Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2024 November 18 • Monday

Continuing our celebration of Godzilla, the 831st Soundtrack of the Week is Kan Sawada's music for the Godzilla Singular Point anime.

It starts and ends with a lovely waltz called "Alapu Upala" with vocals by Annette Philip. There's also a choir version.

The suspenseful and somewhat John Barryish "Ashihara", which features an instrument that sounds like a cymbalom/harpsichord hybrid (and that you hear elsewhere as well), is a highlight.

"Guess" is a gentle but insistent groove with a dreamy piano line, "I'm Pelops II!" is goofy comedy music and "Otaki's Sortie" a rousing march.

On the second of the four sides is a terrific recasting of Akira Ifukube's original Godzilla march, first on solo cello and then with full orchestra, but more smooth an restrained than big and brassy.

The third side has more comic relief cues as well as some stirring and soaring adventure music that would be right at home in a Steven Spielberg movie.

Side four brings back more of Ifukube's original score, this time with Godzilla's signature roar for company as well as a choir version with Japanese lyrics!

It's excellent music and makes me want to watch the anime.