Clive Barker's Lord of Ilusions Music By Simon Boswell

Clive Barker's Lord of Ilusions (Complete Score)

Music Composed By Simon Boswell

Performed By The Northwest Sinfonia

Album Produced By Simon Boswell and Robin Esterhammer

Perseverance Records PRD041

Limited Edition of 1200 Copies

Disc 1 - (Complete Score in both Stereo & Mono)

29 Tracks - Running Time: 76:15

Disc 2 - (Demos & Bonus Tracks)

22 Tracks - Running Time: 70:33

After the success of the original Hellraiser and it's sequel as well as a more commercial attempt at expanding his repetitore based on his novel "Cabal" which was filmed as Night Breed, which proved to be a worthwhile, but commercial faliure, Director and Novelist Clive Barker, came up with Lord of Illusions a noirish-horror story that was an rather interesting attempt to blend both the detective and horror genres which also incorporated the mysteries of the super secret society of magicians. Of course, there's also a supernatural aspect to the story as well as our hero Private Eye Harry D'Amour (Quantam Leap's Scott Bakula) would find out as the movie goes along. The film's begining's take place in 1982 in a rundown craphole somewhere in the middle of nowhere where a fanatical cult leader named Nix (Daniel Von Bargen) and his followers reside and about to make the sacrifice of Dorothea, until Nix's pupil Philip Swann (Kevin J.O'Connor) rescues her and puts Nix in his own burial chamber. Dorothea (Famke Janssen) now a full grown woman is married to Swann, who has become the world's biggest illusionist and hires D'Amour to protect Swann from the very same cult members who are after them and are eagerly awaiting the resurrection of Nix and complete the sacrifice of Dorothea. The film was shortened to a 110 minute running time for its theatrical run in 1995, but when it was released on Home Video, Barker restored the film back his original version restoring the noir aspects of the storyline which was sorely missing from the theatrical version.

When the film was announced, Christopher Young who had worked on both Hellraiser films with Barker, was attached to the film and there were posters with his name on it. However, Young had to bow out due to a slew of projects that summer which included Species, Tales From The Hood and Virtuosity that had forced him to leave their reunion project. Composer Simon Boswell came on board due to the high recomendation of the film's producer JoAnne Sellar after working with him on the little seen cult thriller Dust Devil. Boswell proved to be the right choice for the film after writing a rather unique noir theme for the film's hero, Harry D'Amour and his music really does stand out a lot more in film's extended version. The score itself is definitely embedded in mystery as well as horror and the two balance them out rather well and is really effective throughout the film.

The score itself is full or suspenseful elements along with the noir I've already mentioned and a great use of sinister otherworldly sounding chorals which would creep anyone out and the score's sinister underlinings and intensions are quickly established in the opening tracks of the score (Opening Titles/Fire Said to Me, About the House/Thumb Slicing and Fingers In The Head) which all underline the film's prologue and introduction of Nix and the cult in 1982, as well as the transcendance of Swann as his rogue pupil and Dorothea's savior. The noir angle of the score which is also D'Amour's theme first appears in "You'll Like LA/Discovering Quaid" with a sultry sounding saxophone motif as well as the noir suspense (Harry And The Doves, Harry At Quaid's and Harry Follows Swann) as well an unexpected love theme for D'Amour and Dorothea which is a lush and romantic yet almost melancholy (The Graveyard and Harry and Dorothy Rutt) along with some Chris Angell style grand showmanship for Swann's illusions show complete with the ominous sounding chorus with a touch of Nix's theme (Dorothy And The Show). The album's last 23 minutes is a rather tense and balls out grand work as Nix's resurrection is taking place with the return of the seemingly undead Swann and D'Amour to battle him for a final showdown. (The Resurrection Part 1, The Resurrection Part 2, I Do Know You Child, My Wisdom/Nix Stomps Foot and Nix Fingers Harry/Nix Undresses/Nix Up In His Own Hole) The music is surprisingly subtle, but Boswell's shrill strings build and build the suspense with Nix's slithry theme appearing in different guises (chanting wordless chorus, brass and aggressive pounding percussion). Harry's Theme (Alternate End Titles) is a light and positive way to end the score with a long and extended reprise of D'Amour's theme as well the love theme for Dorothea played on a light tinkly piano.

If you thought the complete score was all there was of this....well there's more. Disc Two offers up a disc load of Boswell's demos of the music mostly on synthesizers to give Barker an idea of what the score will sound like and it's very interesting as you get a feel of what the score would be like before the final pre-recording with the Northwest Symphony. You also get some interesting takes on Harry's Theme on the last track of the album from the sessions which is quite unique onto itself.

Perseverance does a solid job with this album and with a score that was sorely missing a boat load of music from it's original 33 minute Mute Records album when the film was released in 1995, which was a pretty solid representation of the score at the time. This album literally spoils you with some pretty good unreleased music as well as the demos. They do a solid job considering some of the missing elements had to be taken from DAT tapes as well as mono ones and while it may bother some, but it really shouldn't as long as the music is good and that's what really should matter anyway.

Lord of Illusions is a fine horror score that really is much better than it would seem and truly an underrated work by Simon Boswell that really does get to shine once again. This is what a suspense horror score should sound like and that is very, very good.

Lord of Illusions is available directly from Perseverance's website and support their label they're very cool! http://www.perseverancerecords.com/releases.html

Disc One contains the complete music in film order, while on Disc 2 you’ll hear the demo versions Simon Boswell composed and recorded for the director to use as temp tracks during post-production while there was still no finished score to be used.

Since MGM didn’t have any musical elements in their vault, we had to make use of the DATs the composer had in his possession that were run off from a tape, which was recorded during the recording sessions in Seattle. Inexplicably, half of these tracks are in mono. - Perseverance Records

Disc 1

1. Titles / Fire Said to Me (3:47)
2. About the House / Thumb Slicing (4:13)
3. Fingers in the Head (3:41)
4. You'll Like LA / Discovering Quaid (1:38)
5. Miller's Exit (3:05)*
6. The Graveyard (2:30)*
7. Dorothea and the Show (4:14)*
8. Falling Swords (2:11)*
9. Perforated Swann (1:00)*
10. Harry Kills Miller (1:25)*
11. Harry and the Doves (1:24)*
12. Harry Back at Quaid's (1:39)*
13. Jennifer Decorates Car (1:14)
14. Homecoming Time (0:53)*
15. Repository Break In (2:07)
16. Brainhead Projected (1:43)
17. Harry and Dorothea Rutt (2:09)
18. Origami Man (2:37)
19. Harry Follows Swann (1:51)
20. You'll Do More Than That (1:29)*
21. The Maid's Dead (0:31)
22. Butterfield's Tools / Digging Up Nix (3:27)
23. Finding Valentin (1:48)
24. Resurrection Part 1 (5:31)
25. Resurrection Part 2 (2:00)*
26. I Do Know You Child (1:10)
27. My Wisdom / Nix Stomps His Foot (8:22)
28. Nix Fingers Harry / Nix Undresses / Nix Up His Own Hole (6:19)*
29. Harry's Theme (Alternate End Titles) (2:18)*

Disc 2

1. Opening Titles / Fire Said to Me (Demo) (3:39)
2. About the House / Thumb Slicing (Demo) (4:13)
3. Fingers in the Head (Demo) (3:13)
4. You'll Like LA / Discovering Quaid (Demo) (1:38)
5. Miller's Exit (Demo) (3:03)
6. Dorothea and the Show (Demo) (4:13)
7. Falling Swords (Demo) (2:11)
8. Perforated Swann (Demo) (2:00)
9. Harry Kills Miller (Demo) (1:07)
10. Harry and the Doves (Demo) (1:23)
11. Harry and Dorothea Rutt (Demo) (2:27)
12. Butterfield's Tools / Digging Up Nix (Demo) (2:16)
13. Finding Valentin (Demo) (1:47)
14. Resurrection (Demo) (8:42)
15. I Do Know You Child (Demo) (1:09)
16. My Wisdom / Nix Stomps Foot (Demo) (4:48)
17. Nix Undresses / Nix Up His Own Hole (Demo) (5:17)
18. Harry's Theme (Demo) (2:07)
19. Recording to Click Track (Bonus Track) (7:23)
20. Transforming 2M3 (Bonus Track) (0:38)
21. Mixing 2M3 (Bonus Track) (2:08)
22. Mixing 13M5 (Bonus Track) (6:01)