Having *just* seen the film when asked to review this CD, the first
question was, how well would the music hold up without the stunning
graphics as a backdrop? Well, let's just say this ain't yer grandfather's soundtrack album, although the second disc is a more traditional twelve tracks from Tatsuya Takahashi's original score. The first disc, however, is an all-star, globe-trotting, electronic genre-crossing gem packed with original music and exclusive remixes. Four of the cuts, including the crunchy pile driver "Dive For You" that leads the disc, are from Japan's Boom Boom Satellites, the duo of Nakano and Kawishima, recruited personally by the film's producer. Paul Oakenfold contributes a track worthy of his considerable stature, the club-and radio-friendly "Burns Attack" and immediately following is a sparkling vocal anthem (golden pipes courtesy of Lisa Kekaula) from another duo, the UK's hitmaking tandem Basement Jaxx.
Shitkataput founder T. Raumschmiere checks in with some of his trademark innovation and cheekiness on "One Man Army" and Japan's avant-garde auteur Ryuchi Sakamoto goes deep with "coro." In an embarrassment of riches, the album closes with "White Car" from Atom (aka Atom Heart aka Señor Coconut aka ?), Montreal's Akufen with a title nearly as long as the song ("The Dragonfly Who Thought He Was A Mockingbird") and Detroit's Carl Craig vs. our third duo, Adult (Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus.) The remix of Adult's "Hard To Phone" was reworked especially for the film and is dubbed the "Appleseed version." This is not a CD to pop in at a party for people to dance to (although there's some dance music on here), nor is it something to put on in the background while you read your eMail (just try it and see.) What it is, is an astonishingly good cross-section of electronic music as futuristic and creative as the film from which it's taken.
