Soundtrack Vinyl Game Grows Stronger with 'Wicked City'

In the past few years, the market for boutique record labels with an exclusive focus on restoring and reissuing vinyl soundtracks has shot from near non-existence to a thriving and rapidly growing scene. A handful of labels evolved into dozens, each with their own unique brand identity. Horror, crime, sexploitation, science fiction, arthouse — name a genre of film and there is almost without fail a corresponding label to match. Yet in all of these years the presence of anime has been lacking. This is where Tiger Lab Vinyl comes in. With their upcoming release of Wicked City OST slated for July, Tiger Lab Vinyl will be the newest and only anime-exclusive record label.

According to John Dobyns, the founder of Tiger Lab Vinyl, “Anime scores have been just as important to my musical upbringing as any other genre or influential group. As a soundtrack fan and vinyl collector, I thought that I could re-introduce the fan base to film scores they have either forgotten about or never picked up on.” When asked why chose to focus his label on anime, he continued: “As more people become swept up by the revival, anime soundtracks haven’t really faded away. The market has always been strong, and that’s because the original scores have always played an integral part in anime. The anime fandom is already so strong — I think it’s the soundtrack revivalists that will be introduced to something new.”

What will first strike you about their first release, Osamu Shoji’s score for Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) 1987 anime Wicked City, is its erratic nature. Track by track, even minute by minute, Shoji weaves together an array of wide ranging influences. Fragments of Herrman’s shrieking violins from Psycho clash with Gregorian-esque chants while echoes of Krzysztof Komeda’s jazzy ensembles underlay heavy synth pads. There is never a dry moment. It’s not only erratic, however, it’s also very spastic. Dobyns notes how the wild animation of the film can and maybe has overshadowed the musical undertones, “Osamu Shoji’s score is something we wanted to highlight on its own. Shoji’s work is unique with its 80s atmosphere, and, as someone recently mentioned to me, it’s “Twin Peaks”-esque gothic lounge. I don’t think people would have picked up on its greatness inside the mayhem that is Wicked City.”

Separated from the visuals, however, Shoji’s talents as an experimental musician are hyper-present. It’s anxious and frightening, but also rather beautiful in its own way. There are moments where the score lets up — as if to give the listener room to breathe — but these are fleeting. The violent thrusting forward gives the illusion of brevity but the score clocks in at around 45 minutes. More than an experience, this score evokes the feeling of being taken on a colorful ride. It gives the impression of images, even when none exist. It’s a daring record that marks a bold and exciting launch for Tiger Lab Vinyl — the only question left is where they will take us next.

Wicked City is available for pre-order now and will see its official release date on July 14th. Stream it in full below, check out Tiger Vinyl Lab at their site, or on Twitter and Instagram. Also win a TLV subscription containing all of the things listed below by tweeting at Noisey with the handle "Wicked City."

WICKED CITY CONTEST
- TLV 001 - “Wicked City” LP - your choice of Black or 'Wicked Green' 180 gram vinyl
- TLV 002 - TBA
- TLV 003 - TBA
- TLV 004 - TBA
- Tiger Lab Vinyl T-shirt
- Subscription exclusive merchandise (TBA)
- Free shipping to customers in the U.S.
- Discounted shipping for non-U.S. customers