Reviews (page 7 of 9)
Certainly a good OST, but for me, lacks substance as a stand-alone project. As an OST: 4/5 For the sake of this website: 2/5 (Dead Bodies almost bumps this to a 3)
Amazing. Such a good album that makes me want to watch the movie once again. Really good guitar and drums and the electronics are just so freaking amazing. This is an easy 4/5 !
When this came up I was like, I’m not in the mood! But it really is quite, quite good, even if you can’t separate it from its source material (I have not seen the movie but I read the book ages ago—the album features spoken excerpts from the text). Air are not exciting, as artists, but of course that’s not the point. Interesting work, would revisit. I appreciate that as the album progressed I got more and more into it.
Thought this was great. Interested in the movie now as well.
Did not know immediately that it was a soundtrack to a movie and found the songs to be quite ‘background-y’. But style of music seemed really cool and have started to explore more of ‘Air’
2/5 naaah
This was an interesting record given it being a score done for a film. I feel like to properly enjoy this I would have to actually watch the movie, most of my favorite scores are from movies I've seen specifically. Apart from the chill ambient electronic nature of a lot of the tracks, the ones who had more instrumentation were my favorites. Playground Love is a fantastic lounge sounding track with a lovely little yet simple piano hook, wavy strings, jazzy drums, and a great saxophone solo that feels like a conversation all its own. The Word Hurricane has a great rhythm section with a great drum performance backed by a steady bass groove, which builds up like a hurricane in fact, before exploding into a grand climax in the end. Dead Bodies has a weird oddly upbeat urgency with a jangling piano line and a driving rhythm section performance. The key track was the final song, Suicide Underground, which actually was a narration of the events apparently following the end of the movie and made me read the plot of the movie itself. It's a very hard rate because I feel like extra context is needed for this one, but I did enjoy a lot of the songs here enough to warrant a 4/5!
It starts and ends with some phenomenal songs but most of what’s in between is pretty forgettable.
suicidally depressing end song
Melancholy and hauntingly depressing. Loved itt
I don’t want to listen to a film score. Don’t put me through this. Ok I listened to it, don't worry. I just can't get behind listening to a score out of the context it was made for and especially not in this case because it just doesn't work as an album. I'm sure I should watch the movie, but that's not what I signed up for here.
Good background music, but nothing really caught my ear. 5/10.
Really makes me interested in the scenes matching with the soundtracks. Some of the songs really need the support of scenes instead of listening on its own.
I think you must have seen the movie to really enjoy this. All in all not bad, but it didn't get me very enthousiastic.
It's oj
Great ambiance, can imagine this to be higher rated if you know the movie
Air <3
Okay for a soundtrack, but I wouldn't listen to it on its own.
Why is it that all it takes is a certain style of bass and some strings and it instantly sounds like Air? Moon Safari is one of my all time favorites, and although this isn't quite at that level, it's still pretty great.
I struggle with soundtracks as stand alone albums. A soundtrack needs the images to relate.
Big fan of Air since Moon Safari and this movie/soundtack blew my mind when it came out. You know it's a good soundtrack when you can picture the movie while listening to the album although it's been a hot minute since I've seen the movie. Playground Love does stand out as standalone track but the rest of the album is basically one piece. To choose a favourite for this exercise, The Word Hurricane, because I like clouds :)
I have a LOT of nostalgia for this - saw the movie during uni and listened to this quite a bit after - it's perhaps a bit redundant to have this and "Moon Safari" on the list, but what the hell, I'll allow it. Fave track - eh, "Dirty Trip" maybe? Doesn't really make a lot of sense to break this one down to individual tracks...
10/10 one of the coolest movie soundtracks of all time My personal favorite movie soundtracks are Fantastic Planet (1973) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959), but I still think this album is fantastic
Went by without upsetting me, doubt I'll ever listen again.
полальбома звучит по-космически, половина вторая - как какието треки из 70х,только без вокала Вокал есть только на одном треке, его в остальных песнях не хватает как будто. не совсем понимаю для кого и для чего этот альбом
2/13, 15%
I need to watch this movie.
Fine, just really not at all for me. The band is called Air - and that's a little like what this listening to this album is for me: not much at all, just kinda there like air. Only far less necessary for, you know, sustaining life.
Comes off as trying to be edgy for edgy sake. Very 2000 of them. The theremin, synth sounds, pseudo heartbeat, ending monologue are all a bit cliche of the time.
Wow, makes me want to watch the movie.
I was looking forward to this because I've long suspected that I would like Air. I haven't seen the movie this soundtrack is for, but I remember it hearing about it frequently when it was in theatres. I love electronic music and although I don't usually go for chill/ambient stuff, I enjoyed this. I suspect I liked it because I'd just come from a few albums I didn't care for, but whatever! Four stars!
Never heard of this movie somehow. Absolutely LOVE this. It makes me want to watch the movie now. A mix of shoegaze/dreampop, psychedelic rock, some funky electro in there. Really, really cool.
Really enjoyed this soundtrack. I have never seen the movie, however I'm leaning towards a watch at some point. 3/5
Hmmmm iffy
This is such a vibe. Whatever mood they set out to create is achieved with incredible strength. That’s Air’s biggest accomplishment, their biggest weakness is keeping the listener interested and engaged. These songs are beautiful, without a doubt, but not all are exciting. A large part of that hails from a lack of lyrics. Only one song has singing and there are two other spoken word tracks, which are able to achieve what few other artists can with spoken word. These two tracks add to the album immensely, whereas spoken word songs can sometimes bore the listener as they have no real purpose. I really like Air and this album. Wish more people knew about them. 4/5
Great soundtrack, less great album. Ghost Song is cool.
I'm very close to giving this a 5, it's a fantastic soundtrack that works perfectly as an ambient album in it's own right. Playground Love is an incredible song that hooked me soon as I first watched the film. Funnily enough, that was only about a week and a half ago, great timing. I'll be replaying that song and the rest of the album a lot over the coming weeks i feel.
Mä rakastan tätä leffaa, kirjaa ja levyäkin. Ei nyt ehkä paras ikinä, mutta menee tunteisiin ja on tosi tosi nätti. Sopii leffan tunnelmaan täydellisesti.
Kyllä tää otteessaan pitää mutta jotenkin kaipaan potkua 2/5
Elokuva on koko ikäni pitänyt katsoa, mutta enpä ole saanut aikaan. Joka tapauksessa soundtrack tällaisella listalla hämmentää, koska tietää, että kyseessä ei ole kokonainen teos. Air on tietty hyvä ja ovat tehneet hienoja studiolevyjä samoihin aikoihin.
Eh, ihan jees soundtrack mutta ehkä kuuntelulevynä ei mikään lemppari. 2/5
This is great. Loved it.
Easy 5. Classic movie, classic soundtrack. Haunting, intriguing listen.
6.4/10
Better than I expected background music
Very relaxing
At times, dark and oppressive, and at other times, breezy and dreamy, this album truly is a journey. I have never seen the film that this soundtrack accompanies, and a part of me doesn't want to. My oｗn journey from start to end may very well and be different from what was intended. But oh, was it a journey. (As an aside, I am tickled pink but the accompanying Wikipedia article on this work mentioning a collaboration with members of Supergrass, as one of their albums was the last one generated before this)
First time I heard this album I thought it was nice.... but, over the past year I've become a fan. Both of their albums on this list are really great. Standouts: Playground Love, Empty House, Dead Bodies, Suicide Underground. 4/5
Litt spaca men chill
Solid not always my cup of tea tho
A soundtrack that sounds very muck like a sountrack. Makes me want to watch the movie, but not necessarily listen to the whole album again. Two movie reels out five. 📽️📽️
Was going for 2 star unnoticeable background noise but the last few songs really dragged out and I ended up really not enjoying it
not bad, but also not good. Wouldnt listen again but heard much worse on here
Saw the movie at the cinema - it was ok, just the Picnic at Hanging Rock of the 90s - which I also thought was an ok movie but nothing super special. Same holds for the VS soundtrack. I wondered if I had appreciated this album more had it been a regular Air album, but then listened to 10,000 Hz Legend (one of my favourite albums ever), and the difference is massive. score: 7/10
I enjoyed this a lot more than Moon Safari. It creates a special mood that makes me want to watch the movie again.
Some good stuff, like the opener, but too much ripples on.
This is a hard one. I thought, after the first track, this would be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, it's just not. The album drags, the music wanders and, all in all, it's not a great active listening experience. It sounds like what it is: a soundtrack for a movie. Is it a vibe? Absolutely. It is a whole bucket of feels. But very few songs actually have melodies, let alone anything resembling a song structure. And, while that's great behind action and dialogue in a movie, it's not so great for active listening. I wanted to give this high marks, but I can't. Sadly, it only rates a middling score.
I have not seen or read Virgin Suicides, but I do like Air. Some of the spoken word was distracting and out of place, otherwise there were some great instrumentals on this soundtrack.
Couldn't get into it. Didn't see movie. Music seemed mostly sad.
I love Talkie Walkie by Air. But this album just didn’t grab me.
Sacre bleu!
Ho-Hum except the opener. Strong two week three.
I enjoyed the music but that last summary song is dark. Probably would help if I watched the movie.
Some surprisingly ok stuff on here
Kinda strange but okay
Started well, lost its way a bit, but good background while I worked
eclectic?
Good background music
A lot of awesome instrumental tracks
Very cool, trippy psychedelic intrumental music. Does it have a spark, "it" factor? Yes it does, the whole album is very trippy 4/5
This is fine, but nothing to write home about. It captures the 70s vibe that would be appropriate for the movie. I'm really not sure why it's on this list. There's nothing particularly interesting about it. Standard 70s sounding album that's been done, and done better, a million times before.
Big sense of space. Not afraid to move slowly and build up. Its often worth it. Thematically is very consistent if not a little stale at times. A few tasteful surprises. Somber but with some brightness. Instrumentation is usually flowing a few times synthesizers come in with a contrasting tight pulse or sharp edge. I've not seen the film, I was enjoying this album for itself so the last song with what I assume is a tie-in to the film was a little jarring. 'Dirty Trip' 'Cemetery Party' 'Highschool Lover' are highlights for me.
Just electronic, not a fan
I liked this moody, atmospheric soundtrack. Very of its time in a way I clicked with.
I wish this had vocals but it's a good soundtrack. Very Pink Floyd-ish in a way that I like.
Great soundtrack for a pretty good movie
Some decent bits, more for background music
Great chill out album, pretty unbelievable it’s a soundtrack.
Having never seen the movie, and only reading some of the synopsis, the album feels like it captures what a slow, drawn psychological thriller, involving the minds of the feeling of being a trapped teenager. Not one of my favourite albums thus far, but can appreciate what Air have done with this one. Best: Dead Bodies Worst: Dirty Trip 2.5 stars
If I need an album to put me to sleep, this would be pretty high in my choices.
Forgot about this, really good
Wow, incredibly moody and dark, I need to check out the movie. The consistency throughout with the musical themes at play while still changing enough track to track to elicit a new energy is exciting, and I particularly liked rolling into Highschool Lover to find a toned down instrumental of Playground Lover. The final track as a distorted voice retelling the plot is an interesting bow on this album. Poetic and somber reminiscence that really retroactively fills in the edges of the album.
Solid background music but not something too exciting
Absolutely love this. Hypnotic, spectral with traces of Meddle-era Pink Floyd in places. Having never heard Air I am definitely going to check out more of their stuff
I really enjoy this movie but listening to this music out of context made me feel like I was getting half an experience.
I can understand why people would like this, but I don't. It reminds me of Pink Floyd. Not my taste, but it's obviously quality music. Favorite song: Empty House.
I don't see the point of listening to this out of context. It's not self-sufficient, it's not supposed to be. Cute cover though
pretty good actually 3.5
Hm Air, sounds familiar. I like the album art. Vocals just started. I thought it would be a female singer. It's not. I like it! Suits my mood today. Yeah really digging this actually! Cemetary Party (interesting spelling) is cool! It sounds cinematic to me. Like it could be the background for some movie scene. I love the eeriness of Dark Messages. Highschool Lover sounds like a song I've heard before but with lyrics. I liked that one. Yeah I think this one's getting 5 stars! oooh Empty House is catchy. Apparently this album was named after the movie by the same name. And the very last track Suicide Underground, seems to have excerpts from the movie? Just found out that movie was directed by Sofia Coppola, daughter of the great Francis Ford Coppola!
depressing
Didn't expect to see a movie score on here, and was kinda dreading it because I've never seen the movie - but it was pretty cool! Yes, of course there are repeating motifs and it's designed to be played in the background, but I've certainly listened to scores before, so it's not a genre I'm averse to. I wonder if there's some Tangerine Dream or Goblin on this list... we'll see what comes up. Also, the spoken word sections added a lot to it
very melodic, moody
Some of this I really liked, some of it not so much.
First time listening to this album and it is a masterclass in electronic jazz. Will add to my collection.
I am usually not the biggest fan of ambient music but this album was really good. It is just a nice listen from start to finish with a great variety in the sound of the songs. A lot of the time for me ambient music can become stale due to the lack of strong vocals or instrumentation to differentiate tracks. This album combats that by having songs with many different themes and sounds. Coming into this I had never heard of the movie and had no prior knowledge of this album or the band. I think my favorite tracks on this album were definitely "Dead Bodies", "Highschool Lover", "Playground Love" and "The World Hurricane". The only song I would say I was not a fan of was "Ghost Song" because . Overall I would give this album an 8/10. A really good album but it is still Ambient which I find hard to give a rating higher than that. Definitely one of the better Ambient albums I have ever heard though.
I remember seeing the Virgin Suicides movies years ago, but I never listened to the score until now. I am a sucker for Trip Hop. This album has some beautifully mellow vibes, with some building intensity in places. Because it is a score, taking out of context from the movie it loses a little.
Okay. It was mostly atmospheric and kind of weird, which is just normal seeing how this is a soundtrack for a sort of depressive movie. I'm not sure why this is so highly praised. The summary for this one says "In 2019, Pitchfork placed the album at number four on their "Top 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time" list". I have absolutely no idea how this album could have made it to the top. Maybe that's why I'm not a music critic
Wow, that was way cooler/psychedelic than I imagined. I usually don't pay attention to movie scores, and I definitely don't listen to scores of movies I haven't seen before, but this got me hooked almost immediately. I really liked "Suicide Underground" and the narration parts - it reminded me that all the weirdness I had just listened to came from a darker, more somber place
It's funny, I was just thinking the other day about what kind of soundtrack album I might expect to see on this list. I thought that the only soundtracks that really deserve to be on here are those with a single, unified musical vision, preferably with a limited number of individual artists. In that respect, this is a successful soundtrack. It's basically an album by Air. But there are a couple of other factors I didn't consider. The album needs mostly to stand on its own without our needing to see the movie to get it (i.e., Superfly, Purple Rain, Saturday Night Fever). Also, it should make you want to see the movie, otherwise, what's the point? In that regard, this album fails. This was lovely in an unsettling way, but it was hard to get a real feel for it and it really didn't make me want to check out the movie at all. The songs are interesting and well done, but not compelling enough on their own for me to want to come back to them. I feel obviously like I would have gotten more out of this had I seen the movie, because the songs probably correspond to particular moments in the plot. Fave Songs: Playground Love, Highschool Lover, Clouds Up, Dirty Trip, Dark Messages
I remember watching the movie & knowing Air did the soundtrack, thinking it’s so very dreamy, so very “Air”… it’s still that dreamy sound today…
Super neat
A bit hard to rate given it's a soundtrack. Overall I really enjoyed this. Super spooky/distressing. Now interested in watching this movie.
actually quite liked!! enjoyed playground love.
Actually decent but just not good enough to push the 4 mark sorry air
Nice soundtrack but really not something I'd seek out to listen to again. Might check out the movie at some point though.
The Virgin Suicides soundtrack I know and love has bangers by Heart and Al Green and Todd Rundgren and Sloan and fucking Styx. None are on this version, which is just the film's score. I call that an injustice, since those pop songs are a big part of what make the movie so endlessly rewatchable. That's not to take away anything from this version of the soundtrack, which for a film score is still decent enough. I just prefer the Wilson Sisters and 10CC.
Nice album
Quite nice. I see it's from a film and now I've researched it, I'd like to see it. Even though the last track on the album gives away part of the plot and the ending.
Air have produced some amazing music. All I Need is probably one of the best tracks of the 1990s and almost certainly one of the best tracks out of France. But Virgin Suicides is definitely an active listening album. It isn't bad, but you kind of need to have another focus for your attention that isn't the music. I mean, this is 100% intentional by Air. It is, after all, a film score rather than an album of music for its own right. There are repeated motifs in the music, and this again is perfectly normal for a film score. Characters have themes, and events are underlined - and this doesn't necessarily have the same impact without the accompanying visuals. It's a bold inclusion in the list, but there's enough to it to make it worth a listen, in a late 1990s French space-beat electronica kinda way.
It's Air doing an instrumental album for a movie. Getting very similar vibes to Daft Punks Tron album, as we're looking at a couple of Frenchmen exploring instrumental concepts and different versions of the same rhythms. That said, its all built around airs ethereal dream pop vibes. This is their second album, and i can see that coming off of Moon Safari this showing amazing talent from the guys.
I often find that soundtrack albums don't fully work without the film, but this definitely does. There are some real high points that would grace any album by Air, especially "Dead Bodies".
When I saw that today's album was another from the electronica genre, my heart sank. This is a movie score for The Virgin Suicides, which was an awful movie, so I wasn't super confident that the soundtrack would be any better. I was pleasantly surprised, however. Before today, I'd never heard of Air before. They are a British duo who came out during the electronica boom of the late 90's. Their atmospheric, ambient sound made them outliers of the genre. I think this may be why I actually like them. This music, even with being mostly instrumental, was quite captivating, and really had an air (no pun intended) of melancholy, and sadness to it (probably because it is for a movie which is about a string of suicides). The heavy bass work on this album is awesome. The bass grooves are really well done, and when coupled with the simplistic organ, guitars, and theramins scattered throughout, create an interesting sound that I didn't hate. Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. I mean, not enough to run out and buy it, or listen to it on repeat, but I wasn't rushing to shut it off like I was with most other albums in this genre. Also, average song length was around 3 minutes, and the album was only 40 minutes long, so bonus points for knowing when enough is enough, and not overstaying their welcome. Favorite songs: Playground Love (with Gordon Tracks), Dead Bodies, Clouds Up, Bathroom Girl, Word Hurricane, Highschool Lover, Empty House Least favorite songs: Dark Messages 3/5
Electronic background music. Relatively enjoyable.
Sort of like Dark Side of the Moon without vocals. Nice, easy-listening semi-ambient, mostly instrumental music. Very pleasant.
A bit boring as a standalone album 2 1 Ok it picks up 3
Erie need to be in the mood for it. Interesting
I tried but musical/orchestra/classical music is just not something that gets me going. It’s beautiful music, but I couldn’t sit through the whole album. Listen again: Not in this decade. I’m sure I’ll like this stuff more as I age hahaha Purchase for my collection: No Favourite Song: didn’t listen enough Worst Song: didn’t listen enough Cool album cover though!
Thankful for this album, for showing me that there is good electronica out there! Much of this genre is cold, manufactured, and repetitive, but Virgin Suicides feels organic, mysterious, calming, dark, and fascinatingly compelling. I love that it's ambient but never fades into background music territory, that it's a soundtrack but still works as a standalone album. On its own, I wouldn't necessarily give this a five. But because it's a record I genuinely enjoyed from a genre that I will never fully get into, I say why not? Standout tracks are Playground Love, Dirty Trip, Highschool Lover, and Ghost Song. Now to find a copy of this movie.
Weird. I dint know if it stands alone.
Ambient yet driven, the album feels like a concept yet acts like a diary of singular emotions. Feels like Portishead and Poe had a musical baby.
Yndisleg tónlist, Air klikkar ekkert.
I like this sort of thing: rock, but also with a shimmering coating of noise, synth, and pedals, and intense mixing. This would definitely make a great film soundtrack, now I want to see the film.
Really enjoyed this album will def listen again
Very movie background music sounding. (Just realized it's a soundtrack... that makes sense). Reminiscent of some softer Pink Floy. The word hurricane - Opeth-ish bass.
Air did a good job with making music for the movie. However, it's background music for a movie. Lyrics are far between. The song names are things like 'Bathroom'. It's not what I want.
One of my favorite soundtracks. My entry point for the band, I had heard of Moon Safari, but in the pre-streaming days, not heard it yet (when I did, I also fell in love with it). The album works as a perfect soundtrack to Euginedes book. I've actually never seen the movie, but have to believe it works. It is simpler than Moon Safari, but no less outstanding.
Nothing to write home about but not bad either. Definitely a pretty easy listen but I don’t feel the need to come back to it. 6/10
Great album from a great movie
couple of really good songs and a good album to do work to
I hate listening to movie scores. Sorry, but it's everything I hate. Music attempting to be atmospheric for very specific moments between fictional characters with made up dramas, it all feels so very TRY HARD to elicit an exacting emotional reaction… I just don't get how people can listen to it without the visual accompaniment of the actual movie. This is also heavily electronic, so I hate it even more. It's not for me. Too pompous and lacking too much context for me to care about its entire tonal point.
Électro-rock ambiant. Trame sonore d'un film de Sofia Coppola. "Dirty trip" flirt avec le jazz et le funk, point culminant de l'album. L'album boucle la boucle avec un rappel mélodique du début.
this was brilliant. the production is incredible and the pacing is great, even considering that it’s a soundtrack! standout tracks are The Word Hurricane, Dirty Trip, Playground Love, Highschool Lover, Bathroom Girl, Ghost Song, Empty House, Dead Bodies & Suicide Underground
Pychedelic vibes and organ is dope. Dark Messages and on is a vibe.
This soundtrack reminds me of why I could never connect to Virgin Suicides. It sounds like what somebody thought would be a cool soundtrack rather than what would fit that movie. It still doesn't make sense to me. And listening to it now - it all sounds fine, but it doesn't take me anywhere. It feels a little aimless and fades into the background.
Love the movie, like the soundtrack. It's weird though how separate this music feels from the movie when you listen to it by itself. I guess that's a compliment in that it works on its own? Or a criticism that the music never quite melds completely with the film? Only a magic 8 ball could give us that answer. (Also, the Jimmy Smith album is pretty sweet and that cover photo is worth a million bucks.)
I enjoyed Moon Safari. I'm not sure this adds a lot though. In fact one or two of the tunes sound like pastiches of the first album tracks.
Okay, so this was a pretty short one so I knocked it out early. It was hard to call this an 'album' per se. It's melodic and dreamy, and as a person who's never actually seen the Virgin Suicides, I don't know if I have all of the context necessary to really appreciate it. Air is a French electronic music duo that uses synthesizers and actual dialogue from the movie to create a distinct atmosphere that permeates the film (no spoilers, but TW: suicide). I dunno. This wasn't one of my favorites, but I like the marriage of the two artistic mediums of music and cinema. Maybe I would have appreciated this more if I had seen the film. NPR said, "Listening to the Virgin Suicides score on loop hasn't been so much an exercise in nostalgia, or even a means of escape. Reliving it is more of a prescient reminder-- one I needed to hear as a teenager, and that I could use again today-- that now is not forever." My teenage years were nothing like the ones depicted in that movie, so I'm reminded of the quote from Kimmy Schmidt "Your experiences are not universal!" Favorite Track: Suicide Underground
bored
A moody soundtrack that might be good if I was hearing it while watching a movie I wanted to see, but alas, no.
this was really mid. perhaps would have been good as an ost but as a listening experience in its own right it was not all that interesting, and the monologue in the last track without any context at all was quite off-putting. not my cup of tea.
Great atmosphere
Pretty good, bit slow at some parts
Not a fan. It did make me think about seeing the movie. Every song sounded the same.
Electronica is not my thing! But this was good ambiance for background so I will give 3 instead of 2.
I’ve enjoyed Air on these lists. Don’t listen to it outside of this context.
Wow this was good. Goosebumps the whole time.
Score: 20 Movie soundtracks, and soundtracks in general often use leitmotifs as a way to tie every track together and the technique can be used incredibly well. Sadly here, it isn't. Nothing interesting is done to build upon the themes of the music. This does not work as a standalone album. The first track is admittedly quite nice, there is some beauty to it and it's performed well. Sadly after that it devolves into the same song over and over. I dont like the mixing at all on this, a lot of it sounds drowned out and not in an intentional way. When a song hits a nice melody it ruins it by dragging on too long. Dead bodies is also a pretty decent song on it's own but it's hard to look past the mediocre production. The final track is agonizing to get through with its obnoxious spoken word lyrics. I was begging for it to be over. Without the movie attached this is a slog to get through, and all you're left with is a shitty pysch rock album.
This album is hard to rate due to it being a soundtrack for a movie I have never seen, since there is a lot of repetitiveness and I'm sure having context for scene setting songs and dialogue parts would heighten the enjoyment. I loved a lot of what I was hearing - really dark, chill, and moody. I think this would definitely fit better on a 1001 soundtracks list, someone please make that!!!
Man for an album called virgin suicides this ain’t heavy in the slightest
This was fine, but my favorite part of the album is the cover. This entry has me wondering if there are other film scores on the list. I can think of oodles that are better than this—off the top of my head, films with better soundtracks include any of the LotR films, Fight Club, Spirited Away, The Prisoner of Azkaban, Edward Scissorhands ... I could keep going, but I won't. Here's hoping we get some of those at some point.
I think this is the first soundtrack that's come up in this challenge, and it's one I'm very familiar with thanks to a close friend. As much as I love Air, this isn't a particularly riveting listen. My favorite is Playground Love & heard it dozens of times, but Suicide Underground is just a creepy recap of what happens in the movie & the rest is a tad boring. I prefer Moon Safari over this album, but I'll give it four stars for nostalgia, the movie, and because I love this band.
Was decent background music.
I remember liking “Air” the artist back in the day, I certainly did not this time around
Ok!
Surprised to see a movie soundtrack. I mean it’s fine, but if you divorce it completely from the movie I wonder if it makes the list
Soundtracks are not really my thing, too much atmosphere and not enough content. Overall did like the atmosphere though
Layered, wall-of-sound instrumental. Kinda proggy, electric, heady, good for endurance exercise probably. Kinda went over my head on the first listen, the second was better and I'd recommend if asked.
This is excellent. Ethereal and elegant.
An excellent soundtrack to what I seem to remember is an excellent film, but I haven't watched it in many years. 4+/5
I don't know what to think about this some of the songs I found haunting and chilling the last song especially doctor you don't know what it means to be a 14-year-old girl
This definitely got played a lot in-store when I worked at HMV around the time of its release, but I don't know that I ever took time to listen to it outside of background music during work that was frequently interrupted by customers. I've also not seen the movie or read the book, so I don't have more layers to my experience with this today. It's a lovely album. Pretty much exactly what I would expect from Air scoring a film. Except for the final piece, which was less expected during my listen but awesome - especially as an album closer.
This is catnip to me. Gloomy piano, some eerie synth, yum yum.
Highlights: "Empty House," "Clouds Up," "Bathroom Girl," "Dark Messages" Great production on interesting ensembles: huge monophonic synth sounds, sparks of acoustic strings, chimes of peaky modulation, full reverse tape, the tightest tom rolls in the universe. Lots to like. Wish there was more spooky psych out there. To overthink it, a mostly instrumental album is suitable for a po-mo-y story about projection, objectification, the dual dominance and paucity of images over text in how we make sense of modern life and others, etc. Good album!
This album just feels great to listen to. Great drums in the pocket, harmonies and progressions keep you guessing in a good way, and is super cohesive. * Playground Love * Dirty Trip
Man that first song was dope. The rest was solid enough. I didn’t even realize this was a soundtrack while listening. Well done. Light 4.
This album is a vibe. I had no expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised.
I had no expectations going into this. I haven't seen the movie or heard of Air. I really enjoyed the album. It was oddly familiar throughout. Calm and cool. Perfect for working with this in the background, although I was distracted several times by the feeling like I had heard this or that somewhere before. One example that I was able to pinpoint: Highschool Lover -> Everybody by Mac Miller.
I enjoyed this album the first time I listened to it. I really enjoyed it this time. I've never seen the movie or read the book, but the album tells a beautiful tragic story.
I've never heard of this artist before but as soon as I saw they performed this score with a band called Hot Rats, I needed to listen to it. I don't know if all the songs have minimal lyrics but I'm into it. I should mention I've never seen The Virgin Suicides because it came out before I was born and I just haven't gotten to it. It's not really a movie I've heard a lot about so I didn't put it on any list to get to. So far, this is a nice album to just hang out and listen. Because of the minimal lyrics, you don't have to be actively paying attention to get every detail.
pretty nice \ love it!! и обложка классная
It is a nice very atmospheric album. However, I think, besides a few cuts it is a bit bland (many chill-electronic jams fade together), definitely when you define it as one of the best albums of all time.
Not only matches the movie perfectly, but serves as a standalone masterpiece
Snoozeville.
wow. wow wow wow. i put on this album without knowing it was a film score and only realized it a couple songs in. it’s hauntingly beautiful. i can’t wait to watch the movie now. this album will stay with me.
Mellow, ambient, but forgettable.
Great album, maybe Air's best?
Yeah, I forgot how awesome this is.
- Only ever heard Moon Safari before - Liked it, might have enjoyed it more if I'd seen the film - Good background music - Fav songs: Dirty Trip, Playground Love, Afternoon Sister
Un clásico
AMO
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
Playground Love
Good but nothing crazy
If there was ever to be a Mt. Rushmore of my musical tastes; a monument to the records that shaped me as an obsessive music enthusiast, Air’s soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides would certainly occupy a spot. This was the first Air record I bought, at cd shop in Cape Cod, MA on vacation with an ex-girlfriend in 2002. It was the one of the very first vinyl records I *had* to own, imported from Europe with a hefty shipping cost that same year. It is the record that began my obsession with analog synthesizers and was on of the catalysts for a massive shift in my musical taste. If you were to take all of the superlatives that normal people assign to Radiohead records: innovative, game changers, etc, etc, ad nauseam…that is what Air is to me. Air, at least on their first few records, is my Radiohead. They helped shift my perception of what a rock band could be. Some twenty years later, The Virgin Suicides still ranks among my absolute favorite records of all time. Taking a page from the soundtrack work of Goblin and Pink Floyd (at least to my ears), Air’s soundtrack to the Virgin Suicides is a harrowing musical retelling of the bleak, yet engrossing, Sofia Coppola film. If you were unfamiliar with the film or the name of the record, you might mistake portions of Air’s score for the soundtrack of a 70’s Italian zombie gorefest. Take the choral synths, propulsive bass and drums of “Dead Bodies”, as an example. It’s the stuff of horror films - which is exactly what The Virgin Suicides is: a film about domestic horror. In truth, I never bothered to watch the film until just this past year. Air had painted such a vivid picture of what this film could be in my mind’s eye, that I didn’t want to unintentionally tarnish the soundtrack in the event I didn’t enjoy the film. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Watching the film only increased my love of this record. Air captured the atmosphere of the film so well: the horror and desperation, but also the moments of fleeting beauty. The film is made greater by the music and the music is made greater by the film. It’s a kind of symbiosis, and that is exactly what a great film score should do.
Booooring
Not actively unpleasant to listen to, but incredibly boring to spend that much time on.
Very nice. Reminded me of early Pink Floyd
Awesome
Perfectly acceptable soundtrack to an above average movie. As standalone music it is average at best. I hear a lot of early Pink Floyd, a bit of Beatles. The late 60s, early 70s elements are there, and it is a pleasant soundscape. My bar to be on this list is higher than that.
Another head-scratcher as far as I'm concerned. I hear some Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon influence, but overall this is just background music. Fine as a subtle movie soundtrack, but that's it. Won't listen again.
I thought this was better than the other album of theirs that we heard, but it’s not something I’d put on again. It sounded like the drumming was done live in the studio which sounded very cool with the electronic music on top of it.
Virgin Suicides is background listening but doesn't connect with me from a film I've never seen. It's just there, 2/5ing.
Do you remember a few months ago we had the album that was a soundtrack to a film that didn't exist? This is a soundtrack to a film that does exist, which is an improvement on that. I was sceptical going into it - haven't seen the film, so didn't think that it would really add much. It is background music, but it's very listenable, feels like it could definitely be one of those movies where the soundtrack is front and centre. 3/5.
Very weird to see this on here as it’s not even a soundtrack, it’s a movie score with a lot of awkward, silent pauses
This is a good album! I never saw the movie or heard of this soundtrack, but its very good. Not a lot of top 10 tracks, being a soundtrack and all, but its got good theming and its easy to get lost in it. Definitely better than average. 3.75 out of 5. 4/5
What was the point?
It is a very slippery slope, especially as we cross the halfway threshold on these albums, to have a soundtrack, and one that is a score, as the album of the day. I am a sucker for scores, and this one was really good. The problem is that I could come up with at least another 50 scores that should be on this list, and another 50, at least, soundtracks that should be on this list. They should have a whole separate 1001 Soundtracks to listen to before you die that includes scores, soundtracks, and things like forest and weather sounds. Sadly, I hope we never see another soundtrack on this list because it would be a shame to include ones like this and not such famous ones as Lord of the Rings, Interstellar, Star Wars, Black Panther, The Mummy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Master of Disguise, MacGruber...you see where I am going with this.
A movie score feels like cheating, right? In any case, why this one over something from John Williams, like Star Wars? Is that too pedestrian to say? Anyway, it's actually a really good score. We had another album from Air a ways back, and that fact alone made me guess they were British, but they're French. In that case, ooh la la. I honestly can't remember if I've seen this movie, I'm pretty sure I haven't and the title is making me think of "Picnic at Hanging Rock." But this score is pretty rad, there's some great tunes on here. Granted, I think any instrumental/score would be relatively rad, so I'm not going to inflate the score on this one. Again, feels like cheating. Favorite tracks: Bathroom Girl, Dark Messages, Dirty Trip, Afternoon Sister, Dead Bodies. Album art: Really like the cover, suggestive of something much older, another reason why I think my mind when to "Picnic at Hanging Rock." Nice picture, nice colors. 3.5/5
Hinga.
I used to listen to this album all the time. Great to revisit.
I like Air, but this album doesn't do it for me. Maybe it helps if you have seen the movie, which I did not. 3/5
This was a bit of a strange one - I'm not sure how I feel about it being on the list. On the one hand, it's a fantastic soundtrack to a fantastic film. On the other hand, it also sounds VERY like a soundtrack and not really like a standalone album. There's also a piano piece that sounds far too close to "The Great Gig in the Sky", to my ears.
Damn this just wasn't great - I don't get the appeal. Literally just electronica/instrumentals. 3/10.
A film soundtrack with a pretty leitmotif, but needs to be heard with the film playing. Not sure why it's considered outstanding.
Although I'm not familiar with the film (I plan to watch it soon), I found the moody mellotron-heavy ambience of this album to be very pleasing in its own right. The music reminds me of Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh, or early post-Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd (all of these artists notable for some soundtrack work).
Chill. Melancholy. Absolutely captivating.
Not a fan
Not as good as Moon Safari to my liking, very prog in most parts except the short track times. Interesting, more so If you imbibe in other recreational substances. Most likely not to listen to again. Favourite tracks Playground Love and Suicide Underground.
Interesting, first one I hear of this genre. Refreshing.
Pretty but also pretty boring
Não conhecia e achei muito bom. Disco pra ouvir várias vezes pra poder entender tudo que ta rolando. São muitos detalhes. Produção fantástica.
ganska mysigt. som en liten kopp med romglögg.
Very chill. Good to have as background while going about my day.
Another band I haven't really given the focus to that I think I should have so this was a really cool listen. I haven't seen the movie but even just as an album it works pretty well. Very melancholy and ambient. The pitch-shifted spoken word bits don't really fit when listening to it as an album though.
Not for me.
Just an average soundtrack really and nothing that stands out.
Rock progresivo. Ni fu ni fa.
I like it in the context of the movie but can't see myself just listening to it again.
A good electro-soundtrack. Sounds like the music of virgin suicide. A predecessor to The Social Network soundtrack as it's also comprised of electronic and instrumental elements.
Good. Great work background, but definitely not just background
Muy tranquilo.
Prima, klinkt wel futuristisch voor zijn tijd, maar zou het geen tweede keer luisteren
Meest perfecte album om in de trein te luisteren naar Eindhoven om 07:45u terwijl het buiten mistig en donker is en regent!! Weet niet hoe leuk ik het vind ik andere weersomstandigheden
Dirty Trip deed nog wel iets met me maar de rest was echt zo verschrikkelijk saai… de Air sound was er wel in terug te horen, maar ik heb nu geen zin om die film te gaan kijken ofzo
I think this album is very effective as a soundtrack to the film, and creates an eerie melancholic mood.
Chill vibes that may be a little too ethereal. Moon Safari was right there, people.
For ambient or chill-out music, this feels pretty darn good, especially since, in my opinion at least, many of the tracks have a long-lasting theme or direction. I wasn't a huge fan of the spoken parts, but thankfully they're limited to just two tracks.
Relaxing
Fabulous production. The drum progressions are incredible, haunting storytelling despite being largely instrumental. Awfully tragic, yet still so good, but is still extremely heavy - especially the final track.
Stand-outs: "Ghost Song," "Empty House," "Dead Bodies"
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Playground love, Empty house
Indistinct and forgettable, a step down from Moon Safari. The final track using the film dialogue was distracting, dimming the album's appeal as even ambient listening. Unclear why this would be on the list.
soundrack-huminaa osin, mutta pitävä, jännä tunnelma. Siitä ansaitsee tähtiä
Soundtrack. Ensimmäisen raidan melodia on ihan kiva, mutta biisiin vaadittaisiin vähän muutakin.
Ideasta Teksti Tekstistä Kirja Kirjasta Elokuvasta Musiikki ja sitä pitäis arvostella??? Jahas.. Taidanpa antaa yhden tähden... Laitankin kolme.... hyvä soundtrakki..
Not offensive, but also not remarkable
I like Air and hadn’t heard this album. Probably because it’s a movie soundtrack and some of the songs have monologues which is reducing its rating by a star.
Jedan problem - a to je što nisam gledao film pa ne znam još koliko bi mi bio bolji album s obzirom da je ovo soundtrack. Sigurno je 3.5/5 jer ima stvarno lijepih trenutaka i lagan je album, morao bih opet to preslušati - a i film pogledati.
It's Air - it's good.
Criss c'est bon! Je me souviens aucunement que ça jouait dans le film, mais cest excellent! Ça m'a donné envie d'écouter plus de Air.
An enjoyable listen, just think I'm lacking some context here by going in cold without having seen the film. Sounds more like ambient covers of Air than their usual personality-filled work, but again I'm lacking the extra oomph that comes from seeing these tracked alongside the film.
This takes me right back to freshman year of college.
Probably would be better in the context of the movie but I enjoyed the songs on their own nonetheless
Mycket bra. Flera riktigt bra låtar. Soft och skönt plattan igenom. Möjligtvis att det kan bli lite tradigt i längden. Första och näst sista låten är de bästa.
Very much like
Soundtrack, so a little bit slow
This is really not my thing, but I guess it’s fine for what it is. It’s designed as background music, and I’m generally looking for a more active listening experience. Something like “Dark Messages” creates a great mood, but it has no melody, no structure, and doesn’t go anywhere. The opener, “High School Lover” and “Bathroom Girl” are probably the most song-like songs, but everything except the title track is still missing major aspects of what I think of as a song (e.g. a melody, or a B-section). It’s also a little same-y- for a mood-oriented CD, it sure sticks in the same mood a lot of the time (to whit: minor chords, descending sequences, dark), and several songs felt like the same song played once with conventional and once with electronic instruments (including the hooks to “Playground Love” and “High School Lover”, which may be intentional). I didn’t detest listening to it, but it never got me excited and I’ll never play it again.
Enjoyable album mostly instrumental
Pretty good - similar to anime OSTs in that it's as much a score as it is a typical "soundtrack". Quite enjoyable and it pairs well with the film. Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, and any score by Daft Punk or Vangelis are in the same vein.
Cool sounds. Evocative in a way that fulfills the mission to be both a film score and a standalone album.
Air is always pleasant to listen to but attention drops sometimes, a 3
Pretty good, but got a bit bored towards the end.
Me love some air
This was really interesting. Very spooky and soulful vibe
Air is a nice band, generally speaking. And this soundtrack displays some of their skills in quite effective ways. Then again, two decades later, this work is maybe a little too anecdoctical to be included in a list of 1001 *essential* albums. I wonder if *Moon Safari* is on Dimery's list. Now that's a somewhat groundbreaking album that had some relevant impact at the time. *Maybe* this one could be included in my own list... Number of albums left to review: 766 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 117 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 57 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 60 (including this one)
Fell asleep, but sounded nice
For no good reason, I lost touch with Air after Moon Safari. I'd never heard this before, I know the book but not the film. It is a really good record, I'm sure I'll return to it, perhaps whilst working. Best songs are the last one and the first, Playground Love.
Favorite song: Playground Love
2.9 + Having loved "Moon Safari", I was excited by this project for an intriguing film with a catchy title. Unfortunately, after "Playground Love" this record takes a sharp nosedive. Much of the rest is variations on that theme using various synthesized instruments. I imagine it's effective enough as a soundtrack but certainly not interesting as a standalone record.
Love Air but this album disappoints.
ok
ihan kiva.. instrumental albumi VARMAAN TOIMISI PAREMMIN JOS KATSOISIN ELO KUVAN... MUTTA ENPÄ KATSO EN... viimeinen osa rupes vituttaa... joojoo kiva että puhut tarinaa ja VITTU OO HILJAA... OO HILJAA... ghost song top....
Vers la fin de l'album, j'ai osé demandé à Air s'ils étaient français. Ces derniers m'ont répondu "Oui, toi aussi ?!" le sourire aux lèvres et nous sommes alors allés boire un café en terrasse.
J'ai trouvé cet album excellent, c'est donc sans surprise que j'ai découvert la nationalité française des deux protagonistes. Petit point sur l'avancement du projet JBL: les dernieres finitions ont été aposées sur la grille acoustique, l'enceinte devrait être prête pour utilisation dans la semaine. Je vous rapelle, pour ceux qui n'auraient pas suivi, que derrière le projet JBL se cache le projet d'installer une enceinte de 4 mètres par 3 dans les locaux de mon entreprise, et ce juste derrière mon poste de travail.
Didn’t watch the movie, so probably missing what makes this album good
maybe if i had seen the movie ... i havn't ...
Mostly new music but gives me a creepy vibe the movie might need to be watched less of a complete meh
Very atmospheric and an interesting listen
Eh
Again, I don't think soundtracks should be on this list. You're only getting half of the artist's intended effect by listening to "songs" that were written to accompany something visual. But, based solely on listening, this is pretty cool. It almost makes me want to watch the movie - even though I won't because I heard it doesn't do justice to the book (which I haven't read). :)
Weird that the first song had lyrics and everything else was synth, but still interesting.
This is by far and away the best album produced by Air that I have heard. Listening to it is like watching a movie-- so cinematic and dreamlike in its dialogues. I've heard it a thousand times and briefly entered a period of my life when I listened to it repeatedly. Air has other great albums as well, so if you are a newcomer to their sound, I definitely encourage exploration!
Super chill, with a slant toward the depressive side. This album is as depressing as the movie, but I'm a child of the '90s and pathetic grunge kid at heart.
I had shit to say about NIN but this interface is stupid so fuck off Virgin Suicides.
There is some really cool atmospheric music on Air's "Virgin Suicides" soundtrack. But its too much. And it lacks context. In the film, these tracks are backing to scenes that benefit from that musical vibe. And, I'm assuming, the tracks are not played in their entirety as they are on this album. If you really love the music, then I guess you might enjoy hearing the full songs. But I was just left feeling like I was only getting part of the experience, missing the piece that was the images on screen. The 1001 features other soundtracks, but sticking with soundtracks by a single artist and avoiding compilations. But Air's contribution is more of an original score, whereas those other soundtracks are not. If we are including movie scores on the list, why is this the only one?
I am glad I waited a few days to rate this. I am flummoxed by the high reviews. Very few of these songs feel like stand-alone tracks, it feels like a collection of sounds that accompany and play a supporting role to a visual medium I can't see. I don't hate the general feel or sound but something is definitely missing (it doesn't even feel that emotional to me, perhaps because the visuals are adding that piece of the puzzle). It's funny we got Nine Inch Nails two days after this because I am no NIN fan but that album feels MUCH more cinematic to me. Instead of missing a piece of the puzzle, I can almost see a movie playing in my head during large chunks of the NIN album. Not so with Air. Ambient music is weird to me. How am I supposed to get invested in something that is purposefully so chill and designed not to grab your attention?
As far as I know, I didn’t know Air existed before this album came up. Maybe I had heard their name, or a song, before, but I don’t recall them. This album sets quite the mood. I love the mellow electronic ambiance. I prefer more vocals, but I understand this is a soundtrack that doesn’t lend itself to that. I’m excited to take @Ivey’s advice and explore more of their catalogue. Unfortunately I don’t know if that will happen before 2025 when our 1001 trip is complete.
I loved this album when it came out, and I still love it. A really cohesive, beautiful soundtrack/album.
Never heard of the movie but this was really good, I can imagine changing it to a 4 if I listen to it a bit more.
2 220921
The ‘dialogue’ made me interested to see what the film was about, but the music was too indulgent / prog rockish for me.
This started positively with Playground Love. But then it just drifted. I think I wanted more vocals and less background music. But soundtracks are all about background music. It sounded pretty timeless. This could quite easily have been released in 1972 as a companion piece for Tubular Bells. It might have helped if I was familiar with the film. In the end I made up my own story as the soundtrack progressed. The plot of a mass shooting at a popular 1980's megastore brand wasn't the brightest of plots.
Completely unnecessary inclusion, yet again from the contributors.
Sounds like some guys who wanted to emulate Pink Floyd but neither of them could play Guitar nor sing
Surprisingly good. Very chill (except for the last track obviously)
I’m generally a little dubious of soundtracks as albums. Mostly didn’t really read for me as songs as such, what did wasn’t really my thing, and mostly just faded into a weird background texture.
Super cool, really chill album. Probably wouldn't actively listen to this but I like it for having background music while I'm doing other things.
AMAZING
Just a nothing album
Fantastic
Made me want to watch the film - really interesting and atmospheric album
Phenomenal electronic soundtrack. Almost flawless.
Never seen the movie, but I am digging this soundtrack!
Couldn't get into it. Too dour for this time in my life, but I recognize that it's a very good album.
I know of Air from the Moon Safari album - cruisey beats and cheesy synth-pop soundscapes. This album is a soundtrack. A bit darker and more moody / edgy. Pretty good. Might need more listens. Stand out tracks: Playground Love, Dirty Trip, Ghost Song
Electrónica, rock. Ecléctico.
Very chill and rhythmic. Would be good listening late at night with a drink in hand.
Weird but good
WOW!! Quite a discovery! I purchased th CD!
I don't like electronic music