Apparition, by Ben Worley
Label: Plaza Mayor Company Ltd
April 2020
Plaza Mayor Company Ltd releases the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the horror movie Apparition. Directed by Waymon Boone, whose previous projects include The Devil’s in the Details, and Sunrise in Heaven – the film is about an app that connects the living with the dead. Young people are lured to an abandoned castle which has a dark past tied to each of the people present. The music is composed by Ben Worley, who has turned in soundtracks for Pizza Time, Willing to Lie, and Red Water. This was his first feature film. He thoroughly enjoyed working on it but, by his own admission, wasn’t paid very much. As a consequence of being brought in late to the project, Ben only had a fortnight to complete the score. He had only just moved to Los Angeles and so the remit was simple instrumentation. These limitations were extended to keeping motion throughout the piece, and not to allow the audience a moment to relax.
Having knowledge of the backstory to writing and composing the score, the big question we need to ask is has he succeeded in his intentions against the odds? Well, no, not really. I can understand that time was pretty much of the essence, and working from his apartment reduced his options (what? – he couldn’t fit the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in there?) – but there isn’t even any music present. Nothing to latch on to; no suites or musical interludes. The entire score consists of noises. No, let’s be kind and call them soundscapes. Across ten tracks we get a standard format of strings, discordant piano and intermittent screeching – accompanied by a throbbing beat, often reminiscent of Red Indian drums.
If anything, the composer shows his hand too early, throwing all of his available tricks into the first couple of tracks, so that those thereafter sound dull and repetitive. I’m certain that this could have incorporated more variation through use of easily attainable music samples. Just throwing in some oddities like electronica, guitars, pan pipes or any number of instruments would have made this much more interesting. Whilst appreciating that this is here solely to enhance the emotions of the film, as an isolated soundtrack it achieves nothing of real interest – not even a main theme for the movie. I couldn’t use a lot of the notes I made while listening to the score, because they consisted primarily of descriptive words such as rumbling, screeching, throbbing, rattling and thudding. The only track with any continuity to the sound is '#contact', which resembles complaining neighbours banging on the wall! This score proves to be a disappointment after so many excellent examples which I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing: Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Ruin Me – to name but two.
Clickbait, by Night Kisses
Label: Plaza Mayor Company Ltd
February 2019
Plaza Mayor releases the Original Motion Picture soundtrack to Clickbait on digital CD and download. In the film, directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein, Bailey is a popular ‘flogger’ who loses status to another person who is diagnosed with cancer. Bailey regains her popularity when she is stalked on a regular basis. For obvious reasons she is reluctant to report the crime. That is until she is kidnapped by a fan and has to rely on an uncaring roommate to save her. The music is by Night Kisses featuring Catherine Capozzi, Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola...
This is a mixed bag but on the whole pleasing collection of 23 tracks where the emphasis is on the 1980s synthesiser sound, but much more refined than many of that decade’s John Carpenter wannabes. It begins with 'Broken Heart', which has a nice, smooth bass beat, but the electronics turn the vocals whiny. However, it still manages to be both a Pop and Rock song. 'Laura, Who is Dying of Cancer', has strings and bass, though it follows the chords of the previous song. 'I Lost My Key', is a nice synthesiser tune which transports you back to the emergence of New Romantics. This track should really have been longer. 'Froot in Every Toot!' brings to mind Toot Sweets from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 'Bailey Has a Stalker', is a menacing, atmospheric mood piece with strings. 'A Rose From Chase', is a filler incorporating a jaunty, very short solo horn tune. 'Thanks For Your Bravery', starts like a great electronic pop song, but abruptly ends the moment it begins.
Now we get to what is by far the best track on the collection. 'The Stalker Part I', has heavy breathing and a great bass synth riff. It’s both atmospheric and funny, using drum rolls and discordant noises. It seems to fill in more of the sound as it goes on. 'It Was So Cute!' Is a jaunty circus-like filler. 'Emma Gets a Closer Look' is just a few seconds of Psycho slashes. 'Chase Loves Toot Strudels!' is somewhat similar to track 4. 'The Day Stalker' is like 'The Stalker Part 1', but with different sound effects surrounding the riff – and much shorter. I love the deep synth sound with voice-like notes in 'Brayden Loves Stomping on Things!' 'A New Cycle' has church-type heavenly music which becomes muffled. It’s slow, becoming more mysterious and hinting at menace. 'The Favourite Snack of Night Creepers Everywhere!' is a sort of amalgamation of 'The Stalker' theme and the 'Toots' advert. 'The Stalker Part II', begins with electronic monk voices. It becomes an alternative version of 'The Stalker Part 1'. Nice drums and sound effects.
'I Even Thought You Were a Suspect', is another obvious mixing of 'The Stalker' theme with the 'Toot' tune. 'Lair of the Stalker', has bass drum beats, heaving breathing, with the chords and subdued music of 'The Stalker'. 'The Do-Not-Call List' is only the high pitched phone ring-tone of 'The Stalker'. 'The Greatest Lives in the History of The Stalker'; a rumbling is followed by a synth version over a few bars. 'The Reflexes of the Elephant', is like an approaching storm, with rumbling and reverb. 'Beautiful Dreamer' is done in a childlike carousel manner. We finish with 'Up Above, Down Below'. This is a Rock/Punk song which is far too short.
I realise they are cues for scenes, but many of the little, few-second snippets could have been dispensed with in favour of longer and more varied suites. I love the electronica of this soundtrack; it’s just that certain ideas are returned to a few times. As mentioned 'The Stalker' has much potential and you kind of want it to be longer and more diverse. Nevertheless, this is a solid enough score.
The Farm, by Sergei Stern
Label: ScreamWorks Records
January 2019
Screamworks Records releases the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to The Farm. Written and directed by Hans Stjernsward, the film follows a young couple who are kidnapped when they stop at a roadside diner to eat meat. Their ordeal is to endure everything an animal has to go through before being put on someone’s plate. Composer Sergei Stern’s plan was to incorporate live instruments, human voice and organic sound design – built on unconventional harmonics and unpredictable counterpoint. Stern has scored seven feature films and more than 80 short films. This is his soundtrack release debut...
The 'Main Title' is great, as you just can’t quite get a handle on it. There is percussion and some course sound effects, with music that teases on the edge of melody whilst establishing an atmosphere of weirdness and uncertainty. 'The Farm' has an old fashioned, positively pagan quality produced with strings. Uncertainty is the key word. 'Killing and Feeding' has lots of what might be described as cutting sounds, chains, knocking and dripping which turns this eerie music into a passive assault on the senses. 'Under' plays a waiting game, before strings and the occasional keys join forces with some unsettling sound effects. 'Ken Baby' features creepy, atmospheric noises which really don’t belong in the real world, and so prove unnerving. Just the slightest hint of soundscape music accompany them.
'Alec' has a throbbing pulse (I’m sure he has!), with a sound that hints at sawing phasing in and out, and becoming more electronic and fluttering. Stomping and a sort of horn-like roar takes over. 'Milk Cows' serves as a floating atmospheric piece. 'Wake Up' brings back the menace, with a number of prominent and underlying sound effects. 'Last Supper' incorporates chanting, off-kilter and ultra-low singing, and then vague music carrying a faint beat, fluttering, and the return of horror film strings and keys – but in a most original mad celebration of psychotica. 'On My Land' is an original pagan folk song written and performed by the composer. Whilst traditional in style, it still manages to sound like it’s from another time. This is heard playing through a radio in the film.
Although this is a relatively short soundtrack, it makes quite an impression and proves much more original than many longer scores. It’s very different in places to the overused techniques of the average horror piece. This one places you in an environment which is ‘not quite right’ through sound alone… and that’s no mean feat.
The Prodigy, by Joseph Bishara
Label: Sony Classical
February 2019
Sony Music Masterworks releases the original motion picture soundtrack to the psychological horror film The Prodigy. Directed by Nicholas McCarthy, the movie has Taylor Schilling playing a mother, Sarah, whose young son Miles is suspected through his behaviour of being possessed by an evil entity. She is caught between the instinct to protect her son and seek help. Deciding to delve into the past, she begins to lose touch with reality. The composer Joseph Bishara has previously worked on the scores for The Conjuring 1 & 2, Annabelle, Insidious 1, 2 & 3, and The Other Side of the Door...
I must say that, based on Bishara’s prolific background of recent prominent horror scores and the fact he uses influences of Classical, Punk and Industrial noise, I was expecting much from this release. Apparently, this was his “opportunity to explore the multi-life patterns of a soul’s journey, and bridging that connection into the real world where the struggle for survival takes place.” Hmm... This release is a little disappointing, to say the least. I was anticipating longer and more melodic suites; definitely something more exciting and varied. I realise that much of this is incidental music, meant to enhance the action and emotion on the screen, but as a separate listening experience it’s severely lacking.
I think this approach attempts soundscapes interspersed with surprises, but in doing so somewhat restricts itself. For example, 'Took My Hand' (track 2) jumps straight into horror territory with sudden jolts and slams, pauses and further jolts. This seems to be the order of the day. There are quiet piano and strings, with occasional woodwind and percussion, and the odd keyboard breaks. Only the final track, 'Hands Are Calling', offers up an entire orchestral moment – accompanied by a brief hummed voice.
Looking back at my notes, there seems to be one repeated process. I have written words such as ‘screeching’, ‘knife-like slashes’, ‘jolts’, etc. This probably makes my point that the soundtrack is sadly more about effect than substance. I have reviewed so many strong scores recently, which is undoubtedly why this one comes across as such a let-down.