x close

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

It's as if composer Danny Elfman's fertile relationship with director Tim Burton had been building up to this, their 11th collaboration and perhaps the one that best encapsulates their shared aesthetics: It's hard to think of a subject better suited to the two men than an adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For the occasion, Elfman has come up with five actual songs (and sings on them), which reminds one of the 1980s heyday of his old band, Oingo Boingo. The first, "Wonka's Welcome Song" is a demented minute-long blast that evokes 1960s kiddie TV. Each of the other four (which use Dahl's own words) is dedicated to one of the children invited to visit Willy Wonka's factory, and each is done is a different musical style. All are fantastically fun. A personal favorite is the mock-operatic "Mike TeaVee," on which Elfman basically transposes "Bohemian Rhapsody" to a hyperactive cartoon universe. The lovely "Main Titles" acts as a transition into the instrumental part of the score and will be familiar to fans of Elfman's music for Edward Scissorhands, particularly its otherworldly, celestial choral sound. The rest of the tracks simply represent the work of Elfman and his longtime arranger, Steve Bartek, at their best, alternately flamboyant, dreamlike, and suggestive. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

---

Futures

Soundtrack;

---

Customer Review:

Elfman and Burton do it again...

Elfman is to Burton as Williams is to Spielberg. These two have been together for so long that they have become synchronis in thinking and style.Elfman's interpretation of the Dahl themes in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory seemed flawlessly imaginative with a perfect balance of whimsy and eerie darkness. The perfect combinations to musically express Tim Burton's film concepts.The running joke about the theme song,expressed by both the director and cast holds true,".you can't get that theme out of your head..." Sit back,look and listen, and enjoy the ride.One can only imagine what is next in upcoming "Corpse Bride".

Elfman and the Music Factory

Using Roald Dahl's original lyrics and a different musical style for each song was a stroke of genius. The only problem is that whether in the mixing or the recording the lyrics have become overpowered by the music and I had a hard time understanding them. It's a shame too since the lyrics are very clever.

As for the score, it's one of Elfman's finest mixing dark, whimsical, mysterious and fantasy elements. It reminds me a lot of his work on Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands. The Main Titles and Loompa Land are sure to be remembered for years to come. Highly recommended for Elfman and film score fans.

charlie and the chocolate factory soundtrack

I like Danny elfmans work and ilove these songs

---

Keywords: Film; Film Music; Pop; Soundtrack; Soundtracks & Film Scores;

---

---

x close

Arular

M.I.A.'s debut record is both intensely urban and aggressively modern. The group's sole member, Maya Arul, infuses her blend of hip-hop and chunky electro with raw, tribal overtones and a healthy dose of sex appeal. There are elements of world music here, in Arul's multilingual vocal as well as the tonal shifts and instrumentation (like the drone that opens up "Hombre"). Her delivery uses a variety of yelps and tics full of street-wise confidence and bratty energy. But there's also an appealing melodic sense, like early Neneh Cherry or Miss Kitten when she's not in diva mode. M.I.A. doesn't really sound like anybody; the music is just experimental enough to wiggle out of easy comparisons. The IDM-style bleeps and beeps of "Galang," for example, give an already catchy song extra punch. The only problem with the record, a common flaw for debuts, is a sameness from track to track which robs it of the ability to surprise. Still, Arul is hugely talented and her abundant originality packs a wallop. --Matthew Cooke

---

Futures

Explicit Lyrics;

---

Customer Review:

Leave it on repeat

This CD is fantastic.

It's more addtictive than potatoe chips and bad habits. If you crave a fun, smart, and thrilling sound than this is the CD to listen to.

My personal favorites are "Pull Up the People", "Hombre", "URAQT", and "Galang"...

Can't get enough!

Gosh where to begin. First off, thank the powers that be for artists like M.I.A.!

Sitars, bongo drums, thumping basslines, blips and beats, there is everything but the kitchen sink in Arular. M.I.A.'s music is in a genre all of its own. More a fusion of hip-hop and electronica with a healthy dose of South Asian flavoring. I can't even begin to tell you how welcome and refreshing her sound is in this era of cardboard, cookie cutter music.

Stand out tracks include Galang, Hombre, Pull Up The People and Sunshowers. While M.I.A. brings together a wild range of sounds and beats, it's fairly accessible and this is music you will want to dance to. Highly recommended.

So Original, So Fun

A friend introduced me to this CD and it's quickly become a favourite. M.I.A.'s music so catchy and so fun to dance to, yet it's also lasting...I've been listening to it over and over. And I love the fact that she brings an ethnic vibe into her music.

---

Keywords: Alternative Dance; Club/Dance; Dance Music; Dance-Pop; Dancehall; Hip-Hop; Pop;

---

---

x close

The Richest Man in Babylon

Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton and Rob Garza have always treated the line between acoustic and electronic music as a drunken sailor might, unpredictably falling on one side or the other with equal frequency. By this measure, The Richest Man in Babylon is their soberest effort to date, striding confidently into jazz, soul, world beat, and other styles with a direct, reverential approach. The band's last record, Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi, featured a set of classic jazz tunes unadorned with remixes or reinterpretation. But the songs on Babylon are originals, incorporating not just jazz but Afro-beat, Brazilian dance, Persian and Indian music, reggae, and psychedelia, all while making expert use of new and old collaborators like Sleepy Wonder, Lou Lou, and Shinehead. Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini makes an instant impression on the first track, "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes," her voice freeing the song's melody and structure with just a few hypnotic bars. It's hard to call this an electronic record at all; even their dub-influenced tracks miss a certain studio sheen, as if Hilton and Garza simply waded into a sweltering Jamaican beach party and hit record. But while it misses the ambient, ethereal edge that made The Mirror Conspiracy a downtempo classic, Babylon satisfies with organic energy and tasteful eclecticism. --Matthew Cooke

---

Customer Review:

They did it again, they've chilled out

The Washington DC DJ duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have once again taken electro-lounge music to a new level by blending their favorite parts of bossa nova, jazz, reggae, dub, and many other worldly influences into one hypnotic experience. This third full length of original material, not counting remixes or compilations-and there are many-finds the duo working with a variety of guest musicians, namely Loulou, Notch, Emiliana Torrini, Sleepywonder and Shinehead. The resulting hour of leisure is delivered effortlessly between casual beats and a mellow mix of organic instrumentation, including sitars, tablas, horns, flutes and a Wurlitzer. On several tracks, floating calmly among the halcyon ethers are the faint foreign folk tales reworked from their native tongues into the trance mix like buttery diplomats. Proving that if we followed the lingering curiosities of musicians, there would be no war but rather one expansive electro-cultural remix fit for consumption and friendly conversation.

Listen to it Again

When I bought this, There were just a handful of tracks I truly enjoyed. But overtime I grew to find beauty in all of the tracks and loved it beyond expectation. This is definetly a must have in your music collection. Great lounge style too. If you don't like it, then just listen to it again, believe me, overtime you will grow to love this album.

Unanticipated flights

I first listened to The Richest Man in Babylon during a half-day flight across two continents and two oceans. My Ipod kept the album in constant rotation. Worlds passed by as did the musical genres masterfully mixed by The Thievery Corporation. Clouds. Skies. Beats. The album, despite certain negative reviews in web blogolandia, brilliantly captures the impressive depth of travel that is occasioned by passing through the worlds of musical genre (rather than "world music") when sequentially articulated through the beats that accentuate such diverse vitalities together. For me, listening to The Richest Man in Bablyon retains the distinctive sensation of flying -- the pleasure of travel, the knowledge of going elsewhere, and the sensation of intimate dependence upon the techno-logical world that carry our faith and dreams. Romanticist sentiments? Hardly. Just a reflection of the worldiness of our times. Check it out for yourself.

---

Keywords: Ambient Breakbeat; Downbeat; Electronica; Pop; Rock; Trip Hop; Trip-Hop;

---

---

x close

Ladies in Lavender

The screenwriting/directing debut of veteran British stage and screen actor Charles Dance tells of a pair of Cornish spinsters (Judi Dench and Maggie Smith) who discover a charismatic young Polish violin virtuoso castaway (Daniel Bruhl) on the beach below their home. The tale leads inexorably to tender romantic conflicts and a warm concert house finale. Composer Nigel Hess masterfully utilizes his background as Music Director and House Composer for the Royal Shakespeare Company to conjure a score that evokes its quiet, emotional dignity via neo-classical orchestral arrangements that feature real life young virtuoso Joshua Bell on solo violin. Hess' intimate original compositions form a virtually seamless tapestry with the story's requisite classical repertory choices, which range from Massenet and Debussy to Bell's delightful variations on Paganini's "The Carnival of Venice." --Jerry McCulley

---

Futures

Soundtrack;

---

Customer Review:

Another great by Joshua Bell

This CD is very enjoyable to listen to. I highly recommend it, especially if you have any other of Joshua Bell's music.

Joshua Bell is Perfection!

This soundtrack CD is musical velvet by Joshua Bell and adds depth to this touching movie. Listening to it again and again, fills my soul with sweetness, intended only for those who feel to the core of the heart.

Pure bliss

This soundtrack, with solo violin playing by Joshua Bell is a must have for anyone enjoys Classical Music. If you've seen the film, you will know what I mean. Nigel Hess' original composition :Fantasy for violin and orchestra, featured at the end of the movie is beautiful indeed.

---

Keywords: Concerto; Film; Film Music; Keyboard; Pop; Prelude for Keyboard; Soundtrack; Soundtracks & Film Scores; Violin Concerto;

---

---