For those of you new to modern electronic film scores, allow us to introduce you to Le Matos. A synthwave duo from Montreal, their musical style blends pop, dance, and melancholic melodies. Inspired by famous soundtrack composers of the ’80s (John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, and Vangelis), Le Matos’ synth-heavy score for Summer of ’84 permeates throughout the film to transport audiences back to a timeless decade in cinema. They previously collaborated with RKSS on their Sundance breakout hit, Turbo Kid, and have acquired a massive following. In short, their music will change your life. Summer of ’84 itself is a throwback thriller, and one that stands out from the pack even if…
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Music Review…Mondo Records’ Stunning ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ 2XLP
For the first time in over 30 years, film fans around the globe are able to purchase the complete original soundtrack to John Carpenter’s ’80s classic Big Trouble In Little China on vinyl. If, like me, you’ve scoured Discogs and Ebay for a copy that A. doesn’t cost more than $100 and B. isn’t the Brazilian or German version, the news of this release is about as satisfying as finding a Chinese girl with green eyes. Yeah, it’s that big! Phantom City Creative has been very specific about the color palette of this release. Red is very important in Chinese culture, and so the packaging and vinyl prominently showcase it as…
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Interview…Brian McNelis Discusses Vinyl Releases at Lakeshore Records and Experiences in the Music Industry
Thanks largely to a trip to Record Store Day in 2014, I have become an increasing fan of soundtrack releases on vinyl…and I’ve never looked back. You may have your own go-to retailers, and while a significant portion of my collection is comprised of Mondo titles, Lakeshore Records (the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment) remains a notable force that issues some of the most vibrant, stunning, and downright bad-ass releases you’ve ever seen. We spoke to the company’s Senior Vice President of Music and Soundtracks, Brian McNelis, about his day-to-day with Lakeshore. As you might expect, after scanning through the hefty number of releases on the Lakeshore Records website,…
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Music Review…Mondo Goes the Distance with Limited Edition ‘Creed’ 2XLP
There is a well-known proverb that states, “In the warrior’s code, there’s no surrender.” Is that aged wisdom from hundreds of years ago? Not at all. That’s from Rocky IV, and it’s worth noting that film marked the first time in the Rocky saga that a torch was passed to a new composer. The film was an entirely macho and pugilistic allegory of Cold War tensions, sure, but it was also pretty awesome from a musical sense, both score and song. Picking up on that departure, Ryan Coogler’s Creed is a fantastic step forward in the saga while also serving as a quasi-remake of the iconic 1976 property. The series may…
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Exclusive: Mondo Artist Rory Kurtz on ‘A Clockwork Orange’, ‘The Graduate’ and More at MondoCon 2016
In advance of MondoCon 2016, we got to speak to poster artist Rory Kurtz about his recent work for the Mondo label this year. Kurtz, a self-proclaimed “massive movie fan” (and he proves it, too, diving into his wealth of movies knowledge during our discussion) has such a unique style, and that makes him a perfect fit for the brand. He has four posters released in this calendar year, and two MondoCon exclusive prints. Kurtz’s background is in illustration and editorial layouts. His compositions are crisp, striking, and very inviting; he’s one of the most vibrant additions to the Mondo bullpen. We spent an hour with Kurtz and, really, we could have continued talking about…
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Exclusive: Mondo’s Creative Team Offers Details on Vinyl, Collectibles, and Posters at MondoCon 2016 and Beyond
MondoCon is a celebration of everything Mondo loves, including movies, art, comics, music, toys and food. It’s a weekend curated with fans in mind, featuring incredible artists & creators from around the world, panels, screenings, food trucks, live scores and interactive events. This year, these genre loving artistic wizards are excited to unveil the lineup of panels, artists, screenings, live music and more for MondoCon 2016 taking place October 22-23 in Austin, TX. The stellar schedule of panels will include sneak peaks at upcoming posters, toys & collectibles, and an in-depth discussion of soundtracks from Mondo Music Group and other leading labels (you can read find from the press release/schedule here). We’ve…
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Exclusive: Mo Shafeek Shares Stories as Mondo’s Record Label Production Manager
Mondo employees are a rare breed of cinephiles and artisans – chalk it up mostly to each of them having seen certain films way too early in their lifetime. Having watched those titles countless times, movies are not just a means of entertainment, they are part of their DNA. Who else could make/understand a “little too Raph” joke on a daily basis without missing a beat? In short, certain films defined their tastes for years to come. One such individual is Mo Shafeek. We got to speak to him for over an hour regarding his role as Mondo’s soundtrack production manager. Based in Austin, TX, the Mondo bunch (Mo included),…
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Ohhh, Look…Full Album Artwork for Mondo’s BACK TO THE FUTURE Vinyl Release
Great Scott!! The “future” is just two days away. And similar to May 4th, 10/21/2015 is a date held in high regard by the film and geek communities alike. After living with images of the Cafe ’80s and Pitbull hoverboards in my head for the past 26 years, I’m jazzed that the world is getting closer to that vision of tomorrow imagined by Robert Zemeckis and co. for Back to the Future II. So while some notice/lament the lack of flying cars in “our” future, I’ll gladly take Mondo’s magnificent looking BTTF trilogy score (which includes some Alan Silvestri-composed tracks that are being released for the first time evar!!!) over…
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Exclusive: A Look Into the Mondo Creative Process and Preview of MondoCon 2015
Film fans around the globe are becoming increasingly aware of and familiar with the Alamo Drafthouse’s boutique poster label Mondo. What started out as a small Austin, TX based outfit has quickly become a major player in film circles for simply outstanding movie art – be it posters, vinyl soundtracks, or, recently, toys. While they have built brand awareness by producing a prolific and dizzying array of spectacular releases, Mondo is committed to two main goals: they seek to educate people about films as much as they want to celebrate them, but also, they aim to get film fans to see cinema the way they do. The Mondo team is a uniquely…
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Mondo To Release ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Looper, and ‘2001’ Scores On Vinyl
“We’re coming to get you Barbara!“. The 10th Annual Fantastic Fest is a mere two days away, which is reason enough to celebrate. But aside from that, the Fest will also be home to the first ever MondoCon! If by chance you’re a movie fan and have not heard of Mondo (or, egads, the Alamo Drafthouse!) it’s possible you’ve been living under a rock. Not to fear, we’re here to help spread their good word for both those wonderful companies. “Mondo” is an art gallery and online store devoted to a passionate love of film, art, music and toys. They continually champion vinyl releases and as we too are fans of keeping turntables…
