Search - Geinoh Yamashirogumi :: Akira

Hypnotic and intense

sophy88 | Honolulu, HI United States | 01/10/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe I'm weird but all that "banging and drumming" and stuff intrigues me. It sounds like Balinese gamelan music or the Indonesian Kecak Dance (I think that means monkey dance). I'm not sure what relationship that type of music has to this Japanese movie, but the resemblance is uncanny. The soundtrack is very expressive; it's almost ethereal at times, at others its chaotic and exciting. I think if you have an open mind and you enjoyed the intense plot of the movie you would enjoy the music as well."

Innovative Music for an Innovative Film

Aaron Dawe | Canada | 12/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the closest one can get to an actual soundtrack for the film Akira. The musical works on this CD were written and composed before being placed in the film, so even though most of it is recognizable to the viewer, there are a large number of differences. What's fairly interesting about this is that the musical themes were created in a `module' format, so that bars from several different themes could be combined into one. This soundtrack is also one of the earliest to use computer to cut and paste arrangements, as well as alter tunings of traditional instruments into keys that are impossible for them to play in. The original pressing of the CD by JVC has extensive liner notes about the creation, but if you can't get it, the bonus documentary with the recent Pioneer DVD release covers a lot of the same ground.



You would think with the method that the music was arranged, that the end result would be extremely sterile. However, this is not the case. If you haven't heard anything from Akira before, it's a little hard to describe. The music is at once modern and yet rooted in the past. The jegog (bamboo xylophone) and the Balinese gamelan (an instrumental influence on early `80's King Crimson and Tool) create a rich mixture of polyrhythmic counterpoint to the odd vocal stylings used by Geinoh Yamashirogumi (anything from large choir drones to avant garde `noises' that wouldn't sound out of place in a NY art performance). Throw in the odd electric guitar, traditional Japanese percussion and a large church organ and you still can't really get a sense of it. It's unlike anything I've ever heard before.



The best tracks are the opener Kaneda (an excellent introduction to the jegog), Tetsuo (which over it's 10 minute length over quirky rhythms, builds, breaks down and then builds up even further than before. The crystal clear bell like tones of the gamelan are gloriously offset by the sheer, driving power of the choir's accents), and the closing piece, Requiem (which at nearly 15 minutes goes through a number of incredible changes. There's nothing that compares to the emotional power of the human voice in choir, particularly when it's bookending a massive sounding church organ and concluded with an even more massive sounding drum hit). The other pieces are good, but don't even come close these three. Doll's Polyphony doesn't sound nearly as good as it does in the movie, basically because of a missing male choir counterpoint that really adds to the creepy visuals in the film.

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Only meant for the few...

Charles J. Villalobos | Denver, CO | 04/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"that have an interest and the patience to hear and appreciate the intricate nature of Akira's music. In many ways I'd say this music is best suited to being heard in context (too exceptions would be "Kaneda" and "Requiem". They're great any time.) Hearing the music in their respective scenes makes them seem perfect (i.e. "Battle Against Clown" and "Exodus", but hearing them alone requires you to really listen and gives you a clear understanding of what it took to make the very unique sounds. I wouldn't recomend the soundtrack to anyone just trying to feel like they do watching the movie. It's something more to help you appreciate the work that went into making it. (Oh, and of course it's great whenever you want to listen to "Kaneda" and "Requiem" ;-)"