We are super happy to continue our series of TOHO titles with not one, not two, but THREE brand-new releases this week. Behold the mighty roar of GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK, GODZILLA VS MOTHRA and the mighty RODAN, one of the jewels in TOHO's crown!
All releases are Mondo exclusives and are limited numbered editions of 2000.
And, as always, all new releases go on sale on Wednesday at 12PM CT at mondorecordshop.com.
NEW RELEASES:
RODAN - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK LP
This is the first time ever that the full soundtrack to the mighty RODAN has been available on vinyl! In 1956, Toho unleashed their first color kaiju picture: RODAN, the giant monster from the sky, directed by Ishiro Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film is a terrifying tale from the creators of the original GODZILLA, that sees a giant Pteranodon rise from a deep underground cave after being disturbed by miners. Like the Big G, Rodan has mutated to excessive size after being exposed to nuclear radiation, subsequently soaring free above Kyushu to cause as much mayhem as possible. It was inevitable that the man behind the music of GODZILLA would also take on scoring RODAN, and the great Akira Ifukube created a score with a solemn edge, which makes the music fit in the larger universe while allowing it to feel unique to the character. For the central theme, Ifukube introduces a malevolent low piano and brass phrase before counterpointing it with horns to create a howling menace worthy of the monster.
In contrast, beautiful but melancholy material represents the carnage the monster has brought upon the Earth; in a more upbeat mode, the composer includes another of his jaunty and jazzy marches for the JDSF in the guise of "Get Rodan". It's another Toho triumph from the great maestro Ifukube! (Charlie Brigden)
RODAN - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack LP. Music by Akira Ifukube. Artwork by Henry Abrams. Pressed on 140 Gram Rodan Wings vinyl. Numbered edition of 2000 featuring a spot varnish gatefold sleeve. $35
GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK 2XLP
They say two is company, but three's a crowd. However, no one would ever say that to Godzilla, Mothra, or King Ghidorah! All three return in the classic Millennium tokusatsu, GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK. Directed by Shūsuke Kaneko (GAMERA: THE HEISEI TRILOGY), the 25th installment in the series sees Mothra, Ghidorah, and Baragon teaming up to defend Japan from the radioactive might of Godzilla. It's a titanic battle across many fronts, ending in a furious wrestling match between Godzilla and Ghidorah under the ocean.
The honor of scoring GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK went to Kow Otani (BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL ANIME), who brings a more electronic-focused score that still captures the epic soundscape that's one of the series hallmarks. Otani instantly brings in a new theme for Godzilla, and it's a blast; a vast, driving riff that suits the Millennium Big G, but still has enough of the spirit of the great Akira Ifukube. Beautiful, ethereal tones are used for the graceful flight of Mothra, while an epic choral sound represents the inimitable King Ghidorah and his terrifying trio of heads. And, of course, it's capped off by the return of the classic Godzilla theme.
GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2XLP. Music by Kow Otani. Artwork by Wes Benscoter. Pressed on 2x140 Gram Barragon vinyl. Numbered edition of 2000 with a screen-printed D side. $45GODZILLA VS MOTHRA - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK 2XLP
The Big G is back, but has he bitten off more than he can chew? 1992's GODZILLA VS MOTHRA is a triple threat treasure, with Godzilla battling the legendary Mothra and her dark counterpart Battra, unleashed by a meteorite and is intent on destroying Mothra and, subsequently, the world. Throw in a rogue archaeologist, his ex-wife, and a multinational company exploiting the minute Mothra Cosmos twins, and you have a thrilling kaiju adventure with a stunning score by the original Godzilla composer, the brilliant Akira Ifukube.
GODZILLA VS MOTHRA is undoubtedly one of Ifukube's most outstanding scores, bringing together the traditional booming brass and bass that accompanies Godzilla and Battra with a more ethereal sensibility for Mothra and her mission to save the Earth. Godzilla's theme is stomping in the foreground, and Battra gets similar material with a gigantic doom-laden motif for his destructive power. But the "Sacred Springs" theme for Mothra is a match for any of them, with Ifukube using it in minor and major modes. With a gorgeous rendition with a female chorus at the climax of the score, it illustrates once again that, when it comes to the music of Godzilla, Akira Ifukube is the master. (Charlie Brigden)
GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA: THE BATTLE FOR EARTH Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2XLP. Music by Akira Ifukube. Artwork by Greg Ruth. Pressed on 140 Gram Battra Beam vs. Mothra Silk vinyl, with a screenprinted D side. Ships to all countries, except Japan. $45
