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Massive Attack Makes Blade Runner Melt Down

blademusic.jpgMixing 1980s SF dystopia with electronica, this year's Meltdown Festival in the UK will include a couple of performances that may be of interest to fans of Philip K. Dick, Ridley Scott or DJ-friendly orchestras. The annual festival, this year curated by Massive Attack, coffee-table favorites and creators of the House theme music. Plus the festival will give fans even a special one-off IMAX screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut along with a hipper, younger version of the soundtrack.

As well as gigs by such disparate acts as Funkadelic, Elbow, Grace Jones and Terry Callier, the festival - running from the 14th to the 22nd of June in venues across London - will include a collaboration between the Heritage Orchestra and Massive Attack, performing Vangelis' complete soundtrack to Ridley Scott's 1982 adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?.

The Heritage Orchestra, a 45-piece orchestra dedicated to blurring boundaries between musical genres, describe themselves as having a "unique approach [that integrates] the rules of jazz, electronica, DJ-Culture and contemporary-classical" and have previously worked with acts like Amon Tobin and Plaid. For the Meltdown performance, their music will be mixed live by Massive Attack who will, undoubtedly, be channeling the spirit of the synthesizer sound of the original into the evening.

Of course, if you'd rather hear something with more bass, don't worry; Adrian Sherwood's DJing the Stiff Little Fingers gig the next night. Limited tickets for the various events go on sale this Thursday, with a wide release the following day.

Meltdown

6:30 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By Graeme McMillan
2,679 views
35 comments

Comments

  • Why do they need to mess with this soundtrack? WHY!?

  • Hipper, younger version?? Vangelis' soundtrack still sounds fresh even today, and was the main reason I shelled out for the Blu-Ray Blade Runner.

  • I don't know, the Vangelis Themes score was pretty good imho. That said, I like Massive Attack's stuff. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

  • Holy fuck! One of my favorite bands + my favorite movie. I think I just peed a little.

  • Fuck the soundtrack, gimme Blade Runner at IMAX!

  • Can they take out Harrison Ford and Sean Young, too? Replace them with a couple of barely legal pornstars?

    Also, the android plot is too complex. Let's just have them fuck for two hours.

  • @Belabras: Yeah, I think the band is a good choice to muss with it, but I wish they wouldn't. the soundtrack fits the film perfectly, and the music actually sounds timeless from the disposable age of synth-pop.

  • @randallnathaniel: why not have the androids fucking? Seriously, Harrison ford and Sean penn doing the nasty for two hours, how would that NOT sell?

  • @dirtybacon: You raise an interesting question: What is android ejaculate, and is there someone onstaff at Tyrell dedicated to producing it?

  • Image of Miranda Kali Miranda Kali at 07:22 AM on 04/22/08 *

    I'd love to hear this. As much as I adore the original soundtrack, hearing a different take on it would be a treat.
    I enjoyed Gary Numans' mix of "Rip" with "Damask Rose". Gave it a nice dark tinge.
    (Thus the charm of "covers". I like the 'Stones original "Sympathy for the Devil"...but I like Laibach's take on it too...well, at least three of of his "takes").

  • I think the latest adaptation of the movie was perfect. Screwing with it is probably a mistake.

  • @randallnathaniel: With "Android Ejaculate" you win the Band Name Of The Day prize.

  • Wow, I'm actually considering flying across the pond for this. Throw in Cocteau Twins $ This Mortal Coil and I'd have no choice but to attend.

  • @dirtybacon:
    You mean Shawn Young, right? 'Cause Harrison Ford and Shawn Penn is a totally different movie all together. Not, you know, that there's anything wrong with that...

  • ONE MAN'S OPINION

    A big part of BLADERUNNER is the soundtrack.
    Sounds like another "Re-Do Fuck-up" in the works. Films are a moment in time and are not an eternal "work in progress".

    I'm glad I have a great copy of the original version. I don't watch "Star Trek: Remastered" and I won't watch this. When will these people realize that the reason these are classics is because they are what they are. If it's good enough to "enhance", it's good enough to be left alone.


  • Image of zenpoet zenpoet at 08:53 AM on 04/22/08 *

    I loved the song "raindrop" until house ruined it for me.

    Massive Attack still rocks though, and I always seem to picture sweeping technological vistas when I listen to their songs.

    I always picture some "sound of music" moment with a person, or robot, twirling around amid a giant techno-city, ala Asimov's Robot City.

    Too much information? Sorry, I do that sometimes. Anyway, check out their older works, its all amazing.

  • @Zantor: Uh, dude, calm down. They're not revising the film and re-releasing it a la George Lucas.

    They're just doing a live performance of the soundtrack with an actual orchestra and a synth band to provide the electronic elements. I didn't see anything in the description to suggest that they would make any changes. They may even perform it note for note.

    Not sure where everyone got the crazy "HOLY FUCK, THEY'RE MESSING WITH BLADE RUNNER!" vibe.

  • @BSAKat: Yes, Sean Young is what I meant... hope that wasn't a freudian slip.

    And really, how moddy would a porn with Sean Penn be?

    Sorry, we should probably continue this conversation over on Fleshbot.

  • @extracrispy: Not sure where everyone got the crazy "HOLY FUCK, THEY'RE MESSING WITH BLADE RUNNER!" vibe.

    That was probably my doing, and now that I really think about things you are correct.

    HOWEVER, the soundtrack is such an integral part of the movie, that you can't blame us for being a bit paranoid.

  • Someone bootleg this, for the love of humanity.

  • I'm so there. Sounds like a unique experience that won't detract from the original at all.

  • @extracrispy: OK...Ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  • @dirtybacon: I hear ya. If it was any other artist, I'd probably join your concern (Kanye West comes to mind). But the guys in Massive Attack have a lot of integrity. I suspect it will be pretty faithful.

  • Whoah.. Terry Callier? Nice. This sounds like an awesome event. For anyone who doesn't know who Terry Callier is... Get this record.
    [www.dustygroove.com]

    @extracrispy: INTEGRITY!? you bring his integrity into the mix? Oooooooh Crispy.

    I'll just say good morning to you and leave it at that.

  • @dirtybacon:

    I agree. Vangelis' soundtrack is PERFECT.

  • @dirtybacon: It completely detracts from the film. There's a reason that art is shown in rooms resembling white cubes.

    This is the equivalent of some 13 year old kid putting Naruto highlights on YouTube to the "Immigrant Song".

    Just because some guy goes, "Wouldn't it be cool if..." doesn't merit actualization. See: Tarantino, Quentin.

  • Man you guys are being really harsh. This isn't like a Naruto Youtube video, its like going to see a symphony do music for a Classic Silent film. this is a one time show done for fans, by talented artists that clearly love the source. I've heard some wonderful takes on this soundtrack and like most amazing music from the Beatles to Beethoven it can be done by others quite well.

    If I have one complaint its that I didn't see UNKLE's name anywhere up there.

  • I'm glad this got elaborated on over here, I read this on Idolator.com yesterday and nearly shat. Love the orchestral idea. It must get recorded, bootlegged perhaps?
    @seraosha: The Twins and This Mortal Coil... good times...

  • Live orchestra for the screening! Wish it were in my town, I'd be happy to hand them $.

  • "HOLY FUCK, THEY'RE MESSING WITH BLADE RUNNER!" - just sayin

  • Profanity and belief that MA are the best on what they do aside, if the "new" soundtrack is not sad and omnious, it's not Bladerunner. Carry on.

  • fans can be awfully precious about "preserving" the sanctity of Blade Runner, a text that has been re-visioned over and over again, i.e. the original "workprint" version (1982, '90 & '91); the "San Diego Sneak Preview" (1982); U.S. theatrical version (1982); the "International Cut"/ "10th Anniversary Edition" (1982 &'92) ; the U.S. broadcast version (1986); the "Director's cut" (1992); and the new "Final Cut" (2007). Not to mention the fact that there are multiple soundtracks. The defining quality of Blade Runner is its incessant adaptation.

    it is no irony that a film that provokes a good deal of posthuman/ transhuman paranoia would be an appropriate vessel for such unceasing revision and , in the biological sense, adaptation: after all, when we become "more human than human," we will be able to augment ourselves much like BR seems to do every ten years or so.

  • *grumblegrumble*

    They are NOT androids (in the movie)! Man, I hate it when people make that mistake.

    I think it sounds like an awesome event to attend.

  • i love massive attack, and i'd be really curious to hear what a soundtrack by them for blade runner would sound like...

    but... the vangelis one is kinda freakin awesome. in an 80's electronic kinda way. anything else would completely change the atmosphere of the movie. thus the curiousity.

  • @pkittie: "They are NOT androids (in the movie)! Man, I hate it when people make that mistake."

    Thank you. It is my understanding that, while artificial and superior, the replicants are 100% biological in nature. The confusion could lie with PKD's original title.

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