Composer Michael Giacchino already has one of the most impressive resumes in recent history, but with his latest release, he may have just topped it all. Though Giacchino first became known for his work on Lost, he’s also composed scores for Spider-Man, Thor, The Batman, The Incredibles, Star Trek, Star Wars, Mission Impossible, and many, many more. All of which are fantastic, but movie music has a very specific vibe. Now, Giacchino has taken many of those scores and made them perfect for summer lounging. And it’s incredible.
The project is called Exotic Themes for the Silver Screen – Volume 1 and it’s now available for preorder on both LP and CD from Mutant. Truly though, to understand what’s happening here, it’s better to let the music do the talking. Here’s one of Giacchino’s most famous tracks, “Enterprising Young Men” from J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek, done in the Exotic Themes style.
Isn’t that, quite possibly, the coolest thing you’ve ever heard? Don’t you just want to sit by the pool or on the beach, have a drink with an umbrella coming out of it, and listen to this on repeat? That was the point.
“This album was inspired by the work of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny,” Giacchino said in a press release. “What would they do with the Star Trek theme? Or video games like Medal of Honor? It was a way for me to play in that world I loved so much growing up. I thought it would be fun to create a fantasy world, where this album was recorded back in 1967 and then lost, only to resurface today.”
And that’s just one of the many, many tracks. Here’s the album cover followed by full tracklisting.
Side One
- Primordial Forest (The Lost World Jurassic Park)
- Medal of Honor
- Bristow and Bristow (Alias)
- Secret Weapons Over Normandy
- The Incredibles Suite
- Take a Hike (Lost)
Side Two
- Life and Death (Lost)
- Sky High
- Space Mountain
- The Family Stone Waltz (The Family Stone)
- Le Festin (Ratatouille)
- Ratatouille
Side Three
- ROAR! (Cloverfield)
- Casa Cristo (Speed Racer)
- Land of the Lost
- Enterprising Young Men (Star Trek)
- Married Life (Up)
- Let Me In
Side Four
- LAX (Lost)
- The Turbomater (Cars 2)
- A Man, A Plan, A Code, Dubai (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol)
- Monte Carlo
- Super 8 Suite
You almost forget Giacchino did many of those, but he did, and it’s awesome. Plus, it’s just Volume 1. Does that mean we could hear Jyn Erso’s theme like this? Spider-Man’s? We certainly hope so.
The album will be released on all streaming platforms, digital retailers, and available for pre-order at independent record stores on July 26. But, if you can’t wait that long, you can listen to “LAX ” from Lost and “Married Life” from Up on Spotify at those links.
And head over to Made By Mutant to preorder the album, CD, and even some limited edition merch. If you’re looking for us, we’ll be listening to these tracks on repeat.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
