“Mondo’s Cronenberg series†sounds like a restaurant chain that sells gargantuan, cronut-bunned cheeseburgers—somehow it’s even better than that.
Mondo, an art gallery and online store, has announced the continuation of their David Cronenberg series, a set of releases that brings classic Cronenberg/Howard Shore scores to vinyl for the first time. In tandem with Howe Records, Mondo will release the soundtracks to Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers and Crash at various points throughout the summer.
In addition to issuing records, Mondo also reimagined the film’s art in limited edition screen printings, and each new release will include a stunning redesign. Mondo has already released the vinyl scores for The Brood (1979) and Scanners (1981), the first two films on which Shore and Cronenberg collaborated. Since then, Shore has scored every one of the Canadian filmmaker’s movies, with the exception of The Dead Zone (1983).
Check out the details for each release below:
Original Artwork by Rich Kelly
The score for Naked Lunch, Cronenberg’s 1991 adaptation of William S. Burrough’s novel, is the first to arrive. Shore worked with both jazz legend Ornette Coleman and the London Philharmonic Orchestra (talk about a trio of collaborators), and the writer and scholar Royal S. Brown called it “one of the great film scores.” He continued: “The whole thing, which has been recorded with exceptional depth and warmth, gives a simultaneous impression of simplicity and complexity, of harmony and dissonance, of reality and half dream, rather like Burroughs’ own disturbing visions.” The 25th anniversary vinyl will be available tomorrow for $35.
Original Artwork by Randy Ortiz
Cronenberg’s 1988 film Dead Ringers, based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, again sees Shore working with the London Philharmonic. The composer captures the mysterious character of the movie by working “all around the edges,” he says. [The score] is all about subtext.” Dead Ringers will be available this June for $30.
Original Artwork by Rich Kelly
Crash is a departure from the solely orchestral score. Shore opted instead to use six electric guitars, three harps, three woodwinds, and two percussionists to create the rich sonic tapestry that helps tie together the disparate story lines of Crash. The 20th Anniversary vinyl will be available for $35 in July.
When available, you can purchase all three of these LPs here. Which one are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.
Image: Rich Kelly/Mondo
