Although created by Desmond Briscoe and Daphne Oram in 1958 to provide original sound treatments to BBC’s Third Programme and subsequently providing creative service for radio, television, local, regional and external broadcasting to many program(me)s over many years; the Radiophonic Workshop has, shockingly, never produced an original soundtrack for a feature length film. Until now. Creeeek…dun, dun duuuuun…
The 50 year wait was worth it, though, because the Radiophonic Workshop couldn’t have picked a more appropriate soundtrack to start with. The score for Matthew Holness’ (“Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace”) Possum will be released through the Workshop’s own Room 13 label on October 26, the same day the British horror film comes out.
Possum stars Sean Harris (“Red Riding”, Ian Curtis in 24 Hour Party People) and Alun Armstrong (a million things) and tells “the story of a disgraced children’s puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured him his entire life.”
The soundtrack is suitably unnerving and features a heady mix of chilling drones, thrilling tones, and, (of course), spectacular synth effects — including sound cuts from early Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire’s (“Doctor Who” theme, An Electric Storm) archives.
Possum can be pre-ordered digitally or as a six-paneled CD designed by Julian House (Ghost Box Records/The Focus Group) here and here. Listen to Possum’s “Verse 1 and Main Titles” and watch the ultra-eerie movie trailer below. (Oh, and there’s also a short doc on the Radiophonic Workshop right here too, if you’re interested.)
Possum soundtrack tracklisting:
01. Verse 1 and Main Titles
02. Arrival Home
03. Smoke Balloons
04. Buried
05. Verse 2, Possum Sting and Undercurrent
06. Going In?
07. A Demonstration
08. Legs 1 and Forest 1
09. Legs 2 and Rumble
10. Forest 2 and Bag Opening
11. Marshland 1 / Anxiety
12. Marshland 2 / Verse 3 and Nightmare 1 / Bedfellows
13. The Fox Story
14. The Fox Story (alternative)
15. The Barracks
16. Newspaper / Stairs
17. Storybook
18. Helpless
19. The Photograph and Fox Return
20. Back from the Dead / Verse 4
21. Nightmare 2
22. Someone at the Door
23. News Report
24. Searching
25. Cracking Up
26. Pursuit
27. Verse 5 / Breakdown
28. Behind the Door / Mummy and Daddy / Possum-Man
29. Devastation
30. Arrival Home and A Demonstration (alternative)
31. The Fox Story (alternative 2)
32. The Barracks (alternative)
33. Storybook (alternative)
34. Helpless (alternative)
35. Pursuit (alternative)
36. Mummy and Daddy (alternative)
37. Devastation (alternative)
38. Opening Titles (early mix)
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