Kenji Kawai -- Ghost In the Shell: Original Soundtrack

8/10

Kenji Kawai's score for the 1995 anime film, Ghost in The Shell, is fittingly minimalistic. In a future where humanity's existence in humanity is sparing, Kawai's ambient tones, mixed with heavy, yet meditative percussion draws a world all its own. Kawai also includes some neat acoustic touches, like the atmospheric guitar picking and chimes of "Virtual Crime," soundtracking the cyborg protagonist's pleasure dive into a deep bay, as she reflects on her mortality. As quiet as this score can be, when it's loud, it's loud. Opening track, "Making of a Cyborg," (along with its reprise in "Ghost City") features a barrage (barrage is the The Nicsperiment word for the day) of haunting voices throughout, and envelopes the viewer and listener into the world of the film (though, as I mentioned above, the soundtrack on its own is imaginative enough)(every day is "Parenthetical Day" on The Nicsperiment).

One major complaint, though: the film's interesting end credits' music is not included here. In its place at soundtracks' end is an absolutely dreadful Japanese pop song, which was only included in the film as music coming out of the speakers in a grocery store (every day is also "Preposition Day" on The Nicsperiment).

1995 RCA
1. Utai I - Making of Cyborg 4:28
2. Ghosthack 5:14
3. Puppetmaster 4:21
4. Virtual Crime 2:41
5. Utai II - Ghost City 3:34
6. Access 3:16
7. Nightstalker 1:44
8. Floating Museum 5:05
9. Ghostdive 5:52
10. Utai III - Reincarnation 5:44
11. See You Everyday 3:26