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5 sci-fi and horror soundtracks from Mondo you should own
From Halloween to Twin Peaks, here are five soundtracks that should be in every record lover's collection.
A truly great soundtrack can elevate a movie or television series. In some cases, a soundtrack can even become more recognizable than the actual movie or series it's from. Think about the iconic Jaws (1979) theme – you're lying if you haven't hummed that while standing in the water to mess with your friend at the beach. Or how about "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (1939), one of the most covered songs in history?
There's nothing better than when the perfect song is used in the perfect scene, and Mondo knows that. They have a wide array of gorgeously packed vinyl records that honor the music behind the movies that you love, and we here at SYFY are here to present to you five sci-fi and horror soundtracks that we think every music and movie buff should own. Dust off your record collection, drop that needle, and let's do this.
1. JURASSIC PARK (1993) – JOHN WILLIAMS
John Williams has been composing iconic scores for almost seven decades, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park is right up there with anything that he's ever done. The booming theme from Jurassic Park is synonymous with that famous scene of Richard Attenborough presenting a green and loping valley filled with real, living dinosaurs to a shocked Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. Just like how people will never forget how unbelievable and revolutionary those special effects looked like in those scenes, the same goes for Williams' music. It's a masterful score that is done justice with a beautiful 25th anniversary double LP.
2. HALLOWEEN (1978) – JOHN CARPENTER
Few cues fill you with the level of dread and anxiety that comes whenever you hear the theme from Halloween. Composed by Halloween director and writer John Carpenter (what can't that man do?), the Halloween soundtrack is the ultimate horror movie record to own. Much like how the movie itself is the gold standard for the genre, the spine-tingling soundtrack holds the same prestige, as well. Just don't play it too loud or else a certain masked man might show up in your town (Just kidding! He's not real. Or is he? Either way, play it at a reasonable volume).
3. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021) – JOHNNY KLIMEK & TOM TYKWER
Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer's soundtrack to The Matrix Resurrections (2021), the latest installment in The Wachowskis' famed series, is just as heart-pounding and compelling as the movie itself. Part orchestral and part electronic, Klimek and Tykwer's score pays homage to the original iconic soundtrack from The Matrix (1999) while also injecting a newness to it, especially with the duo's utilization of electronics into classical sections. "Johnny and I felt our challenge for the music was to pay tribute to The Matrix lineage and also support this cinematic endeavor of expanding that legacy to explore new directions," Tykwer told Mondo. This double record is a must-own for any Matrix fan.
4. ALIEN (1979) – JERRY GOLDSMITH
Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic comes with one of cinema's most intense soundtracks. Jerry Goldsmith's haunting score perfectly encapsulates the eeriness and bleakness of the movie. From the ominous opening "Main Title" arrangement to the frenzied dissonance of "The Droid" and "The Recovery," Goldsmith's Alien soundtrack is one of the best in his vast array of famous works, which include the soundtracks to Planet of the Apes (1968), Poltergeist (1982), and his Oscar-winning The Omen (1976).
5. TWIN PEAKS (1990) – ANGELO BADALAMENTI
Angelo Badalamenti's work on David Lynch and Mark Frost's masterful cult series Twin Peaks gave audiences one of the most iconic TV themes ever. Badalamenti and Lynch go perfectly together, as shown by his other collaborations with Lynch, including Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001). But Twin Peaks may be Badalamenti's best. "This is my defining work as a composer," he said in 2016. Music does not get much better than this soundtrack.
