Akira is perhaps the most revered anime movie of all time, or at least the most critically lauded and artistically respected animated film to ever come out of Japan. The bloody sci-fi flick has stood the test of time, and so has its gripping soundtrack, which is now getting a fancy schmancy vinyl release thanks to the folks at Bottleneck Gallery and Milan Records. Check out the cover art:

This won’t exactly be Dr. Shoji Yamashiro’s original score as you remember it, though. Although still credited to Geinoh Yamashirogumi, the musical collective founded by Yamashiro that created the original soundtrack, Bottleneck Gallery calls this release a “rerecorded and remastered edition,” so we’re curious and excited to find out exactly what that means. What we do know is that it looks awesome: The gatefold double LP is filled with fantastic art, and includes two 180g clear red splatter vinyl records, a perfect homage to the violent film. Check it out:

The release will be available for pre-order starting tomorrow, August 1st, for $32 from the Bottleneck Gallery website, and it’s scheduled to ship in mid-September. In the meantime, check out a sample from the original score below, “Kaneda”:

Is this a must-have for you, or are you uncertain about the prospect of this being re-recorded? Let us know what you think in the comments, and check out the album’s tracklist below.

Akira tracklist

01. “Kaneda”
02. “Battle Against Clow”
03. “Winds Over Neo Tokyo”
04. “Tetsuo”
05. “Doll’s Polyphony”
06. “Shohmyoh”
07. “Exodus From the Underground Fortress”
08. “Illusion”
09. “Mutation”
10. “Requiem”

Images: Toho, Bottleneck Gallery