One of the most influential filmmakers of the past 40 years is John Carpenter. Not only did he make some of the best movies of the ’70s and ’80s, if not all time, with the likes of Halloween, Escape from New York, and The Thing, but the scores he composed himself for many of his films are among the most beloved and listened to in modern cinema. Just look at today’s popular horror and thriller flicks—notably The Guest and It Follows, both featuring a bass-driven synth soundtrack—to recognize how important Carpenter has been to genre film from a musical standpoint.
Earlier in the month, we told you that Carpenter is following the success of his first album of original music untethered to images, Lost Themes, with a sequel, due out on Tax Day this year. Now, the record label Sacred Bones has released the lead-off single from the new album, entitled “Distant Dream,” via Soundcloud. Have a listen!
When I listen to this, I immediately picture a lone hero taking a fateful motorcycle ride through the streets of dystopian future, or perhaps a gearing-up montage for some epic battle. Either way, it’s not as serene as the title “Distant Dream” might lead you to believe. With this album’s inclusion of a more pronounced percussion section and raucous electric guitar, Carpenter’s music now feels a lot more cinematic than it even did with the first Lost Themes. Can’t wait to hear the rest.
The track is available to download now when you pre-order Lost Themes II via iTunes or Bandcamp, you get to download “Distant Dreams” immediately. I’ve already listened to it six times; at almost four minutes long, it’s still too short for my liking.
Give us your thoughts on the new track in the comments below!
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HT: Blumhouse
Image: Sacred Bones
Kyle Anderson is the Weekend Editor and a film and TV critic for Nerdist.com. Follow him on Twitter!
