Austria's Cineploit Records have carved out a positive reputation in recent years for their dedication to the music and culture of Italian genre cinema, specifically from the 1970s and 80s. The label's most recent release represents a bit of a shift, however, a modern soundtrack release for the 2012 film L'Apocalisse Delle Scimmie from Fiume native director Romano Scavolini, most known for his 1981 horror opus Nightmares in a Damaged Brain. Luigi Porto composed the score-shortened here simply to Scimmie for its CD release-for Scavolini's film, and brings with him an avant-garde sensibility which takes influence from the tense and suspenseful giallo scores of old, while adapting that classic Italian soundtrack style with a most of darker, modern extremes. There's a bit of influence from the musique concrete movement of recorded sound, as well as a host of atmospheric and, at times, startling vocal performances from man, woman and monkey, a host of which adorn the album's striking red cover art. There's even a track featuring hip hop artist Mr. Death, who raps over the track “Distaste II” to a subtle strings and a down-tempo beat. Elsewhere, the use of those strings close out the score in a suitably dark fashion, while wordless female vocals strike the perfect, balanced chord to set up Luigi Porto's ScimmIe as a great, uniting force between Italian score sounds of old with a smart, focused vision of the new. |