Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa made some of Japan's, and indeed the world's, most acclaimed movies during his lifetime. His films have received extensive preservation treatment and have been released time and time again to be cherished by collectors. Now, the soundtracks to some of his most famous films have been released as a deluxe four-LP vinyl box set.
As FACT Magazine points out, the set, titled Akira Kurosawa's Movie Soundtracks (1950-1958) comes courtesy of DOXY Records. The box includes the soundtracks for Rashomon (1950), Ikuru (aka To Live) (1952), Seven Samurai (1954), Record of a Living Being (aka I Live In Fear) (1955), Throne of Blood (1957) and The Hidden Fortress, all of which were recorded by composers Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Sato. The four 180g LPs come housed in a book-style quadruple gatefold sleeve with full colour artwork.
The collection marks a century since Kurosawa's birth in 1910, which DOXY celebrated with the following statement:
Akira Kurosawa's films dominated Japanese cinema for nearly half a century and his influence has been so widespread and profound that the world's best filmmakers seem to unanimously sing his praise. He first gained the attention of the international filmmaking community in 1951 when his masterpiece, Rashomon, won top prize at the Venice Film Festival.
It was during this time that Kurosawa also began collaborating with the award-winning composer Fumio Hayasaka. The two great men soon formed a deep connection, with Kurosawa later commenting that Hayasaka caused him to see film music as a "counterpoint" to the image instead of a mere "accompaniment." Another promising young composer, Masaru Satō, soon joined the ranks at Toho Studios, working under Hayasaka. However, when Hayasaka died suddenly in 1955, Satō was left on his own to finish the unfinished film score.
Kurosawa was so impressed with the results that he asked Satō to score his next two films, Throne of Blood and The Hidden Fortress.
Akira Kurosawa's Movie Soundtracks (1950-1958) is out now. The set is available from Boomkat in the UK and Amazon in North America.
As FACT Magazine points out, the set, titled Akira Kurosawa's Movie Soundtracks (1950-1958) comes courtesy of DOXY Records. The box includes the soundtracks for Rashomon (1950), Ikuru (aka To Live) (1952), Seven Samurai (1954), Record of a Living Being (aka I Live In Fear) (1955), Throne of Blood (1957) and The Hidden Fortress, all of which were recorded by composers Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Sato. The four 180g LPs come housed in a book-style quadruple gatefold sleeve with full colour artwork.
The collection marks a century since Kurosawa's birth in 1910, which DOXY celebrated with the following statement:
Akira Kurosawa's films dominated Japanese cinema for nearly half a century and his influence has been so widespread and profound that the world's best filmmakers seem to unanimously sing his praise. He first gained the attention of the international filmmaking community in 1951 when his masterpiece, Rashomon, won top prize at the Venice Film Festival.
It was during this time that Kurosawa also began collaborating with the award-winning composer Fumio Hayasaka. The two great men soon formed a deep connection, with Kurosawa later commenting that Hayasaka caused him to see film music as a "counterpoint" to the image instead of a mere "accompaniment." Another promising young composer, Masaru Satō, soon joined the ranks at Toho Studios, working under Hayasaka. However, when Hayasaka died suddenly in 1955, Satō was left on his own to finish the unfinished film score.
Kurosawa was so impressed with the results that he asked Satō to score his next two films, Throne of Blood and The Hidden Fortress.
Akira Kurosawa's Movie Soundtracks (1950-1958) is out now. The set is available from Boomkat in the UK and Amazon in North America.
