INTRADA Announces Fred Karlin's RAVAGERS

Roger Feigelson · **Joined:** Sat Nov 19, 2005 3:47 pm **Posts:** 3415

INTRADA
Announces:

RAVAGERS
Composed and Conducted by FRED KARLIN

INTRADA Special Collection Volume 164

The 1979 Columbia Pictures post-nuclear war apocalypse Ravagers featured a grim, realistic and unsentimental tone to what was rapidly becoming a new sub-genre in the science fiction realm. To complement the proceedings, composer Fred Karlin delivered a spot-on brooding, melancholy score. Karlin was no stranger to bleak, futuristic films; his scores for Westworld (1973) and its sequel Futureworld (1976) uniquely combined acoustic instruments and electronic manipulation. Ravagers gave Fred Karlin an opportunity to write in an idiom far and away from his typical assignments. Known for composing haunting music, beautiful melodies and effective dramatic underscoring, Karlin turned 180 degrees and created a powerful symphonic score, at times dense and moody, at other times ferocious and exciting, reflecting the violence and horror of the post-apocalyptic story. The jazz trumpet that Karlin launched his career with gets a starring role here. Much of the film is painted with a cool, jazzy vibe, and the album opens with a noir-like trumpet solo against the bleak background of strings.

The only known suitable master elements that survived for this impressive work were ¼” 7½ ips full-track safeties made for Karlin after the recording sessions in 1979. Though the mono tapes were somewhat harsh and brittle sounding, they fortunately survived in good shape and were complete, including all of the orchestral music as well as three Karlin-penned source cues recorded in separate sessions for small folk and rag ensembles.

In the film, Richard Harris stars as the weathered everyman protagonist Falk, one of the “lucky” survivors of some vague nuclear apocalypse scenario. It is the distant year of 1991. The barren world, and consequent food shortage, has produced two classes of humanity: the Flockers, who are characterized by hiding and partying in cavernous communities, and the titular Ravagers, a rough and tumble crew that enjoy raping, murdering. The drama ignites when the Ravagers descend on the happy home of Falk and his wife, Miriam...

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 164
Retail Price: $19.99
AVAILABLE NOW
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7040/.f

Creepshow2 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:34 pm

The sound clips to this score sold me back on Friday. Now I just have to locate the movie, it sounds cool. Thanks Intrada.

Basil · **Joined:** Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:40 pm **Posts:** 402

I love the sound samples too much. I can't NOT order this!

CocoNut Joe · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:39 pm

This sounds great and gives me fond flashbacks to Karlins Futureworld too...A great CD, so ofcourse this have me interested

Freejack · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:44 pm

I have to say that this is the most interesting title that Intrada has released since Holdridge's IN SEARCH OF PEACE.

The mystery clips that Roger posted really blew me away one clip after another.
It's not very often the music does that to me when it's from movies I havn't seen.

Great release guys.

nekromantik · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:46 pm

Why trying to prove once again that you guys are the best soundtrack label outthere? Because YOU CAN!

xG-MONEYx · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:21 pm

Ordered with no Hesitation!!! I say it will sell out by tonight or by tomorrow?

What do ya think?

Gizmo · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:42 pm

Anakin McFly · **Posted:** Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:08 am

Fred Karlin : obscure 70's composer, 7 posts in the topic, and almost sold out.
Bruce Broughton : outstanding, shiny, overmelodic melodic composer, 3 pages in the topic, and still heeeere...

Yeah I agree, the guessing game to know who will sell and who won't, is hard.

JohnnyUtah · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:40 am

I was reluctant to order this at first becuase I wasn't familiar with Karlin or the movie (despite being a big fan of 70's/80's post-apocalyptic flicks). But after listing to the samples a few more times, they have really grown on me. I'm really looking forward to hearing the full score now.

Thanks for releasing this Intrada team!

ThatNeilGuy · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:51 am

I've been enjoying this one all morning.

Definitely got a Westworld/Futureworld feel to it (as well as Man From Atlantis vibe that I really appreciate).

And the source cues at the end are great fun.

Love it. So glad I ordered it.

EUGENE IEMOLA · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:30 pm

Like many others, I never heard of this film, and I'm mostly unfamiliar with Mr. Fred Karlin's filmography. Having said that, this score is another fabulous example, of what? If I close my eyes I think I'm hearing Mr. Jerry Fielding- right from the opening with the way the orchestra fades in at the begining of the first cue. Awesome! Fred Karlin? Really? He must have been around when Fielding worked.

I like this score better than the last couple of Fieldings I'm one of those fans who always wants to hear the things in a Fielding score that sounds like Fielding. This score sounds to me like Mr. Karlin not only speaks with the same musical inflections as Fielding, but, and this is most amazing to me, he's on par with Fielding. He's got the balls, and that's something I never associated with Fred Karlin's work, until now.

Thanks, Intrada. What a release! I'm entertained and thrilled to be a soundtrack collector again.

CocoNut Joe · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:30 pm

Got this one today and loves it...Karlin has of yet what I´ve heard of him never failed, and I do hope Intrada continue to release more from him (love his score to Vampire 1979) Chosen Survivors is another guilty pleasure both as movie and the music. Karlin has that sound (we hear it especially in Ravagers attack Falk, that is pure awsomeness) I will watch the movie tonight and if it is only half as good as the score, I´m in for a treat

Thank you Intrada for this years so far "surprise under the radar"
I do hope for more titles like this that just amazes you and surprises you...great stuff

Freejack · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:52 pm

I could'nt have written it better than the monkey upstairs.

You've got a wonderful way with words CocoNut. :mrgreen:

CocoNut Joe · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:13 pm

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INTRADA Announces Fred Karlin's RAVAGERS

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