Caldera Records release Pinar Toprak's score for the the 2011 American documentary The Wind Gods. The movie chronicles the 10 year quest of famous entrepreneur Larry Ellison who set sail with his 'Oracle' to win the America's Cup and therefore bring the prestigious sailing prize home to the US after it had been won by foreigners in the past years...

Turkish-born Pinar Toprak delivers the goods once again. I loved her score for The Lightkeepers (2010) and here, with The Wind Gods, she delivers another impressive collection of beautiful themes. The album contains 19 tracks (50 min, 59 sec) of intricate and balanced music. I'm no lover of the sport, and it' certainly not the sort of documentary I'd voluntarily choose to watch for entertainment, but Toprak's music is thematic, classically based, and traditionally structured - this is not some thrown together cliched music that rests on well worn cliches.

Followers of Caldera's impressive output will be pleased to hear that this album also contains an audio track (3 min, 05 sec) where the composer talks about many aspects of this score.

When listening to 'Childhood' I couldn't help but be reminded of 'Automata Requiem' from Zacarías M de la Riva's score for Automata. Other than that, there was nothing else here that reminded me of any other composers work. This is all Toprak and almost every minute of it is to be savoured. How can you not get caught up in the excitement of uplifting tracks like 'The Trophy'?

9

Darren Rea