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Baker's Dozen

Spencer Hickman Of Death Waltz Records’ Favourite Horror Soundtracks
Spencer Hickman , October 31st, 2013 05:37

Spencer Hickman founded and runs Death Waltz Records, a label that puts out classic and obscure horror soundtracks in mouthwatering vinyl reissue packages. In a Baker’s Dozen Halloween Special, he chooses his favourite OSTs for us

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All The Colours Of The Dark - Director: Sergio Martino, Soundtrack: Bruno Nicolai
It’s a traditional, Italian giallo. Really dream-like. You know what these movies are like, full of gorgeous imagery. I haven’t seen the film for years but the score I listen to all the time. Bruno Nicolai was Ennio Morricone’s go-to guy. He used to arrange everything for him. I don’t know what happened but they parted ways. I think he’s interesting though. He could do stuff that other composers at the time couldn’t do. If you listen to All The Colours Of The Dark, it’s almost pop really. There are tracks on there that are very pop. If you listen to the The Case Of The Scorpion’s Tail, that’s more on his abrasive side but this is more on his orchestral side. You can imagine listening to it on the radio. Often with a straight score you listen to it and go, “That’s a film score.” I don’t think you’d necessarily think that about this. This is more like some weird, dreamy, psychedelic pop record. Nicolai does the traditional Italian horror movie score of this period but he puts a weird twist on it. And I would like to know if he did a lot of drugs because as well as the pop edge, there are these weird psychedelic elements to it as well.