Waxwork Records, in association with Sony Music and Toho, is thrilled to release the complete vinyl score to Godzilla Minus One by Naoki Sato! The ultimate kaiju is back and badder than ever in the latest installment of the classic Godzilla franchise.
Set in the days after the end of World War II, Japan is reeling from the devastation left behind after the war. The emotional toll has brought the country to its lowest point. The story follows the failed kamikaze pilot Kiochi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Noriko (Minami Hamabe), a woman pushed into homelessness, taking care of an abandoned child. During this low point Godzilla marches ashore, pulling Japan even deeper into chaos and devastation.
Written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One taps into the grief, hope, trauma, and guilt felt in the world after the tragedies of World War II and the 2019 Covid pandemic, during which the majority of the script was written. Said Yamazaki, "Postwar Japan has lost everything. The film depicts an existence that gives unprecedented despair. The title Godzilla Minus One was created with this in mind. In order to depict this, the staff and I have worked together to create a setting where Godzilla looks as if 'fear' itself is walking toward us, and where despair is piled on top of despair."
The score, composed by Naoki Sato, is filled with mournful, elegant music that brings the listener into the despair, and the fiery hopefulness of the characters as they must fight against the raw power of Godzilla. Sato was inspired by the works of Japanese animated films from Studio Ghibli for the emotional moments, and the powerful work of original Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube's score to punctuate the moments of kaiju terror. This mixing of the serene and grandiose creates one of the most unique and gorgeous scores of the year.