The soundtrack to Jodorowsky’s Dune – a documentary about the greatest film that never got made – is now available to order.
Jodorowsky’s Dune tells the tale of cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unsuccessful attempt to adapt Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel, Dune, to the big screen.
Jodorowsky’s version of Dune was to feature Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles, and Mick Jagger in starring roles and music by psychedelic prog-rockers Pink Floyd.
For the documentary, composer Kurt Stenzel created a retro-futuristic soundtrack:
Building upon director Frank Pavich’s idea for a score with a “Tangerine Dream-type feel,” Stenzel lays out a cosmic arsenal of analog synthesizers that would make any collector green at the gills: among other gems are a rare Moog Source, CZ-101s, and a Roland Juno 6, as well as unorthodox instruments like a toy Concertmate organ and a Nintendo DS.
“I also played guitar and did vocals,” says Stenzel, “some chanting… and some screaming, which comes naturally to me.”
The score also features narration by Jodorowsky himself. As Stenzel notes, “Jodo’s voice is actually the soundtrack’s main musical instrument–listening to him was almost like hypnosis, like going to the guru every night.”
Here’s a preview:
The soundtrack LP was sequenced and mixed by Stenzel with the listener in mind and flows through a “four-sides” LP approach. “I wanted it to play like the records I grew up with, where every side was a journey,” notes Stenzel.
You can read more about the origin of this soundtrack in our interview, Kurt Stenzel & The Score To Jodorowsky’s Dune..
The soundtrack is available in several editions, including a limited edition version with a fold-out Dune poser.
Its a pretty remarkable soundtrack to a fascinating film. When you look at the not too remarkable synths he used, it shows that its the ideas, not the gear. The Source and the Juno 6 are the most exotic synths he used, but it sounds as good as any of the great electronic scores.
I’ll be ordering the soundtrack, certainly. But wanted to shout out about the film — it’s extraordinary. As a pilot, when I’m feeling a little blase about life, I watch The Right Stuff to recharge. As an amateur artist, if I’m feeling lazy and disinclined to create or practice, I watch Jodorowsky’s Dune. Jodo is a serious kick in the creative pants. Completely inspiring. WHY NOT?, indeed !!
Great stuff – ordered the special ‘swirl’ edition!
Hate how the stars are always listed for this film, since very very few of them agreed to be in it or had even heard of the project… The Heavy Metal guys did their own movies later on but this was like a boyhood pipedream for them.
Anyone who saw this and its interested in Jodorowsky should check out his real classics: Holy Mountain and Sante Sangre. Far beyond Terry Gilliam…
I’m actually just over half way through the book at the moment. 1st time reading it actually. I’ve owned/watched the Lynch film many times as I’ve always loved it’s weirdness and I’ve seen Jodorosky’s Dune a couple times too. As I read this book more and more, I sense Jodorosky’s version, like Lynch’s and that mini-series, would have also butchered this great book a bit. Most films do that. Don’t get me wrong, El Topo and Holy Mountain are also great for their weird aesthetics, and this film would have been exceptional in that area. In the documentary, Jodorosky describes in detail how things were supposed to happen , but they sort of hype it up a bit. He points out Lynch’s failure but I didn’t get the sense that he acknowledged his own film’s potential failure and deviation from the book. Related to this thread though is the music. I liked certain parts of Lynch’s Toto score, but much of it was kind of meh. My favourite part of the Lynch version is Eno’s Prophecy Theme. Which, supposedly was a part of a larger score he did, but never got used…would be cool to see that great worm of a potential soundtrack unearthed too…perhaps some made it’s way into Apollo Soundtracks…I think capturing Dune properly would heavily rely on the music and the aesthetic of each of the houses and planets. Jodorosky certainly got that part right. The music would have been pretty interesting. I think in the absence of this, Kurt Stenzel has done a good job filling this mysterious void. A film and story as big as this might have needed some Lisan al Gaib to do it right. Although, 1970’s Jodorosky…Pink Floyd…seem’s pretty out-of-this-world to me and I think the score to this doc does it justice.
Kurt needs our help, guys. As I understand he suffered a massive stroke. If you like his music, consider donating him some money – https://www.gofundme.com/kurtscominghome
I’ve always been an admirer and defender of Lynch’s Dune. However when I watched Jodorowskys Dune I realised how much it falls short of the strange brilliance it could have been. You can see remnants of Jordowskys Dune in Lynch’s Dune, such as the casting of Sting (Vs Jagger) and the rock band Toto (Vs Pink Floyd), but its a pale shadow.Theres no doubt Jodorowskys changes to the book would have received criticism, and the film would likely have been considered too strange for mainstream audiences, but it would have been something special to behold. I hope someday, as suggested by Jodorowsky himself, they make an animated version of his film.
I agree it might be cool.
That said there is a lot of bullshit surrounding this project.
Lots of what is claimed about it is totally unverifiable and the creator seems to claim whatever the hell he wants.