Brass Roland

This exhaustive document of Pink Floyd’s sonic explorations contains some tantalising glimpses of the different paths they could have taken – as well as 15 versions of Careful With That Axe, Eugene…

Francis Ford Coppola took an inspired gamble in hiring the Polish composer to realise his Gothic stage production made for the cinema screen. Nothing about Kilar conforms to Hollywood. His classical works and earlier European films for the likes of Polanski and Zanussi, show a style based upon a repetitive form that insinuates itself upon the ear until it becomes unforgettable. "Vampire Hunters" is a superb example, being a cyclic string and brass motif that develops an exciting dynamic by revolving between keys. A pounding drum keeps time and rhythm for a flawlessly edited scene of destroying the vampire's lair. There is also the exquisite theme for Mina and Dracula, which in "Love Remembered" is presented on the composer's favoured instrument, flute. Again, it's through instrumental interchange across repetitions of the theme that the piece achieves its effect. A little sound design ("The Ring Of Fire") offers pause before the tender choral dénouement. Despite the tail-end pop song, this was a blockbuster debut without precedent.

Japan (David Sylvian) - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980) {2006 Virgin Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 356 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 141 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 144 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003, 2006 Virgin Records | 0946 3 63057 2 1
Rock / New Wave / New Romantic / Alternative

The last album with Rob Dean, Gentlemen Take Polaroids was also unquestionably the album in which Japan truly found its own unique voice and aesthetic approach. The glam influences still hung heavy, particularly from Roxy Music, but now the band found itself starting to affect others in turn. Even the back cover photo says as much – looking cool in glossy, elegant nightwear, the quintet had a clear impact on Duran Duran, to the point where Nick Rhodes obviously was trying to be Sylvian in appearance.