Iain Softley's 1995 film, Hackers, has taken on cult status due in part to it's colorful, psychedelic, CGI takes on cyberspace, roller skates, neon, funky haircuts, and lots of spandex, not to mention Angelina Jolie's first starring role. It's a feast for the eyes for sure. While the plot makes you think of Superman III, it's charmingly unpretentious and genuinely funny. Real hackers in the hacking business have said "It’s quite possibly the single greatest hacker film known to hackerkind. A completely hilarious plotline, witty dialogue, and penchant for not taking itself seriously whatsoever while also making multiple somewhat accurate references to hacker culture—it provides some excellent quality entertainment"
But what really makes the film soar is it's incredible music score and soundtrack. British film composer, Simon Boswell(Santa Sangre, Shallow Grave, Lord of Illusions) delivers pitch perfect sounds to compliment the zaniness of the proceedings, and the soundtrack is filled with pounding jams from the likes of Prodigy, Orb, Leftfield, Stereo MC's, and Underworld.
Which is why it's very exciting that Varèse Sarabande Records is re-issuing the Hackers soundtrack on vinyl and double CD for it's 25th Anniversary! This definitive collection features nine never-before-released score tracks including “Hackers Suite” as well as 6 additional tracks performed by Simon Boswell, as well as two pieces by Guy Pratt, “One Combination” and “Grand Central Station” featuring David Gilmour, confirming the loosely veiled rumor.
“This was such a fun thing to do, had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.” – Guy Pratt
Additionally, tracks that were not on the original soundtrack release in 1995, including “Protection” by Massive Attack and “Open Up” by Leftfield, are part of this special edition.
With news of the Hackers soundtrack reissue, I thought I'd include a live performance music video I directed with Simon Boswell and his band The AND, performing Hackers, at the Mercury Lounge in New York City on October 3rd, 2018.
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