ARILD BRØTER – A Spectre of Sounds: James Bond Music Reimagined

This staggeringly creative and hugely enjoyable album by Arild Brøter (who is primarily known for his work with Norwegian prog rockers Pymlico) totally swept me off my feet and instantly made me pay close attention. Arild is apparently a humongous James Bond fan, and rightly so, if you ask me. However, he has obviously gone above and beyond with respect to what one can expect from a Bond geek in that this lengthy disc explores, cherishes, and reimagines certain compositions from the motion picture soundtracks, and it does so in a rather sophisticated and elegant manner. Musically speaking, A Spectre of Sounds very much leans towards prog rock albeit prog with a twist. Many of the themes and melodies are instantly recognizable and familiar to the ears, but Brøter has reconfigured everything and invented a new and exciting sonic sphere that both pays homage to the original film soundtracks while simultaneously looking to the future and taking things in an interesting and original direction that feels fresh and invigorating. Many of the arrangements are absolutely fantastic and the melodies are simply gorgeous. It does lose a bit of momentum towards the end, but the overall result is undoubtedly very impressive.

With such talented friends and musicians in tow as Bjørn Riis (Airbag) and Ole Michael Bjørndal among many others to help him bring his musical visions to life, the record comes across as a true labor of love and is one of the more compelling instrumental outputs that I have encountered in quite a while. Highlights include “Space Laser Battle” and “Corrine Put Down / Countdown for Blofeld.” Long live the iconic James Bond and the music associated with his name!