The Circle Trilogy
The Circle Trilogy Soundtrack - 2004
After many hours of work crunched into then first 10 months of 2004, the Circle Trilogy Soundtrack was completed. This was a wonderful project to do, and we thank Ted for the opportunity. We hope that you will enjoy the 62 minutes on this CD as much as we have enjoyed making it. From Ted: "As a person who often travels to worlds beyond the one immediately touched and felt, I travel with music. Music, music, always music. Loud music, soft music, introspective music, heart stomping music. Among my most cherished albums, are the soundtracks that sweep me away. For teh last few weeks I have lived between the notes of this soundtrack, and I must say it competes with the best. Jagged Doctrine has touched my mind. Well done." To Purchase the CD, visit our merchandise page. For those of you who do not want *spoilers*, you may not want to read the song titles below. They may give you hints of things to come. ** Review from Infuze Magazine follows the track listing |
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Black |
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Red |
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Review from INFUZE MAGAZINE Jagged Doctrine: The Circle Trilogy Soundtrack Warning: spoilers ahead for the books Black, Red, and White, by Ted Dekker. Ted Dekker's epic Circle Trilogy was made up of some of the most inspiring books I've ever read. And apparently, I'm not alone in that regard. The books were so inspiring, in fact, that one band decided to set it to music. Industrial duo Jagged Doctrine takes its high-octane, rhythmic sounds and applies them to the world Dekker created. The result sounds rather like a big, pulsating film score for a movie that doesn't exist. Mixing programming and heavy electric guitars, Gary Baker and Rod Middleton have been successfully making independent industrial albums for years now. But an encounter with Dekker's books inspired them to create the most wildly diverse collection of rhythms and sounds -- some ambient, some hard rocking -- that they've ever attempted. The Circle Trilogy offers carefully constructed musical accompaniments to some of the books' most memorable scenes (the liner notes even come with a detailed description of what scenes are happening various moments in the tracks). Also included are a number of thematic tracks meant to represent certain individual characters. The disc kicks off with "Fade to Black," based on the memorable first two chapters of Black, the first book in the series. As Thomas runs from his pursuers and eventually falls unconscious, only to wake up in a different world, an electrifying beat pulses its way through those events, setting a breakneck pace for what's to come. The thick, subversive "Carlos' Theme," which wouldn't sound out of place at a rave, represents the professional assassin's deadly intent and abilities. "To Swim With Elyon" effectively conveys Thomas' wonder and joy over all that's good and pure in the new world he discovers. Barely audible spoken words highlight the guitar-heavy "Shataiki Cross Over," perfectly evoking the creepy, disturbing feel of the bat-like creatures. The extra-long track covers all of the significant events that end the first book. What I like most about this disc is that just when you think you've got Jagged Doctrine figured out, they surprise you. "A New War," chronicling the opening battle depicted in Red, starts off with a horse's gallup -- very appropriate to the war Thomas and his men wage on horseback. The track soon evolves into a gritty, spaced-out, pulse-racing melody that makes it very easy to recall the epic scene from the book. "Qurong's Theme" comes across as appropriately brutal and unforgiving, the picture of a character who began as one so innocent yet fell deep into wickedness. "Justin's Betrayal" depicts the execution of Justin and the remorse felt by Thomas and his friends. It's a haunting piece, using subtle beats to evoke imagery of the hits Justin receives before his death. The mostly ambient, contemplative "Follow Me" is set to the Forest Dwellers' discovery that Justin's execution has changed their world, and now they must make a difficult choice. "The Aftermath" starts slow and triumphant, as Thomas, Rachelle, and Johan dive into the lake, following Justin's example. But it quickly builds into a rollicking, tension-filled escapade as the three of them and their friends make a desperate escape. Picking up on the events of White, the final book in the trilogy, "Woref Captures Thomas" perfectly evokes mental images of the villainous Woref taking Thomas prisoner without mercy. "Teeleh's Theme" is every bit as vile and treacherous as you'd expect for the evil one. "In the Library With Chelise" is taken from the scenes of Thomas reading to Chelise from the Books of Histories. Her imagination is so captured by these amazing stories, and Jagged Doctrine utilizes the opportunity to create a very different kind of sonic landscape. The light, lovely track makes use of acoustic guitar to give off a sense of innocence being discovered for the very first time. "The Execution" follows Thomas and Chelise from their heartbreaking scene in the library to their ordered executions at the lake. "Greater Things" picks up this thread, with ambient electronic sounds depicting Chelise's sense of awe and wonder at diving deep into Justin's red water. "Thomas' Sacrifice" returns us briefly to our own reality, eliciting both sorrow and nobility from Thomas' choice to make the ultimate sacrifice. "Carlos' Stakeout" is probably my favorite track on the disc -- providing one last moment of uber-cool action and tension. This sensational piece of programming magic sounds like James Bond-meets-The Matrix in that "I know I'm good at what I do" kind of way that the world's greatest assassin would project. "The Great Romance" is the big, epic finale, setting to music the final denoument from the books -- the wedding scene. It's a lighthearted, romantic track that awakens feelings of love, joy, and celebration. Much like the books, The Circle Trilogy Soundtrack focuses the majority of its emotional depth on the Forest world. Clearly, Baker and Middleton were more intrigued by the Forest world than the "real world" aspects of the story, just as most readers have been. At over an hour in length, The Circle Trilogy Soundtrack gets my recommendation because it feels like a labor of love, crafted not because of an author and the books he wrote -- but because of the eternal meaning at work behind those books. I feel obliged to warn you though: Jagged Doctrine's work on this soundtrack is so strong, it will only make you long for the Circle Trilogy to be made into a series of movies that much more. Which might just be the highest compliment I could give it.
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