I’ve been lucky enough to see many of my favorite contemporary filmmakers in person open a screening, give a lecture, heralded at a ceremony, or even have some one-on-one time with ‘em.
Only once have I seen a master of cinema rock out behind some synths in front of several thousand people:
John. Fucking. Carpenter.
It was atmospheric, electrifying, and a bucket list event for sure. He, along with son Cody, were touring for their album Lost Themes, a collection of stellar spooky synth works. As you might suspect, they’re laden with sinister hooks and memorable strikes, and are perfect listening for whatever dark mood you may be in.
If you want something a little more club-friendly, or you’re an old-school electro/industrial fan, you’ll definitely want to listen to the accompanying album LOST THEMES REMIXED. Artists new and old tackle the themes, such as Zola Jesus & Dean Hurley on Night, ohGr warps Wraith, JG Thirlwell — one of my all-time favs — escalates the Abyss, and Blanck Mass punctuate and escalate Fallen!
So far, there four Lost Themes albums, the latest ‘Volume Four: Noir’ was just released in May 2024. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they did — or have plans to — tour in support of the release.