Cliff Martinez‘s iconic soundtrack to the cult classic film ‘Drive‘ by Nicolas Winding Refn is turning 5, and to mark the anniversary, Invada Records and Lakeshore Records will be co-releasing a limited edition version of the soundtrack. This features Martinez’s score and all other music used in the film, including the legendary tracks by College, Kavinsky and Desire.
Lakeshore Records, in conjunction with
Invada Records, will release the five-year anniversary vinyl reissue of
Drive — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on September 30, 2016. Available in stores from September 30 through the end of the year is a neon pink vinyl double LP with brand new packaging, liner notes and artwork.
We often cannot see a revolution in music coming. Such was the case five years ago, when Nicolas Winding Refin’s Drive debuted, and along with rumbling muscle cars and satin racing jacket brought the genius sounds of Cliff Martinez (THE NEON DEMON, TRAFFIC) to the forefront of the cinematic world. With Martinez’s tones, pacing and emotional resonance, the score of DRIVE started a renaissance of synth-wave that now permeates film and television.
In addition to Cliff Martinez’s score, the soundtrack album featureed Euro-synth songs by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx (“Nightcall”), The Chromatics (“Tick of the Clock”), Desire (“Under Your Spell”), College featuring Electric Youth (“A Real Hero”), and Riz Ortolani featuring Katyna Ranieri (“Oh My Love”).
Whither it is by the master Cliff Martinez himself or admiring imitators, in the short half-decade that followed DRIVE, this synth-wave style of film music has become one of the most fundamental approaches in composition today. Countless composers and filmmakers have cited DRIVE and Cliff Martinez’s musical aesthetic as the primary influence on their work. “When I first saw a rough cut of Drive, I thought it was the perfect storm of movie-making,” said Martinez. “An inspired confluence of imaginative direction, cinematography, performances, sound editing… everything. The only thing missing was music.”
In Drive, Ryan Gosling starred as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for criminal operations by night. A loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful but vulnerable neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother dragged into a dangerous criminal underworld by the return of ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).
“One thing that was unique for me about this project was having songs exert such a strong influence on the score,” Martinez explained. “That helped to create a unified, one-size-fits-all, style of soundtrack…the 80s electronic pop style made a lot of sense to me. I knew that Nicolas [Refn, director] was in love with that sound and I saw a way to acknowledge it with vintage synth sounds and cover most of the dramatic food groups while referencing that style.”
This blending of score and song is the perfect vehicle for Cliff Martinez. His second film with DRIVE director Nicolas Winding Refn, ONLY GOD FORGIVES, earned Martinez a 2014 Robert Award (Danish Academy Award). Martinez has been nominated for a Grammy Award (Steven Soderbergh’s TRAFFIC), a Cesar Award (Xavier Giannoli’s A L’origine), and a Broadcast Film Critics Award (DRIVE). He earned a BAFTA for his work on the video game FAR CRY 4.
Still the drummer at heart, Martinez’s use of audio manipulations, particularly for percussive sounds, has been evolving through the years and is evident by the hammered dulcimer of KAFKA (1991), the gray-areas between sound design and score for TRAFFIC (2000), the steel drums and textures of SOLARIS (2002), what Martinez called ‘rhythmi-tizing pitched, ambient textures’ of NARC (2002), and ‘using percussion performances to trigger and shape the rhythmic and tonal characteristics of those ambient textures,’ as he described his score for 2011’s THE LINCOLN LAWYER.
Cliff Martinez was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012 with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He earned the prestigious Richard Kirk Lifetime Achievement award from BMI in 2013. Martinez served as a juror for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and served on the International Feature nominating committee for 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Martinez recent works include, Robert Redford’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, Nicholas Jarecki’s ARBITRAGE, and Harmony Korine’s SPRING BREAKERS (co-composed with Skrillex). Martinez composes the music for the series THE KNICK, directed by Soderbergh. His 2016 releases include THE NEON DEMON, his third feature for Refn, THE FOREIGNER, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, and WAR DOGS, directed by Todd Phillips. Martinez is currently composing the music for the upcomingWOLVERINE sequel, directed by James Mangold.
‘Neon Pink’ Retail Version, available in stores worldwide from September 30th until 31st December only, after which it will bediscontinued.
– Neon Pink Colored Vinyl Double LP
– Brand new artwork & Packaging by John Bergin
– Deluxe Gatefold Sleeve with never before seen inner booklet
– Sleeve notes by Director Nicolas Winding Refn and composer Cliff Martinez
Available for 3 months only, both online and in stores worldwide, this special edition features brand new liner notes, artwork & exclusive vinyl colour.
This release will feature brand new liner notes written by the film’s director Nicolas Winding Refn, and also by the score’s composer Cliff Martinez. Pictured above, this edition is also presented with stunningnew artwork by Lakeshore art director John Bergin.
This limited edition release will only be available from September 30th until 31st December and will be available worldwide, excluding North America. We will be able to sell as many copies as possible during this timeframe, but after January 1st 2017, this edition will be discontinued and we will revert back to the original pressing.
Housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, this edition is pressed on ‘Neon Pink‘ coloured vinyl and comes complete with never before seen booklet included.
Drive 5th Anniversary edition collaborative release with Lakeshore records will be available in 2 versions.
Please Note This is:
Retail Version
Neon Pink Coloured Vinyl Double LP
Brand new artwork & Packaging by John Bergin
Deluxe Gatefold Sleeve with Inner Booklet Sleeve notes by Director Nicolas Winding Refn and composer Cliff Martinez
This pressing will be available worldwide from September 30th – December 31st, after which time this will be discontinued and the original version will be available again.
TRACKLIST
01. Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx – Nightcall
02. Desire – Under Your Spell
03. College feat. Electric Youth – A Real Hero
04. Riz Ortolani feat. Katyana Ranieri – Oh My Love
05. Chromatics – Tick Of The Clock
All Remaining Tracks By Cliff Martinez
06. Rubber Head
07. I Drive
08. He Had A Good Time
09. They Broke His Pelvis
10. Kick Your Teeth
11. Where’s The Deluxe Version?
12. See You In Four
13. After The Chase
14. Hammer
15. Wrong Floor
16. Skull Crushing
17. My Name On A Car
18. On The Beach
19. Bride Of Deluxe