Lakeshore Records release the Peppermint original motion picture soundtrack which features original music by Grammy-winning composer Simon Franglen. The film tells the story of Riley, a young mother who awakens from a coma after surviving a brutal attack on her family that killed her husband and daughter. When the system frustratingly shields the murderers from justice, Riley sets out to transform herself from citizen to urban guerilla. Channeling her frustration into personal motivation, she spends years in hiding honing her mind, body and spirit to become an unstoppable force - eluding the underworld, the LAPD and the FBI - as she methodically delivers her personal brand of justice...

Talking about his score for Peppermint, composer Simon Franglen said: "It has a raw edge as a movie, the open wounds of the lead character, Riley North, are both physical and mental. The music needed to show two distinct sides, inside and outside Riley’s head. It had to reflect her emotions as well as propel the action and tension as any thriller score should.

"The action side has a pulsing low end - distorted percussion and guitars, bowed acoustic instruments, modular synths and audio manipulation. There’s a 60-piece orchestra with added low strings to enhance the bass, especially in the quiet tension sections. I used cellos and basses as the primary instruments rather than violins. The emotional side uses piano, solo cello, softer strings, I often added distant echoes to allow phrases to linger in the background rather than overwhelm."

I really enjoyed Franglen's score. It opens with a heavy rock based main theme, and closes on Geno Lenardo rock song, 'Push Me' (feat. Ash Costello), but the main body of the score is packed full of reflective and energetic themes. These 22 tracks (1 hr, 07 min, 05 sec) are diverse and engaging. While there are a lot of high adrenaline pumping themes, there are also more balanced pieces, ensuring that it never gets boring.

Franglen delivers an exciting, epic collection of themes that is well worth investing some time getting to know.

8

Darren Rea