Film scores and accompanying music compositions gather more merited adoration in today’s film loving world than ever before, not to say we can’t respect those from the past (and certainly do) but with a fortune of talent on show, and easy access to streaming services and social sharing, you can appreciate why musicians are up there with the actors, and quite right to.

For these two releases from Mondo, we hit two sides of the wonderous world of film compositions with an absolute stone-cold killer classic in the shape of John Williams’ JAWS score, and also Gintz Zilbalodis and Rihards Zalupe’s excellent score for the award-winning amination FLOW.

---

JAWS

For John Williams’ JAWS from Mondo Music, also in collab with Back Lot Music and Universal Pictures, they’ve released a stunning 50^th Anniversary edition, and this original motion picture score is pressed on 2 x 180 gram vinyl, plus a frankly amazing shark fin pop-up (see below) element, all housed in a double slipcase with an even fancier gold-like band to keep it all together. If you’re looking for a way to own it, I think this has to be the one.

There’s little doubt that Williams’ score remains one of the most iconic in modern movie history, and while the 1975 album was a re-recording, this version offers the Oscar-winning groove as composed and recorded for the film itself. Mike Matessino has restored and remastered the music with a new high-resolution transfer from the original studio elements, and it’s approved by maestro himself. 

The two records are described as ‘Blood & Water,’ which are a duo of transparent Red and Blue Marble, giving us a little bit of both sides of JAWS, the possible freedom of the open water, and the deathly fear of the antagonist. The LP also features art direction and packaging design for Mondo by Alan Hynes, with design direction by Nolan Fleming and liner notes by 50th Anniversary reissue producer Matessino – take a look, it’s glorious!

Order here: mondoshop.com/jaws-50th-anniversary-edition

---

FLOW

Next up is the soundtrack for the beautiful FLOW, and this is the premiere vinyl release, from Mondo Music with Milan Records. Containing music from director Gints Zilbalodis and Rihards Zaļupe, the sleeve packaging is brilliant, with different record sleeves enabling you change the cat’s eyes when you take your chosen record out or switch them out for your desired visual!

Pressed on 2 x 140-gram vinyl, which are ‘floodwater’ clear in colour – which is an epic mix of blue and green in a ‘flow’ effect, plus original packaging design, and artwork again by Alan Hynes. The artwork here magnifies that feeling from the film, and when you add in those changeable cat eyes, offering a somewhat ‘Mona Lisa effect,’ it makes for a wild set, all housed in a wide spine die cut jacket.

The film itself is a wonderful journey, through realms natural and mystical, which follows a courageous cat, capybara, lemur, bird, and dog after their homes are devastated by a great flood – it’s a wonderful, animated experience, as well as being a timely comment on the delicateness of the environment, within the spirit of friendship and community.  

This 23-track score was conceived by Zilbalodis and Zaļupe’s working together, started by the director and then aided with by the latter’s musical knowledge, who had this to say:

“I felt I could enhance it by adding a meditative musical tone, which seemed vital for the film itself.  And I felt it was very necessary because, together, it created a wonderful connection, like yin and yang or plus and minus, without which these acting characters would not have been able to survive.” He continued, “Gints, with his minimalistic, rhythmic music, had already established a tone for each scene, wonderfully complementing the rhythmic direction of each scene in the film. This task of mine—working with melodies and melodic themes, adding these meditative tones, as well as orchestrating all the live instruments and the entire musical arrangement—complemented each other greatly.”

And, as we know, the result was perfect – proving not only the importance of the collaboration in any artistry, but when it works, it can be heroic.

Order here: mondoshop.com/flow-OMP- 2xlP