VANGELIS’ film score for Blade Runner

Probably one of the less noticeable aspects of what adds to Blade Runner’s extraordinary score is Vangelis’ instinctive way of capturing the subtle visual cues from film and embodying them in a seamless music score. As we gaze at the ‘Spinner’ car flying above the city’s panoramic landscape there is a sense of levitation in the music, endowing the aerodyne vehicle with a cause and effect within the musical score.

Architectural and technological objects in Blade Runner also produce sounds and suggest they are part of the film’s sonic landscape. When the huge polarising windows at Tyerll’s office begin to reduce the amount of daylight into the room, the effect is complemented by musical drones that are wholly integrated into the music.

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Nemo, a private recording studio

By the late 1960s, studio recording equipment had reached a new level of maturity. The latest technological 

developments meant that state-of the-art multitrack tape recorders, mixing desks, noise-reduction equipment and a multitude of audio outboard equipment transformed the professional recording studio. This ultimately lead to an increase in the audio sound quality of the recordings and opened up a host of new possibilities for sound producers, who were then able to obtain production techniques previously unimaginable.

However, with this vast array of equipment, it also meant that, proportionally, the recording of compositions took longer to complete, both at the production and mixing stages. Much of the time was spent either editing or at the mixing desk rather than recording the music.

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Βαγγέλης Παπαθανασίου - Η ΒΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΕΡΓΟ ΤΟΥ

Οι μαθητές του 1ου Γυμνασίου Κιλκίς και ο ιστότοπος-αφιέρωμα (www.nemostudios.co.uk) παρουσιάζουν από κοινού τη βιογραφία και τα έργα του Βαγγέλη Παπαθανασίου. Σε διάστημα 4 και πλέον δεκαετιών ο Βαγγέλης παρήγαγε πλούσιο έργο, που αριθμεί πάνω από 40 άλμπουμ. Μαζί με άλλα του έργα καταλέγονται και συνθέσεις για μπαλέτο, θεατρικές παραστάσεις, πολιτιστικά δρώμενα και φιλανθρωπικές δράσεις. Το εισαγωγικό κείμενο προσφέρει μια μικρή μόνο ματιά στα συναρπαστικά έργα του Βαγγέλη, ενώ ελπίδα όλων είναι ότι το κείμενο αυτό θα ενθαρρύνει τους επισκέπτες να ανακαλύψουν κάθε έργο του Βαγγέλη και να απολαύσουν τη δημιουργική του ιδιοφυΐα στην πληρότητά της.

http://el.nemostudios.co.uk  (Ελληνικά)

http://vangelis.nemostudios.co.uk (English)

To Nemo Studios: a website

Nemo Studios was the recording studio of the renowned composer and innovative musician Vangelis. It was established in London, in 1975, as a privately owned sound laboratory and recording studio. At the time, it was one of the very few independently run studios dedicated to the sole recording projects of one artist. The studio - or as Vangelis preferred to call it, ‘his laboratory’ - fulfilled one of Vangelis’ long-term ambitions; from a young age, Vangelis had developed his own musical style and made it his dream to found a creative haven to pursue his own exploration of sound.

Vangelis equipped Nemo Studios with all the necessary professional commercial equipment needed for producing music on quarter-inch analogue tape, all funded by Vangelis’ successful music records. The studio was filled with a wide collection of musical instruments of various kinds: acoustic, ethnic, electronic, and synthesisers.

Vangelis’ enormous music emanating from his sound laboratory mesmerized the audiences with each new release stirring greater enthusiasm and impact than the previous one. His talents as an exceptionally gifted composer were only enhanced by his instinctive touch to bring a soul to the electronic music he pioneered, and his symphonic sensibilities that broke the taboo that electronic music were too cold and too mechanical to be embraced wholeheartedly.

In addition to his music releases as successful albums, his memorable film score to Chariots of Fire, Missing, Blade Runner, Antarctica and The Bounty, are all testaments for his visionary and his lasting impact on film music today.

Vangelis worked virtually alone at his well-equipped sound laboratory, and was only assisted by one or two studio engineers. Working in this way allowed Vangelis to create music in an uninterrupted and relaxed environment, which inspired him to create truly spontaneous compositions. If an idea sprung to mind, the studio was always ready for him, and Vangelis could start recording creative ideas right away.

Learn more about Vangelis and his legendary studio at the fan appreciation website  NemoStudios.co.uk