��� Available in both limited edition LP and cassette editions from One Way Static.

��� A sure-fire way to produce one of the most unique horror film scores of the early 90s is to enlist acclaimed modern composer Phillip Glass, which is exactly what director Bernard Rose did for his 1992 film Candyman, an adaptation of the Clive Barker short story "The Forbidden". While the film has enjoyed a strong cult following since its release and in many minds is one of the finest of the filmic Barker adaptations (with Paperhouse director Rose expanding on the original story's themes dealing with the power of myth and the ritual of storytelling), it wasn't received as well by composer Glass, who expressed disdain for the finished product upon its release. Because of that, Glass's haunting score for Candyman took years to eventually be released on CD, and it wasn't until now that the music has finally been made available on vinyl. Since then, Glass's opinion of the film and of his involvement has softened, but in any event it's good to finally have a high-quality edition of his powerful score in our hands. In stark contrast to the orchestral bombast and sleek synthesizer-based scores that generally dominated horror films of the period, Glass's compositions are mesmerizingly minimal, arranged for choral voices, icy pipe organs and delicate piano. Gorgeous stuff that often stood in stark contrast to the images of brutal, visceral violence and gore that Rose shocked his audience with. A masterwork of dread-filled modern classical that is one of the most gothic works to come from Glass's long and illustrious career, the highlight of the score is Glass's opening "Music Box" theme, which remains one of the most haunting pieces of horror film music of the era, and which recurs throughout the film with its ghostly piano motif. Other tracks are similarly eerie, like the droning wordless choral voices and minimal electronic melodies that come together on "Cabrini Green", transforming into an otherworldly calliope tune that circles endlessly over the grey skies of Chicago. Each piece becomes an integral part of the funereal feel and fatalist mood that hangs over the film, and even in its most violent and horrifying sequences, Glass's music imbues the visuals with a gorgeously moody atmosphere that closely follows the doomed protagonist in her dreamlike journey through the bowels of the Chicago projects and into the arms of the titular hook-handed legend, and leads to the strangely triumphant sound of the final portion of the score. An unusual and unforgettable piece of music that intersects the avant-garde with images of haunting, poetic horror. Comes in a gorgeously designed case-wrapped gatefold jacket with an obi strip and an insert with liner notes from Rose, Barker, actors Tony Todd and Ted Raimi and more, while the audio tape version features alternate cover art and some cool foreign film trailers tacked on to the end as bonus material.