After their first collaboration, 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie, director Joe Dante and composer Jerry Goldsmith reunite a year later for the mischievously funny horror movie Gremlins. At this time, Goldsmith is deep into his experimentation with analogue synthesizers and the combination of electronics and traditional orchestral instruments works surprisingly well, creating a subversively silly tone that matches the on-screen chaos.
Incorporating a total of eight synthesizers, a drum machine and a digital polyphonic sequencer, the score reads like a “who’s-who” of classic 80s synths. Roland’s Jupiter-6 (notably providing the “cat’s meow” sound heard prominently when the gremlins turn evil), Sequential Circuits’ Prophet T8, Rhodes‘ Chroma, Yamaha’s GS1, Moog’s memorymoog, a pair of Yamaha’s ubiquitous DX7’s and an Oberheim trio; the OB-8 synth, DSX sequencer and DMX drum machine round out the electronics.
Rather than being pre-recorded or fed directly into the mixing desk, these were amplified and played live with the 80-piece orchestra under the baton of maestro Goldsmith.
- ISMN: 9790900247254 (M900247254)
