I apologize in advance if this question has been asked before, but what kind of music do you all think of when you read/think about Neuromancer?

This question could be approached in two ways: (1) a potential soundtrack for the alleged Neuromancer film, or (2) simply the music that one listens to while reading the book.

I re-read the book about a year ago while I was listening to a lot of the Animatrix soundtrack on my iPod (which is really quite good, as electronic compilations go: far better than the shitty soundtracks to the shitty movies), and I couldn't help but think that the awesome, fuzzy rhythm guitar part from Hands Around My Throat by Death in Vegas would work really well over the final scene of Neuromancer and the credits...

Any personal soundtracks out there? What do you hear when you think of your favorite scenes? What kind of music would you like to see in a film version?

I'd shy away from popular backings like favourite heavy metal and punk sounds and go for classical, which goes out of fashion more slowly. Something large, like Mahler or Stravinsky - which would counterpoint nicely with the action.

Remember Clockwork Orange.

quote:

As they worked, Case gradually became aware of the music that pulsed constantly through the cluster. It was called dub, a sensuous mosaic cooked from vast libraries of digitalized pop; it was worship, Molly said, and a sense of community.

Zion Dub

quote:

He closed his eyes and told himself the shuttle was only a big airplane, one that flew very high. It smelled like an airplane, like new clothes and chewing gum and exhaustion. He listened to the piped koto music and waited.

Traditional Japanese.

quote:

Case noticed the music then. A music he didn't know, all horns and piano. The entrance to 3Jane's world had no door. It was a ragged five-meter gash in the tunnel wall, uneven stairs leading down in a broad shallow curve. Faint blue light, moving shadows, music. `Case,' she said, and paused, the fletcher in her right hand. Then she raised her left, smiled, touched her open palm with a wet tongue tip, kissing him through the simstim link. `Gotta go.'

Western Classical

The sountrack would definitely have to be of wide variety.

A few years ago when Chris Cunningham was going to make the movie, I heard he was going to have Richard James (Aphex Twin) do the sound track, witch could be a bad thing or a good thing depending on how he would do it.

Now come on, am I the only one seriously impressed that Eric was able to provide all those examples? Did you memorize it?

Maybe he searched the text file version for the word "music."

Well yes Colin, maybe I should have been more impressed by the fact he took the time to reply which such specific examples.

Thanks mtc. Colin's right. I searched the text. I did, however, remember the dub and the "all horns and piano". I didn't remember the koto music and in fact didn't even know what a koto was until I googled it. As you can see from the bold text, I thought WG meant organ pipes at first but now I see it was piped into the passenger area of shuttle through tubes or something. I guess it could be muzaked Yannified koto music played on the pan flute

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quote:

A music he didn't know, all horns and piano

or maybe a bit of count basie

Now that's a excellent point, misty.
Could very well be jazz or some other style music with only horns and piano. Another reason why the book appeals to so many different people because of those mirrors in there. WG writes amorphous prose "a music he didn't know ... all horns and piano" so we can all hear what we want in 3-Jane's lair.

quote:

What kind of music do you all think of when you read/think about Neuromancer?

Heh, it started to work the other way round for me. Whenever I hear Machines of Loving Grace, I start to think about Neuromancer et al.

I recently heard a track by Panacea called Wintermute that had all these samples from what might be a new audio production of Neuromancer.
Has anyone else heard this?

I know Robert Fripp was asked (sometime in the eighties) to write the soundtrack to a Neuromancer movie. The movie was obviously never made, but I think Fripp's music could've worked perfectly.

Tangentially, there are several bands out there with names drawn from Gibson, such as "Straylight Run" and "Count Zero."

Links are to a couple of snarky old blog posts of mine in which I was pissed off at the concept of sucky bands with names ripped off from good Gibson books.

Don't forget "Mona Lisa Overdrive" (early 90s, very uneven EP).

Speaking of sampling, though, Haujobb's got a track on "Vertical Theory," "Penetration (Fuck the Floor)" -- not the same as that on the Penetration single, by the way -- that samples Gibson's reading of "... in the service of some stranger with New Yen for the clinic tanks..." Considering that I consider Haujobb among the four best industrial acts ever, that's pretty cool.

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It's worth pointing out that, as a rule, peoples' musical judgements are subjective. However, there are two exceptions. One is Justy, whose opinions are objectively correct where industrial music is concerned. The other are fans of modern country music, whose opinions are objectively incorrect.

SA who was here awhile back and said

quote:

We were invited by William to do the audio for that 10th Anniversary Audio Book version.
If you have it , you can see the yellow sticker on front music by 'Argabright , Barg, black rain , U2'.
Listened to it again recently,
still holds up fine.
Would like to Rerelease all of the music at some point,
with our mixes...
Cheers all

Any personal soundtracks out there? What do you hear when you think of your favorite scenes? What kind of music would you like to see in a film version?[/QUOTE]

I found one inspired by the book here...it is really interesting. I downloaded it on iTunes and it goes well with the album.

http://www.ten12records.com/ten12mastersite/ten12master...stspapercrossbow.htm

one question: why do we always ask about Neuromancer? why not Count Zero? or MLO?
lets move this discussion on a little...
The Marly Part of CZ: classical - sad and wistful to match her search for the artist.
Turner: metal, not too screamy.
Bobby: in the beginning, punk/techno, in the Projects i'd go with African rhythms, and at Jammers old rock.
anyone else?

Turner- Industrial WaxTrax Front 242 for the extraction scene.
Angela- choral music, Faure+voodoo santeria chants.