Judge Dredd – a softer-spoken, more temperate version of the lawman than we’ve encountered before. Audiences will adjust eventually (especially with Fiennes also starring in Penguin’s America adaptation) but there’s never a time that he doesn’t feel faintly miscast. He’s essentially fienne(s), but no Dredd.

But, as he is in America, Dredd is more supporting character than lead protagonist. The Pit is an ensemble story, populated with some of the most colourful characters ever to don a Judge’s uniform. Some are more rounded than others, but everyone gets their moment to shine… or otherwise. As they always have, Judges Priest and Struthers steal the show, but it also serves as a fine introduction to breakout characters like DeMarco and Guthrie.

While it boasts an impressive cast and special effects, fans of the Big Meg may find this visit to the Pit to be less immersive than they had hoped for. There’s a surprising lack of ambient noise to Mega City One’s most crime-ridden sector, leaving the cast sounding like they’re acting in a vacuum. Regardless, this audio adaptation is a strong showcase for one of the lawman’s most underrated storylines. Fans of both the character and audio drama should enjoy its intricate plotting, high production values and sharp writing. For better and worse, The Pit has never been so clean.

ALICE IM WUNDERLAND OST

In September of 2010, Berlin’s Private Records launched with a repress of Christian Bruhn’s 1986 soundtrack to the animated series Captain Future. A decade into the label’s history, they return to Bruhn’s music, with his score for Alice Im Wunderland. Much as Captain Future was the European dub of a Japanese anime, so does Alice Im Wunderland translate Fushigi no Kuni no Alice into German and – like that first Private Records release – change the soundtrack into something new.

Bruhn’s music here is considerably more disco than once might expect for an anime series from the mid-’80s, and especially one that adapts Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel fairly true to the time period in which it was originally written. It’s burbling disco rhythms and faux synthesised horns all the way, and feels very upbeat and positive.

The theme song flirts with Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Tweedlee Dee and Tweedlee Dum comes close to ABBA’s Gimme Gimme Gimme, placing Bruhn’s score squarely in the midst of the ’80s European pop sound. Fans of the composer’s work on Captain Future will find much to enjoy here, even though it’s definitely goofier than that previous release.

Given the series’ more childlike qualities, the music is a perfect fit, but one’s ability to appreciate cheese will define their ability to enjoy Bruhn’s score. The title song, sung by Lady Lily – aka Bruhn’s then-wife, Erika – is a real highlight, and was also released as the B-side to her 1984 single, Patrik Pacard, the theme song to another television series which ran on Germany’s ZDF. It’s a bright and joyous tune, as if someone had done a disco remix of Limahl’s The NeverEnding Story. The sheen of ’80s kid’s entertainment is all over it, and that’s a good thing.

The rest of the music is entertaining, but again – it’s a little childish and cheesy. However, those who enjoy vintage computer game scores will find much to enjoy in the silly vintage synth sounds on display throughout Bruhn’s music.

The Alice Im Wunderland cover artwork draws from the show’s animation, and is as bright and vibrant as the music itself. The vinyl is a limited edition of 100 copies on translucent red with black splatter, which looks and sounds pretty solid, although one would expect it to be more of a pink and yellow hue, in order to be better pair with the album jacket.

ENNIO MORRICONE THEMES: PASSION

Begun in May of 2020, At the Movies’ series of Ennio Morricone thematically-themed collections reached its conclusion at the end of January 2021. Just in in time for Valentine’s Day comes Theme V: Passion, a collection that once again reminds us that everything in Italian life is approached with gusto, energy, and passion.

Never has there been a finer collection of tracks with which to woo the film lover in your life, as Passion not only pulls from some of the Maestro’s lesser-known works, but ones that reflect a central theme of music for the heart, written from the heart. While there are many of the songs come from comedies movies such as A Lydia from 1968’s Scusi, Facciamo l’Amore? (Listen, Let’s Make Love) or the theme to 1979’s Viaggio con Anita (Lovers And Liars), Passion also finds romantic themes in everything from the Gothic horror of 1965’s Amanti d’Oltretomba (Nightmare Castle) to the giallo of 1971’s The Cat O’ Nine Tails and 1972’s Cosa Avete Fatto a Solange? (What Have You Done to Solange?).

It really demonstrates just how ably Morricone can find delicate moments or a great, sweeping melody within even splatter scenes of brutal crime that drama, horror, and comedy all sit side-by-side on this double LP compilation. The beauty of these tracks is what really shines through, and while there might be the occasional moment of melancholy, they are counterbalanced by tracks that manage to evoke some hip shakes or erotic moods.

Passion is a limited edition of 3000 copies on pink and purple marbled 180-gram vinyl, each individually numbered. As with the four prior instalments, included is a four-page insert with Claudio Fuiano’s liner notes. Each of the other Themes records have featured a special spot-varnish image on the cover, but this one goes even further, as the gatefold sleeve’s lips are an eye-catching diamond glitter foil against a pink background.

DOCTOR WHO: THE EDGE OF TIME OST

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.