Giorgio Moroder’s and Raney Shockne’s soundtrack for Queen of the South, an English-language adaptation of a telenovela by the same name, is an evocative, synth-driven ride through the folly and wisdom of the human condition in Texas and Mexico. After its digital release via Lakeshore Records, the album is poised to receive a fantastic vinyl release via Invada Records on Thursday. The result is stunning.
The show, which airs on USA, centers on a woman who flees Mexico after her drug-runner boyfriend is murdered. She finds herself in Dallas, becoming a drug smuggler herself. She sets forth to avenge her boyfriend’s murder. The Final Girls writers M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller, who created the show, are said to have listened to Moroder classics when they were writing it. The score/soundtrack features original cues and also interpretations of classic songs, such as Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
Invada’s vinyl variants, which go on sale at noon British time on March 7, are a gorgeous sight. The artwork is an ornate homage to the settings and the skullduggery of the players in the show (scorpions abound), and the wax itself comes in two different pressings.
First, is the mail-order exclusive, limited to just 250 copies. This one is a double LP pressed on silver and black swirl, housed in an ultra-thick gatefold sleeve with printed inner bags. Once this variant sells out, it’s done. They’re not repressing it. You can get it via the Invada website on the sale date.
The other, more common variant will be the retail version. This manifests as a double LP pressed on silver vinyl and housed in an ultra-thick gatefold sleeve with printed inner bags. (This one is pictured above.)
The cues have the air of the Moroder-Shockne contribution to the companion release of The Rise of the Synths — a bit dark and rather modern with tempered but evocative homages to Moroder’s pioneering role in electronic-, synth-, and disco-driven film scores/soundtracks such as Midnight Express, Cat People, and Scarface. Check out a few samples below.
You can also stream the album on Spotify.
This is a great way to get an idea of what Queen of the South is all about musically. That said, you’ll want to buy the vinyl.
