Lost Themes II

AlbumApr 15 / 201612 songs, 47m 28s
Horror Synth Progressive Electronic
Popular

On Halloween 2014, the director and composer John Carpenter introduced the world to the next phase of his career with “Vortex,” the first single from Lost Themes, his first-ever solo record. In the months that followed, Lost Themes rightfully returned Carpenter to the forefront of the discussion of music and film’s crucial intersection. Carpenter’s foundational primacy and lasting influence on genre score work was both rediscovered and reaffirmed. So widespread was the acclaim for Lost Themes, that the composer was moved to embark on something he had never before entertained – playing his music live in front of an audience. 2016 will host the first ever John Carpenter tour and in true Carpenter spirit, a sequel to Lost Themes: Lost Themes II. The follow-up brings quite a few noticeable changes to the process, which result in an even more cohesive record. Lost Themes’ cowriters Cody Carpenter (John’s son) and Daniel Davies (John’s godson) both returned. Cody was recently also heard as a composer for Showtime’s Masters of Horror series (Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life), and NBC’s Zoo. Davies was a composer for NBC’s Zoo, as well as the motion picture Condemned. All three brought in sketches and worked together in the same city, a luxury they weren’t afforded on the first Lost Themes. The result was a more focused effort, one that was completed on a compressed schedule — not unlike Carpenter’s classic, notoriously low-budget early films. The musical world of Lost Themes II is also a wider one than that of its predecessor. More electric and acoustic guitar help flesh out the songs, still driven by Carpenter’s trademark minimal synth. Keep your eyes peeled for John and his co-writers to hit the road next year performing both lost and newly found themes, in addition to retrospective work from Mr. Carpenter’s multi-generational career. Long live the Horror Master.

5.6 / 10

The legendary filmmaker and soundtrack composer John Carpenter began releasing standalone albums last year with Lost Themes. The followup is a reminder that the man was not known for sequels.

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Sacred Bones unleash the companion (and in every way equal counterpart) to horror legend John Carpenter's surprise, superb release of last year.

7 / 10

On Lost Themes II, as on last years' Lost Themes, famed filmmaker and synth-horror musician John Carpenter brings a stable of tracks ripped right out of the '80s.

6.0 / 10

Now that budgets for films that reside in John Carpenter's wheelhouse have become all but extinct, the auteur behind iconic films like Halloween and Escape from New York has taken his side hustle as a film composer—and popularizer of the analog synth—

6 / 10

John Carpenter’s music for his string of early ‘80s horror films was less a matter of directorial control freakery and more down to lack of

8 / 10

Given that director-composer John Carpenter’s electronic scores were so integral to his classic 70s and 80s horror movies, from The Fog to Halloween, it’s a wonder that he waited so long to release an album.

Album Reviews: John Carpenter - Lost Themes II

4.5 / 5

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II review: Lost Themes II fills in the cracks and offers a much tighter album.