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![[MUSIC CDs]](images/section_music.gif){kind=small}  |
SILENT MÖBIUS |
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SILENT MÖBIUS, the wildly popular cyberpunk horror movie of 1991, returns to the music shelves in JNA's domestic release of the anime soundtrack.  Having
shelved the movie for several years, I was looking forward to
re-watching the now "classic" and paying special attention
to how the director and composer used the score to move story.
It seems I have since been spoiled. Blame
ESCAFLOWNE and
GIANT
ROBO, but I like richly orchestrated anime.
SILENT MÖBIUS is a musically
conservative work, and I was somewhat surprised to find only
small portions of the various and well-composed pieces used to
punctuate scenes and enhance moods. Perhaps, my Wagner
roots are showing.The
CD opens with
a mystical incantation from Katsumi Liqeur, then breaks into
the title track with "Spider's Thread". The main vocals are
provided by the Tokyo Philharmonic chorus, with dissonant
violins courtesy of the Takashi Kato strings group. It is in
this piece we first hear the Möbius march, a combination
of chant, violins and horns that are frequently used
throughout the movie to enhance tension and suspense. A
nearly identical version of this arrangement appears in
"Banquet of Battle".Katsumi's and
Fuyuka's love theme is the happiest instrumental track
of the CD. Koide Naoya's strong flute gives the
piece a particular compelling strength. Wada Kaoru's arrangement of
sweet violins and the single clarinet of Togame Masashi all
combine in a rich sound which any listener can appreciate.Katsumi's remembrance
of a childhood song is fully developed in "Dense Fog -
NONE-" an almost epic sounding ballad performed by
Matsui Naoko,
a vocalist with a talent for projecting both mystery and
comfort at the same time.Much of the album
is marked by dissonant sounds, sharp jolts, and the harsh
strings that are typical of the horror style. "Emptiness &
Demon Bones" begins with a single oboe and suspenseful two
note string rhythm that triggers memories of the dark alleys
it seems all characters must eventually wander in these movies.
The second half breaks into a chase style fast string movement
with occasional drumbeats like staggering footsteps."Construction
to Suffering" is a particularly sad piece which turns
melancholic after a cello interlude. The all-string
arrangement highlights both the plight and inner strength of
Katsumi and her Fuyuka. A Gregorian style chant rounds out
the piece's ominous end."Sailing", the
movie's end track, contains the CD's only use of electrical
instruments, using guitar and synthesizer to provide a
happier pop-like ending to the collection.While personally
not one of my favorite albums, the SILENT MÖBIUS
soundtrack is a good addition to anyone's library who
appreciates horror composition. It is unfortunate Wada Kaoru
did not have a larger orchestra to work with, because his
ability to elicit both positive and negative emotions makes me
think such additional resources would have made the
SILENT MÖBIUS score an instant
classic. As it is, the album is enjoyable musically, but less
than inspiring in the face of newer more grandly instrumented
soundtracks.CD INFORMATION SILENT MÖBIUS Licensed from Victor Entertainment, Inc. JNA Animation JNA Running Time: 40:25(15 tracks) (US)$17.98 |
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