Varèse Sarabande Records will be releasing five amazing soundtrack LPs on Record Store Day 2020’s newly announced release dates: Army of Darkness and Hackers will be available as double LPs and Mortal Kombat and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance get the picture disc treatment (Age of Resistance in two different variants). Record Store Day 2020 was originally planned to take place on April 18th and was postponed until June 20th in wake of COVID-19. Now, the annual celebration will be held through a series of “Record Store Day” drops, which will occur on three Saturdays spread across three consecutive months: August 29th, September 26th, and October 24th.
Titles to expect on Record Store Day
These five Varèse Sarabande Records titles will be available on the dates listed below at thousands of independent record stores:
*AUGUST 29th:Army of Darkness
*SEPTEMBER 26th:Hackers, Mortal Kombat, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Aureyal Picture Disc)
*OCTOBER 24th:The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Crystal Chamber Picture Disc)
ARMY OF DARKNESS – Joseph LoDuca (Double LP)—*RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 29th*
This double LP soundtrack for Sam Raimi’s 1990s classic Army of Darkness film (a continuation of Raimi’s Evil Dead series, which also starred Bruce Campbell as Ash) features the original cover graphics with new notes and images, and a newly remastered score by composer Joe LoDuca. Years later, LoDuca continued to score Evil Dead projects through the Starz series, Ash vs The Evil Dead. The latter series ran from 2015–2018. Army of Darkness is musically distinct, however, in having a secondary contributing composer: Danny Elfman’s (Batman, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The Simpsons) killer theme “March of the Dead.”
HACKERS – Various Artists (Double LP)—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26th*
On vinyl for the first time, the definitive soundtrack to the film Hackers is being released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film. The double LP features never-before-released tracks including “Hackers Suite” performed by composer Simon Boswell, as well as two pieces by Guy Pratt, “One Combination” and “Grand Central Station” featuring David Gilmour.
“This was such a fun thing to do, had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.” – Guy Pratt
Additionally, tracks that were not on the original soundtrack release in 1995, including “Protection” by Massive Attack, and “Open Up” by Leftfield, are part of this special album edition. The commemorative package includes two black vinyl LPs in a gatefold, new notes from director Iain Softley, and unreleased photos of the cast.
MORTAL KOMBAT – George S. Clinton (Picture Disc)—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26th*
Originally released on CD only in 1995 and currently unavailable in any physical format, this score to the first film ever developed for the massive gaming franchise will get the LP treatment in conjunction with the film’s 25th anniversary. Side A of this two-sided picture disc features the iconic Mortal Kombat logo, while Side B features Goro, a fan favorite from the game and film who is generally considered by gamers to be one of the most memorable and difficult bosses in gaming culture. In fact, the four-armed fighter did not lose a battle for 500 years before a first-ever loss to Mortal Kombat hero, Johnny Cage. The music was composed by George S. Clinton with a heavy assist from the guitarist, Buckethead (Guns N’ Roses, Primus), who appears on 10 of the 26 tracks.
THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, The Aureyal & The Crystal Chamber – Daniel Pemberton, Samuel Sim (Picture Discs)
*AUREYAL PICTURE DISC—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26TH*
*CRYSTAL CHAMBER PICTURE DISC—*RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 24TH*
Two truly special picture disc editions featuring imagery unavailable anywhere else! The Aureyal, a symbol representing the unity of the seven Gelfling Clans, presents itself in the visions of various important Gelfling characters and is formally identified as “the sigil of great power” by skekGra the Heretic. The Aureyal picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 1 CD and digital release. The Crystal Chamber disc depicts the floor of the Dark Crystal’s chamber; a circle of 18 arcane symbols, one for each of the urSkeks that came to Thra during the first Great Conjunction. The Crystal Chamber picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 2 CD and digital release. Consumers should note that the track selections on the two picture discs are completely different. Although available for individual purchase, they are thematically a set.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a 10-episode prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan-favorite The Dark Crystal, and stars Taron Egerton, Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham-Carter, Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander and Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe. The show’s composer Daniel Pemberton reveals, “I wanted the music to be as magical as Thra itself – organic, imperfect, strange, mystical, otherworldly and wonderful. I wanted to create new sounds that felt like they came from the world itself, as well as using thematic largescale orchestral elements to bring an emotion to the journey of the characters.”
Maddie Morrow (she/they) plays a vital role on the Temple of Geek Team. As a jack-of-all-trades and Creative Director, she actively participates in nearly every project and facet of the organization. From fostering community and interviewing on red carpets, to managing backend operations, Maddie contributes across almost every department. Find her on Instagram and TikTok at @maddie_whovian and on Twitter @mad_whovian
Maddie Morrow (she/they) plays a vital role on the Temple of Geek Team. As a jack-of-all-trades and Creative Director, she actively participates in nearly every project and facet of the organization. From fostering community and interviewing on red carpets, to managing backend operations, Maddie contributes across almost every department. Find her on Instagram and TikTok at @maddie_whovian and on Twitter @mad_whovian