Music Review: "Outpost 31 Isn't Responding" by Videogram

- by Señor Editor, 11 September 2015

John Carpenter’s "The Thing" is a masterpiece. It’s one of these rare horror movies that transcends the genre and gets praise from people who aren’t even horror fans at all (i.e. awful people). The atmosphere, the incredible special effects, and of course the bearded Kurt Russell with a flamethrower, are all things that make "The Thing" so damn good. So damn good that it now received the Videogram treatment!

Cover art, by Van Davis.

If you’re a regular Trash Mutant reader, you may remember my interview with Videogram (AKA Magnus Sellergren). Long story short, Videogram is Sellergren’s musical project that’s heavily inspired by classic genre movies. It’s instrumental music that pays homage to the genre cinema classics, whether it’s slashers, Italian horror, science-fiction or action movies. In a way, you can think of some of Videogram’s releases as sequels to the original movie soundtracks, though he’s always bringing his own style into the mix. It’s a very interesting project, unlike anything out there, and the fact that Sellergren takes on some of our favorite movies just makes us all the more into it.

When I interviewed Videogram in March, we talked about the “Cobretti” EP, rooted in the Sly classic. The new Thing-inspired release, “Outpost 31 Isn’t Responding” is a two-track single.

The original soundtrack composed by Ennio Morricone is not something that’s easy to follow up on, but Sellergren isn’t trying to outdo the OG maestro. He’s putting his own spin on various tones and the atmosphere of the original score, while also adding a more dynamic vibe to it. There’s quite a bit of reinventing going on, while also staying true to The Thing’s style.

The first track, the titular “Outpost 31…”, feels like it would be a great score to the action-filled finale of the movie. The pulsating synth sounds are backed with drums that are nicely toned-down, but still sound heavier than anything in the original score. There are elements here that make me think of bits from the main movie theme, but it’s faster, while still retaining that familiar intensity. When listening to this, I was regretting it’s not winter yet, because I imagine it would be very cool to have this on headphones, while walking my dog in the snow (and hoping my dog isn’t actually The Thing).  

Speaking of snow, the second track is called “Antarctica”. It’s not as fast-paced as “Outpost”, but it sounds more sinister. The pulsating synths really match the percussion on this really well, creating this ominous vibe. This definitely sounds like ‘80s horror, and it’s a very cool piece.

“Outpost 31 Isn’t Responding” is a great tribute to what I consider Carpenter’s best movie. Videogram keeps putting out really interesting stuff, making things that nobody else is doing, and finding a really fresh way to reanimate these cult classics. The influence these movies have on him are easy to hear, but it’s what he does with those influences that really shines in his stuff. This single is available on Videogram’s Bandcamp, for just two bucks. Watch “The Thing”, then download “Outpost 31”, grow a beard, and get ready for winter.

Check out this great video teaser for the record:

What do you think of Videogram’s tribute to “The Thing”? Can we all agree that “The Thing” is the best Carpenter movie? Let us know in the comments!

Tagged: music, Reviews.

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