We Are The Freaks (Vincent Watts)

Synchrotones’ Microtones Review… all of the opinion, less of the words.

WE ARE THE FREAKS

Vincent Watts, 2014, MovieScore Media
10 tracks, 29:01

What is it? Written and directed by Justin Edgar, the film follows the adventures of Jack (Jamie Blackley), Parsons (Mike Bailey) and Chunks (Sean Teale) on a Friday night, in a post-Thatcher Britain, that will change their lives forever.

What does it sound like? Watts notes that he took inspiration from retro electro music from artists like Tangerine Dream and Wendy Carlos. A track like “Ambient Light” (living up to its name) seems to also owe a bit to Orbital’s “Belfast”. The album is dominated by synth arpeggios – slow ones, fast ones, floaty ones and bassy ones. There are retro beats and vintage-sounding analogue leads. “Manager’s Office”, “Killer Colin” and “The Freaks” are the most ‘song’ like of the bunch (through their use of arpeggios and percussion); with “Did I Learn Anything” still being song-like but in a more ambient way. “Monkey Science” sounds like a techno dance track with the beats taken out; you’d expect them to kick in at any time, but they don’t. The other cues are all of an ambient nature, despite the use of beats in some of them.

Is it any good? I grew up with 80s electronica and still am a fan of Orbital and The Orb, so for me “We Are The Freaks” is a pleasant throwback to that sound. I can imagine how this score would work well within the film; playing nicely along songs or instead of them (whilst creating a similar vibe). I might have preferred a strong recurring theme (as it stands, it feels like a collection of ten individual cues), but it is a nicely conceived and produced soundtrack. A very slick and enjoyable little album.

Rating [3/5]

Review by Pete Simons, (c) Synchrotones