Climax is a 2018 film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, the Argentine-French edgelord filmmaker with surprisingly great taste in music. If you’ve seen any of Noé’s other films (Love, Enter The Void, the utterly dispiriting Irreversible) you probably know what to expect: melodramatic drug trips, non-linear storytelling, long takes (including one over 42 minutes), possibly some unsimulated sex and certainly some incredible music. Most notable is the inclusion of two tracks from longtime collaborator Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk - one new one (“Sangria”) that calls back to his Irreversible soundtrack, and oldie-but-goodie club flattener “What To Do” from Trax On Da Rocks - but there’s a nice spread of era-appropriate techno on offer from Aphex Twin (“Windowlicker”), Dopplereffekt (“Superior Race”!!), Detroit techno underdog Suburban Knight (“The World’s”) and forgotten Warp electro act Wild Planet. Throw in some Chris Carter (“Solidit”), Belgian New Beat (Neon’s “Voices”), classics by M/A/R/R/S, Giorgio Moroder (“Utopia Me Giorgio”), Patrick Hernandez (“Born To Be Alive”), Soft Cell (“Tainted Love”), Gary Numan playing Erik Satie and an exclusive instrumental edit of Cerrone’s "Supernature" and you’ve got probably the highest heat-to-wax ratio of any soundtrack this side of Lost In Translation. 18 tracks spread across four sides of vinyl, housed in gatefold sleeve with printed insert, recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
• housed in gatefold jacket
• includes printed insert
• music label: Milan Records 2019

reviewed by Le Canard 03/2019