Science fiction films, perhaps as a result of the increased sense of awe in both visuals and theme, tend to allow composers to go off and create some of the most striking and indelible works ever to grace a soundtrack. From John Williams‘ Star Wars scores to James Horner‘s creepy music for Aliens, sci-fi lets composers go off in a big way, but few went off quite as much as the great Jerry Goldsmith with the music to 1968’s Planet of the Apes. Now, Mondo is offering a brand new edition of the soundtrack on vinyl, with some truly gorgeous artwork to boot.
While Goldsmith wrote some traditionally fanfare-fueled sci-fi scores, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture which was so iconic that it became the theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation, he went much more stark and percussive for Apes. The story of an astronaut who finds himself on a strange world where apes rule and humans are enslaved, Planet of the Apes is a weird and wonderful allegory with plenty of mystery. Goldsmith used a steady rhythmic drum beat to play up the ape society and peppered in horn blasts and motifs to keep the tension as high as it can be. You can’t hum along to it, but it’s one of the finest examples of truly strange music to go along with a truly strange storytelling.
The new release from Mondo features artwork by Matthew Woodson, showcasing the “forbidden zone” which plays a big part in the second half of the movie. Mastered by James Plotkin, the release will also have liner notes by Devin Faraci, which we’re sure will be thoughtful and intriguing. You can purchase the two-disc set online for $35, in two different versions: one with half green or half purple discs, and the other an event edition with half-yellow discs with cool ape-face artwork at the center. You can see both in the gallery below.
New releases go on sale on Wednesdays at Noon CT. You can find more information here.
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For some decidedly different animal makeup, check out Sssssss!
Images: 20th Century Fox/Mondo/Matthew Woodson
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
