CD REVIEW - BACK IN TIME


Back in Time
Music by Ivan Burlaev
KeepMoving Records KMRCD 005 (Russia)
35 Tracks 67:17 mins

Another score from Pushkin: The Last Duel composer Ivan Burlaev is for Andrei Malyukov's 2008 film Back in Time, which is a time travel adventure of sorts, though, from all accounts, much more.
After a quiet intro, the album lifts off with the high octane "Tribal Fight," a mix of ethnic and modern that gets the toes tapping for its sadly brief playing time; and a similar approach is taken in tracks like "Unsuccessful Attempt," "Behind the Destiny," and "Chase."
A weird, largely electronic and very atmospheric piece, "Dug-out" follows, and a signature motif established in this track reappears many times throughout the score. This atmospheric and mysterious music dominates the next few tracks, before things get moving again in "Welcome to the Past," where pounding percussion and voices produce a largely pretty menacing and nightmarish feel. There's more nightmarish, dissonant music to be found in "Air Strike/Tank Attack/Brave Nina," with choir providing a more unified, determined feel to the latter.
The most conventional piece thus far follows in the bold and heroic "Germans Retreat," even if it is straight out of the Zimmer school of film scoring; as is the weighty"Burial of the Fallen Soldiers" - very Gladiatorish.
"Captured Officer/Yemelyanov's Feat" is largely an electronic actioner that could easily have been written for a game score or maybe a trailer music library, but with a solemn choral requiem at its centre, that can also be heard in "Escape," with a similar approach for "Sokolov's Death" and "After Attack." The same action theme is reprised in "Last Combat," where spirited choral accompaniment takes it to the next level and, after an atonal opening, there's more of the same in "How Russians Fight," with more than a touch of the Zimmer thrown in as it reaches its conclusion.
The brief "Nostradamus" provides a lyrical little orchestral oasis, as does "Flirting; with "Love is Alive" really blossoming on strings and leading into the happy "Latina," which takes an acoustic guitar/modern beat approach to the former, before ending more traditionally. Sadly, the mood doesn't last long, as the theme receives a suitably heartbreaking treatment in the following "Sorrow." "Fatum (Fate)" is another sorrowful affair, with solo piano, before building to a fateful conclusion. This is followed by a more positive, almost spiritual, choral than previously heard, in "Overcoming," which leads into a full-blown version of the Zimmeresque/trailer music piece for "Heroic Song."
The penultimate "Saving Chukha/Way to Home" is a classy piece, with weaving cello solo gradually joined by orchestral/choral forces to provide a truly weighty feel, one that's continued into the impressive closing "Requiem."
This is really a hybrid score, a mix of electronics, sound design, orchestra, choir, ethnic - you name it, strongly influenced by the Zimmer style, game and trailer music. At times, it's challenging, at others downright inspiring. At the very least, you can say it has something for everyone.
Limited to just 500 copies, you'd best get along to www.keepmovingrecords.com/eng/disc/27/ for samples and to order your copy before they're all gone.