Week 12 - Cowboy Bebop OST - The SEATBELTS - Genre melding, mind melting brilliance.

For an animated show about bounty hunters in space from twenty years ago this show has a really great soundtrack. Now, if you haven’t watched Cowboy Bebop, please know that the previous sentence is a gross oversimplification which does not do an aota of justice to what is possibly the greatest anime of all time. The show is a neo-noir western with cyberpunk elements; spread across 26 ‘sessions’ the show goes through and explores multiple themes and genres, moving between moments of tragedy and levity seamlessly. Interestingly enough, each session has its own mood, for lack of a better term, which is heightened by the score. Composed and arranged by the great Yoko Kanno and performed live by the SEATBELTS, the soundtrack moves through so many genres.

Being a neo-noir show, the musical quality is certainly jazzy but that doesn’t stop it from crossing into ska or dub or country or even waltz (to name a few). Spread across 6 albums (and an extremely rare box set) this soundtrack is just pure gold. Considering there are 6 albums, I will be suggesting a few more tracks than usual.

1. Tank! - The opening track to the show and instantly recognizable, it sets an extremely cool mood. Suave and frantic at the same time, the big band composition, the extremely funky bassline and the pounding bongos will have your head moving, fingers snapping and heart rate rising. Also the brass is just so fantastic and gritty. Since it was recorded live, it’s not as polished or produced but it feels organic. It’ll have you hooked in the first three seconds and will refuse to let go.
   

2. Rush - Fast paced, jazzy big band swing that's smooth as butter. The only thing I can compare it to is John Wasson’s rendition of Caravan from the Whiplash Soundtrack. Its complex, tense with a hint of John Barry’s James Bond theme which is like a little gift for those who can find it in the sea of sonic brilliance.
   

3. Spokey Dokey - A complete stylistic departure, this is a raw, harmonica laden, bluesy slide guitar track dripping with style and character. Oh it's so perfect.
   

4. Bad Dog No Biscuits - Back to the big band style but with a distinct bounciness as the track dips into the polka / ska genre. It’s such a fun song, the thumping drumline and the meandering brass make this such a pleasure to head bob along to.
   

5. Pot City - The drums take the forefront of this laid back track. This is where the reggae/dub influence is evident. The over emphasis on the bass and drums as the guitar and brass take up a complementary role is extremely reminiscent of the sounds of King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. The echo and reverb create the illusion of space that engulfs and expands around you.
   

6. Mushroom Hunting - Funky and stylish, with an addictive groove and bassline, this is one to get you pumped and on your feet. Building in layers, the song is heightened as the brass kicks in.
   

7. Spy - An obvious homage to Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn and Pink Panther themes, the track has that classic espionage feel that so many spy films try to replicate and often get wrong. Brass sections that swell and that classic guitar riff really lend well to the intent behind the track.

Honestly, this album/collection of albums is just amazing. Hearing the soundtrack will make you want to watch the show and watching the show will make you want to own the soundtrack. It’s a win either way.

A track that I would suggest listening to, that is a little harder to find is the cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘On The Run’. Performed by the SEATBELTS for (IMO one of the best episodes of the show, and by far one of the most reference heavy) Session 20, Pierrot Le Fou, the rendition is haunting and surreal much like the episode itself.

The OST is split across multiple albums