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    • CommentAuthorMogens
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2018
    NP: Max and Me - Mark McKenzie

    One of the most beautiful scores I've heard in a long time. Simply wonderful.
    Luminous beings are we.. Not this crude matter.
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      CommentAuthorWashu
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2018 edited
    Now playing: I am on a Joe Hisaishi kick, he is easily one of the finest living film composers (top 5 probably) so I am listening to quite a few of his scores, some scores I haven't explored much and some scores I am trying to enjoy more than I previously have.

    I actually find Hisaishi's collaborations with Takeshi Kitano more imaginative and more interesting than his more popular work with Hayao Miyazaki in general. I tend to prefer Hisaishi in his minimalistic/jazzy/ambient mode rather than his usual more grand romantic writing.

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    What a Wonderful Family! 1 & 2 - Joe Hisaishi

    A decent theme in quite a few variations, but most of the rest material is quite dull in both of the scores. These are two of his most uninteresting scores. Thankfully both of the albums are under 30 minutes long.

    Rating: 2 stars out of 5 for both scores.

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    First Love - Joe Hisaishi

    A pretty pleasant score, but nothing special at all, quite a forgettable score in Hisaishi's ouvre imo.

    Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

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    Miracle Apples - Joe Hisaishi

    This is a quite lovely score, not one of his best scores but good stuff nontheless. The last track is a keeper and nice summary of the score.

    Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

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    Little Tom Thumb - Joe Hisaishi

    It doesn't do much for me, but there's that good theme at least, and it is quite pleasant as a whole. This is another quite forgettable score Hisaishi score though for me i'm afraid, it lacks something special to make it something beyond just good.

    Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

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    Melody Blvd. - Joe Hisaishi

    This is a solo album, but what the heck. It shows a different side to Hisaishi, even if it is a commercial and mainstream one it is still a pretty enjoyable pop album. It is quite cheesy here and there, but he is clearly having fun and it shows, I really dig a few of these tracks in a "fun" way. It is nothing great, but there is some fun to be found here.

    Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

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    Kids Return - Joe Hisaishi

    There is some very good, evocative electronic scoring to be found here, I really dig the final track that seems to be influenced by Deep Forest in particular.

    Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

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    Sonatine - Joe Hisaishi

    Another score with some excellent and imaginative evocative electronic scoring. This is of course much closer to psychedelic Cafe Del Mar-style '80s balearic beat music than to his usual romantic mode anime material which is probably why I like it a lot. It is one of Hisaishi's better scores.

    Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

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    A Scene at the Sea - Joe Hisaishi

    There is some truly enjoyable and evocative ambience to be found here. It isn't one of his best scores, but it is a good score/album and there is at least one track here that should be on every Hisaishi playlist.

    Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

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    Giant Deep Sea Creatures - Joe Hisaishi

    This on the other hand is a top 10 Hisaishi score. Most of the score is highly enjoyable and it is Hisaishi in his more minimalistic mode which I tend to prefer over his usual more grand romantic gestures (as skilled as he is that mode - this is closer to his roots as a composer). I wish he tapped into this kind of writing more often.

    Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2018
    You seem to be a glutton for punishment given many of your ratings.
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      CommentAuthorWashu
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2018
    Haha, not at all. I just don't very often give out ratings above 4 stars. I am very critical, maybe too critical in some ways even. Not that many scores are 4+ stars for me. 4.5 stars are very rare and 5 stars almost never happens. I can't genuinely remember the last 5 star score I had - it was ages ago. For something to receive 5 stars for me it has to pretty much be a top 100 of all time score.
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2018
    Ratings are overrated.
  1. NP: Den of Thieves - Cliff Martinez

    Lots of textural stuff to open the score that's not that interesting meaning that the thought of listening to the whole hour is very off-putting.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
  2. NP: Hostiles - Max Richter

    Moved on to something much more enjoyable. Such a tense score that keeps you listening for what the composer is going to do next. And when something lighter and emotional comes along - like with "Where We Belong" - it hits you 100x more powerfully.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
  3. NP: Sic Transit Gloria - Andrew Kotlar

    Set in a post-apocalyptic world this is a small ensemble score for (predominantly) piano and solo strings. It works really well and plays as a tense, claustrophobic - but emotional - piece.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
  4. NP: Pacific Rim Uprising - Lorne Balfe

    Maybe I am just getting old and cynical, but I'm usually an RC apologist, and even I feel like Lorne has taken a turn for the worse recently, in terms of the quality of his scores and how inspired he seems. I expected he would at least make good use of the themes from Djawadi's crowd-pleasing first installment. Instead there are mainly just vague suggestions of chord progressions from the original, and those do little to break up the monotony of a wallpapery effort.

    Maybe it will grow on me? But it's definitely no Pacific Rim.
  5. NP: Princess Mononoke (1997) - Joe Hisaishi

    I forgot how beautiful this score is.

    Volker
    Bach's music is vibrant and inspired.
  6. Washu wrote
    Haha, not at all. I just don't very often give out ratings above 4 stars. I am very critical, maybe too critical in some ways even. Not that many scores are 4+ stars for me. 4.5 stars are very rare and 5 stars almost never happens. I can't genuinely remember the last 5 star score I had - it was ages ago. For something to receive 5 stars for me it has to pretty much be a top 100 of all time score.


    I'm very much this way, too.

    Steven wrote
    Ratings are overrated.


    I give this comment **
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      CommentAuthorCaliburn
    • CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
    NP: Ramin Djawadi - Pacific Rim

    I got a smile on my face after the first riffs from Tom Morello, I love this score!

    I had to put it on again after hearing the new score from Lorne Balfe. That score lacks everything that made the first one so great.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
    NP: STANDING UP (Brian Tyler)

    Why doesn't he write more like this? My favourite of Tyler.
    I am extremely serious.
  7. NP: Red Sparrow - James Newton Howard
    What works for me on this one is a 32 minute playlist with just 4 tracks...the 3 big suites (Overture, Didn't I Do Well, End Titles) plus "Arriving at Sparrow School" in between the first two. In this compressed form it's one of my favorites of 2018 so far.
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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
    Tomorrow Never Dies David Arnold

    At least 10 years since I listened to this. Probably a lot more. Pretty good - is that second release worth trying to find?
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      CommentAuthorWashu
    • CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
    Pacific Rim Uprising - Lorne Balfe

    Not again, this is pretty dreadful. Bottom 5 of the year so far with Ludwig Göransson's Death Wish, Lorne Balfe's Hurricane Heist, Ramin Djawadi's A Wrinkle in Time and Junkie XL's Tomb Raider. Djawadi's Pacific Rim is a masterpiece in comparision, which something I thought I would never say.

    Rating: 1 star out of 5.
  8. Southall wrote
    Tomorrow Never Dies David Arnold

    At least 10 years since I listened to this. Probably a lot more. Pretty good - is that second release worth trying to find?

    Absolutely, the first is missing basically the entire second half of the score!
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      CommentAuthorAidabaida
    • CommentTimeMar 24th 2018
    Shape of Water

    Finding this score to be terrific background music for my writing!
    Bach's music is heartless and robotic.
    • CommentAuthorAnthony
    • CommentTimeMar 24th 2018
    Southall wrote
    Tomorrow Never Dies David Arnold

    At least 10 years since I listened to this. Probably a lot more. Pretty good - is that second release worth trying to find?


    Absolutely, though check the usual place for the usual you-know-whats.
  9. NP: Black Panther - Ludwig Gorannson

    Score of the year so far for me. Gorannson composes some of the most heart-pumping "power anthems" I've ever heard, without making them sound excessively RC-ish and/or derivative. Speaking of RC, the choral parts actually remind me a little of Zimmer's "Power of One", which is not a sound I ever expected to hear revisited in 2018, but it's very welcome. Also, I'm in love with the percussion in this score. It's unique and it's addictively pleasing.
  10. PAUL, APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST - Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

    I was really hoping for more. There are a couple nice tracks, but there's not much happening in a lot of this.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 26th 2018
    christopher wrote
    PAUL, APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST - Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

    I was really hoping for more. There are a couple nice tracks, but there's not much happening in a lot of this.


    Agreed. Huge letdown.
    I am extremely serious.
  11. Thirded.
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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2018
    Max and Me Mark McKenzie

    Starting writing my review but struggling to find the words to convey just how much this is moving me. I'm not going through the happiest time in life and perhaps that is making it even more powerful. It's just outrageously beautiful.
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      CommentAuthorWashu
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2018
    Agreed about the Kaczmarek, dull as dishwater. Not that I am a big fan of him anyway, but he has his moments.

    The Good Thief - Elliot Goldenthal

    Not one of his best scores, but it is still a good score. Goldenthal rarely disappoints. I wish he returned to scoring for real...

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    Mary Magdalene - Jóhann Jóhannsson & Hildur Guðnadóttir

    The weak and pretty dull Jóhannsson scores sadly continue, I thought The Mercy was maybe Jóhannsson's weakest score yet, and this is also among his very weakest. It doesn't do anything really for me. It has its moments though, but overall, this is quite dull stuff.

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    Isle of Dogs - Alexandre Desplat

    Meh, all the drumming etc does nothing for me. It is really a bare-bones score. The Grand Budapest is still Desplat's finest Wes Anderson score (and that one isn't anymore than a 3 star score). Aside from some quirkiness and unusual instrumentation, I found it to be a bit anonymous.
  12. NP: A Wrinkle in Time - Ramin Djawadi

    Not great, but at least it's a bit more creative and engaging than Lorne Balfe has been during the past year. With a stronger film, maybe Djawadi would have had more room to soar. Mistakes like the casting of the supernatural beings (Oprah etc) really brought down every aspect of the film (I say this as a huge admirer of the novel, whoever did that casting did NOT understand the book). But I don't want to make too many excuses for Djawadi either. Some composers can wonderfully overdeliver on a mediocre film. Djawadi is not one of them. Except for Beat the Drum maybe. But then that was a nice little film IMO.
  13. NP: Max and Me - Mark McKenzie

    I wish I could see/hear what most people are hearing to rave about this score. For me, it's not really engaging thematically, there's nothing particularly new here (lots of familiar devices to tug at the heartstrings) and it's just so slow.

    A bit of a disappointment as a result of all the buzz I have been hearing for this one. Maybe I should read some of the glowing reviews just to see what it is that I am just not hearing.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 29th 2018 edited
    I'm with you, Alan, as previously noted. In its over-the-top schmalziness, it undermines the very beauty and emotional connection it's trying to create. And the fact that it accompanies a Holocaust movie, leaves an extra bitter taste in my mouth. I did import it to my iTunes, but I'm not sure how long it will stay there.
    I am extremely serious.
  14. Thor wrote
    I'm with you, Alan, as previously noted. In its over-the-top schmalziness, it undermines the very beauty and emotional connection it's trying to create. And the fact that it accompanies a Holocaust movie, leaves an extra bitter taste in my mouth. I did import it to my iTunes, but I'm not sure how long it will stay there.

    It's not that I find it has "over-the-top schmalziness" - but I can hear how you could end up there since it tries to push all the right emotional buttons. I just don't find it doing much at all, and my lingering feeling is that it's just so slow.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 29th 2018
    Well, the slowness bit is not something that bothers me. I love slow; in fact, that's what I gravitate towards these days.
    I am extremely serious.