Items16The creator’s order
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Akira (Symphonic Suite)Voices and percussion
“Kaneda” establishes the record’s scale with massed voices and hard-struck percussion. At the other end, “Requiem” gives the ensemble room to stretch into something more ceremonial. The Symphonic Suite gives each piece room to develop, so its changes of pace can register.0 - 2
Kiki’s Delivery Service (Original Soundtrack) (1989)Released Aug 10, 1989A town with its own rhythm
Start with “A Town with an Ocean View” for its lilting melody, then hear the small-scale bustle of “Helping the Baker.” The soundtrack album moves easily between the feeling of arriving in an unfamiliar place and the everyday work of making a home there. Choose the…0 - 3
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1993)Released Oct 12, 1993A musical in several voices
The Halloween Town ensemble makes “This Is Halloween” a parade of character voices. The quieter “Sally’s Song,” sung by Catherine O’Hara, opens a different corner of the same world. The original album keeps Danny Elfman’s songs alongside his underscore, so the musical’s…0 - 4
The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)A song album with a second voice in the score
“Circle of Life” gives the album an immediate sweep, with Lebo M’s opening vocal and the chorus that follows it. Hans Zimmer’s “Under the Stars” works at a quieter scale. The two tracks make a good pair if you want to hear how the original soundtrack…0 - 5
The Prince of Egypt (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)The force of a chorus
“Deliver Us” moves between a work chorus and Ofra Haza’s lullaby. “The Plagues” sets voices against one another and turns a confrontation into a song you can follow by ear. The 1998 film album puts Stephen Schwartz’s songs alongside Hans Zimmer’s orchestral score.0 - 6
The Iron Giant (Original Score)An orchestra that can sound enormous or close
Put “The Giant Wakes” next to “Bedtime Stories.” The first leaves room for the size and mystery of the robot, while the second comes closer to the scale of a boy telling a story. Choose the original score album to follow that change in scale across the…0 - 7
Spirited Away (Original Soundtrack) (2001)Released Jul 18, 2001Melodies with room around them
The piano at the start of “One Summer’s Day” draws you close before the arrangement opens out. “The Sixth Station” lets a slower figure repeat and leaves more of the space empty. Hear the two on the original film album to get a sense of how Hisaishi can move between…0 - 8
Les Triplettes de Belleville (Bande originale du film)Swing with household percussion
“Belleville rendez-vous” puts an old-fashioned vocal swing number at the center of the album. In “Cabaret aspirateur,” the sound of ordinary objects becomes part of the band. Charest used a real bicycle in the studio, blending its sound with kalimba to give the…0 - 9
Paprika (Original Soundtrack) (2006)Released Nov 23, 2006Electronics that can march or float
“Parade” near the end has a marching pulse and a bright, uncanny vocal sound. The shorter “Meditation Field” gives the same album a chance to hover. Hirasawa’s original soundtrack also includes an instrumental “Parade,” a good way to hear the shape of the tune…0 - 10
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Original Soundtrack)A score that can share space with a record collection
Alexandre Desplat’s “Kristofferson’s Theme” sits on the same album as Jarvis Cocker’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey’s Song.” The first has room for delicate instrumental detail, while the second sounds like someone making up a story in song. The…0