And though she pulls on rich and varied musical styles (a hint of Danny Elfman in the first cut, a whiff of Enigma in "Clockwork Black," a theme reminiscent of Bernard Hermann's movie score for "Obsession" in "Afterlife"), this is clearly one album, with an emotional, musical and dramatic through-line from first cut to last.
And, unlike many earlier Carlos compositions that seemed to drop a theme for a new one just when you were ready for it to be further developed, here themes are fully and richly developed.
Overall, this is an exciting new work from an artist who has been a pioneer in synthesized music from almost the inception, and from a composer whose angular works have never been played so well before.
More recently "Beauty in the Beast" (1986) exploded the possibilities of alternate tunings and showed itself to be years ahead of the rest of the pack. Other artists have yet to catch up to Carlos' brush-cutting forays.
And now she bursts forth again, this time utilizing all of her resources -- alternate tunings, digital orchestrations, real live singers, and of course her own composing skill. All of her technique is in support of a purpose however: this is a set of Halloween music to scare the pants off you.
The depth of field, the density of content, and the uncanny accuracy of her "synthesizing" (you can't tell real from synthesized) make this a recording to be studied for years to come. Wendy Carlos, by herself, has become the musical equivalent of Industrial Light & Magic in the film world.
Is it real, or is it digital?
