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Synth and Software’s Top 10 Soundtracks That Should Have Made Our Previous Synthy Soundtracks List…

Published

2 years ago

April 26, 2021

7. Saw, Charlie Clouser

Saw is actually a horror movie franchise, not just one film. Charlie Clouser was originally known as the keyboard player with Nine Inch Nails. And the Saw music is dark, with Nine Inch Nails-ey synth textures, distorted drums, crunchy sounds. He brought that to the scoring world. Pretty much everything before that sounded clean by comparison.

6. Twin Peaks, Angelo Badalamenti

Twin Peaks theme especially influenced a lot of composers. It had a lot of analog drones, low-end evolving synth textures, with contrasting pretty chords and melody.

The TV show was very good too.

5. Koyaanisqatsi, Philip Glass

This surrealistic creation was as much a visual experience as a musical one, because of Philip Glass’ organ- and synth-featuring music. When you think of minimalism, Glass is probably the first composer to come to anyone’s mind.

Minimalism’s (at least Glass’) subtly evolving ostinatos and static harmony were probably a reaction to the discordant music of the 20th century up to that point.

Was Koyaanisqatsi a movie? A music video? We can debate that, but it was certainly influential.

4. Miami Vice, Jan Hammer

Hammer was one of the first composers do play all the parts himself. His lead synth playing sounds like guitar, both because of the sound and because of the way he played it. He was one of the first to bring in a grungy, overdriven sound.

Musicians who grew up in that era also remember him as the gymnastic keyboard player with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the famous fusion band.