The Twins Effect II

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Despite the movie's average critic, the story went further with Twins Effect II, with the Twins reprising their role as the saviors of mankind. Or something like that. Anyway, I haven't seen the second movie and so I didn't have a clue what to expect of the music. However, as Kwong Wing Chan was a well known composer in Asia, so is Tommy Wei, having contributed music to various well known productions (including the recent New Police Story). One thing that I noticed rather quickly was how Wei used his choir in that flick. He didn't use it as part of a gothic epic sound (like Twins Effect or any other big budget effort) but more on an atonal tone, giving you the creeps or basically unsettling you. In Twins Effect II this is no different and starts early on the show in 'The Huadu Overture' before flutes and a brass theme unravels his main theme. This main theme is more a dancing piece either heard by flutes, brass or on strings and while it sounds out of tone, one way or another it works. Something you can say of the music Wei writes too. How awkward it sounds, it works it way around the scene nonetheless. Anyway, this theme is the main theme and gets some nice variations in the latter half of the CD, besides some sub themes that appear from time to time. 'Dumbbell Auction' presents this theme innocently while 'Run, Peachy Run' gives us the choir and a brass suspense that effectively portrays the action music. In 'Skirmish at the Bazaar' his action music isn't powerful but more dancing around the theme as a waltz, setting down a rhythm the Twins can dance on. This track is one of the better pieces where an electric guitar supports the theme while it dances around everything from flutes to brass. The choir in 'Back to the Palace' and 'The Evil Queen' shows again the out of tune nature of Wei's writing, but works well around the ethnic flutes giving you a sense of unease. Even in 'Bitter Memories' it rises with a touching string secondary tune, which is a nice twist.

'Going Solo' is actually interesting, playful flute and sitar while 'Devoured by the Wolves' has a nice brass moment, and is better appreciated than the really strange vocal use in the begin. 'Romancing the Gondoliers' has the secondary theme on strings dancing lightly around the lullaby, 'Excalibur by the Fall' has the choir again in atonal structure while 'Showdown at the Armory' just promises to be the best track. In here Wei just surprises me with interesting ideas, strings setting down a ethnic rhythm for the trumpets to dance on. 'Armed to the Teeth' even goes further in finally supporting the theme with a tonal choral backup, giving the epic wonder that the first score displayed on occasions a deja vu feeling. In the final 'Demise of the Queen' Wei returns with his choir, but in the good sense that he combines strings of both themes with the choir, giving again the feeling you are listening to the first score, and again this in the good sense of the word. The playful secondary theme dances joyously from flute to an optimistic string and brass climax, and here Tommy Wei just gives us his thematic voice once and for all. The song at the end gives another Twins effort, and this for your dislike or not! Anyway, While the first sounded as a perfect mix between gothic and sweetness, Twins Effect II comes around as a more ethnic based effort, but also delivering good twists in instrumentation and above all presentation. Tommy Wei has the advantage that we know little of him, so his ideas come forth as refreshing but still, its his transformation from atonal creepy suspense to thematic rhythmic tunes that is most effective. Again its a worthwhile effort where brass or choir isn't exactly needed to deliver interesting music. Even more, Twins Effect of Kwong Wing Chan and Tommy Wei come forth as interesting twists, supporting their movie with something different then we're used to but with equally pleasing results.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Huadu Overture (2.53)

2. Dumbbell Auction (1.50)

3. Run, Peachy Run! (1.22)

4. Skirmish At The Bazaar (4.34)

5. Marshal Edo Bowman (2.02)

6. Back To The Palace (1.42)

7. The Evil Queen (3.01)

8. Bitter Memories (1.58)

9. A Soaring Eagle (0.58)

10. The Wandering Minstrels (1.06)

11. Going Solo (1.04)

12. Devoured By The Wolves (1.11)

13. Romancing the Gondoliers (1.46)

14. A City Haunted (2.31)

15. The Cavemen Cometh (0.27)

16. Excalibur By The Fall (1.29)

17. Showdown At The Armory (4.02)

18. Armed To The Teeth (2.22)

19. More Than A Gigolo (1.40)

20. Demise Of The Queen (3.24)

21. Happy Ever After (2.12)

22. Love Invincible: Twins (3.26)

Total Length: 48.38

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