Snow Files of the Week

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "The Smell of Zombies/The End of the Crusade" from the X-Files episode "Millennium" (1999).

Chris Carter's second show "MillenniuM" ended before the year 2000 came along. So Carter and his team were looking for a way to bring the story of Frank Black and the MillenniuM Group to a closure. This happened with an X-Files/MillenniuM crossover in the seventh season of "The X-Files".

As disappointing this crossover for many fans was (after three seasons of "MillenniuM" it ends with Mulder and Frank Black shooting zombies in a cellar), as outstanding was Mark's score for the episode. It gave him the opportunity to combine the mourning violin from "MillenniuM" with the soundscapes of "The X-Files". And as Mulder and Scully finally kiss while watching the celebration of the new year 2000 on TV, Mark introduces the traditional "Auld Lang Syne" into his score and a rare statement of the X-Files theme at the end of the scene.

The music was released on the first limited 4-CD-Set of X-Files music from La-La Land Records, limited to 2.000 copies.

Happy New Year!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Main Title/Phil Checks Out/Memories of Caroline/Graveyard" from the tv thriller "Caroline at Midnight" (1994).

Mark shows his film noir style in this score. Over the main theme, which was also used by Mark in the X-Files episode "3" from season two, soars a haunting saxophone. This track might remind the listener of the main theme from "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" by Angelo Badalamenti. Both themes have a very similar feeling to it. Overall, Mark's score has some Jazz elements, as well as his trademark dark and brooding soundscapes.

The score was released by Dragon's Domain Records on "The Mark Snow Collection Volume Two", paired with his score for "Seduced and Betrayed". The CD is limited to 2.000 copies.

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Ship-Shapes/Jackson Is William/Stand For Something" from The X-Files, episode "Ghouli" (2018).

"You see what I want you to see" is the tagline of this episode. It's more like a "monster of the week" episode, but it also serves as part of the show's overall mythology. Mark again brings some dark and brooding soundscapes to the story, updated by some more modern and more industrial sounds not heard in The X-Files before.

The music was released on a season 11 two disc set by La-La Land Records. This set is limited to 3.000 copies.

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Bloody Jacuzzi/Old Files/Blood/Blood In The Loaf/Just Ashes And Bones" from The X-Files, episode "3" (1994).

The father, the son and the unholy spirit. Three dark figures, maybe vampires, are on a killing spree. The episode begins with an elder businessman, who is seduced by a mysterious woman in his house in the Hollywood Hills, while there are fires burning in the canyon, illuminating the dark night. The track "Bloody Jacuzzi" again shows Mark as a master of beautiful piano themes. He also used this theme for the tv movie "Caroline at Midnight" from the same year.

Mulder is investigating this case alone, since Scully was abducted the episode before. She now has become an X-File herself, as Mulder puts her file into the X-Files drawer ("Old Files").

One remarkable thing concerning this episode's music is the fact, that Mark uses the beginning of the X-Files theme here and there throughout the score. The theme itself is not featured that heavily in Mark's music for the show, so it's a special thing every time it is.

The tracks are from the third volume of X-Files music, released by La-La Land Records. The set is limited to 3.000 copies.

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Main Title/The Pits/Cliffside Chase/Maggie Leaves" from "Jake Speed" (1986).

It's time for some cheesy 80's action. During the mid-80's, Mark began composing more electronic scores, after he bought a synclavier (which Mark still uses). In 1986, "Jake Speed" came along and with him Mark's electronic 80's score. The score was released back then by Varese Sarabande Records on Vinyl and got a CD release just a few years ago on Buysoundtrax Records, limited to 1000 copies.

Enjoy the ride back to the 80's!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "All The Pretty Horses/Bones" from The X-Files, episode "Invocation" (2000).

 

It's a classic monster-of-the-week-episode about a little boy, Billy Underwood, who goes missing at a school fair, only to re-appear a decade later, not a day older.

The main theme is one of the most memorable of the whole show. It perfectly captures the mind of the child, combined with a dream-like state of mind. It was often requested by fans and finally found its way onto the fourth volume of X-Files music, released by La-La Land Records. The set is limited to 2.000 copies.

 

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "The Surgeon/Alpine Page/Dude Looks Like A Lady" from "MillenniuM", episode "Lamentation" (1996).

This episode, written by Chris Carter, marks a milestone within MillenniuM's story arc. We don't only see the death of one of the main side characters, but also the first appearance of the demonic Lucy Butler, played by Sarah Jane Redmond, who would haunt Frank Black through every season of the show. And on top of that, the so-called "Gehenna Demon" makes a stunning appearance.

It was also a standout episode musically. Mark wrote a signature motif for the psychotic Dr. Fabricant, which then turned out the be more Lucy Butlers musical mark ("The Surgeon"). And Mark also incorporated some classical music into his score. "Alpine Page" includes a melody from Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", which also appeared in the X-Files episode "Post-Modern Prometheus".

The tracks were released on the second volume of MillenniuM music from La-La Land Records. The set was limited to 2.000 copies and is sold out.

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Catalogued/Deny Everything/Blood on Paper" from The X-Files, episodes "Duane Barry" and "Ascension" (1994).

A classic X-Files two-parter from the second season of the series. And with Duane Barry one of the most distinctive figures in the X-Files universe, played in a disturbingly manic way by Steve Railsback. For a long time Barry has been haunted by aliens at night who repeatedly carry out experiments on him. When another visitation is imminent, Barry goes crazy and takes some hostages in an office building. The police thinks he's a dangerous lunatic, of course, but Mulder is interested in the visits.

Mulder manages to outsmart Barry and he is shot and rushed to the hospital. But Barry only plays along on the pretense, breaks out of the hospital and kidnaps Scully, whom he wants to leave to the visitors for their experiments in his place. He takes her to Skyland Mountain at night, from where he was kidnapped for the first time. When Mulder arrives, he only notices a bright light in the sky and finds Barry alone. Scully has disappeared.

Mark Snow accompanies this double episode with very melancholic-mystical sounds. The short motifs for the Cigarette Smoking Man and the conspirators appear again, as they of course also have their fingers in the game. The tracks are from LLL's fourth set of X-Files music. The set is limited to 2,000 copies.

Enjoy listening!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "El Lobo/Sling Blade" from "The Lone Gunmen".

This short-lived X-Files-spin-off focused more on humour. Mark's music also has a brighter touch to it, with sometimes even James-Bond-like spy music. The cliffhanger of the show was resolved in the ninth season of THE X-FILES, with the episode "Jump the shark".

Mark's music was released, limited to 2000 copies, by La-La-Land Records. The album also has music from the fourth Chris-Carter-show, HARSH REALM, on it. The album is sold out.

Enjoy!

 

[SadEyes]

Snow Files of the Week: "Our Love/Notions/Midnight Rendez-Vous" from "You ain't seen nothing yet (Vous n´avez encore rien vu, 2012).

This french movie marked the third collaboration between Mark and director Alain Resnais. The movie is much like a stage play, but nevertheless very magical and touching.

Whilst Mark's score for "Private Fears in Public Places", the first Snow-Resnais-Collaboration, was very much butchered in the final movie, it was way better in "Wild Grass" and "You ain't seen nothing yet". Snow's music is as magical and tragic, as the movie is and together they create some very touching moments.

Fans will recognize the violin sound from "MillenniuM" at once, although it was replaced in the movie with a real violin player, at least at the end of the movie. The score got a digital release and a very limited release as a 2-CD-Set (together with "Wild Grass") in France.

Enjoy!