Demon Seed

Music by Jerry Fielding

 

 

 

 

Between fiction and horror, Demon Seed was an ambitious science fiction before the genre becoming a crossing of cinematic references.

As in Kubrick´s 2001, Demon Seed has a computer as one of the leading characters. Computer Proteus decides to reverse the rules over him and extend his "existence" on a human child. His intelligence (and taste) was proven in choosing the beautiful Julie Christie as a mother to his spawn. The "sacrilegious" script approach had its parallel in Jerry Fielding´s music that disrespects standards and familiar tonal conventions in its ostensible employment of symphonic modernism and electronic music. A very natural approach in the artistic integrity, characteristic of Fielding´s music. Once Proteus leads the plot, Fielding adopted his will as a guide. So, music is coldly determined and of unusual moves, but holds a distinctive appeal as in all composer´s works. It is a score that musically fulfills what today is function of sound design. The track Last Voyage is one of the high points (in the score and in the film) with its strange symphonic beauty, it works on the insemination sequence for the abstract animation - resembling the 2001´s star tunnel. Keyboardist Ian Underwood and guitarist Lee Ritenour played on the electronic performances. The edition of Film Score Monthly label also brings the score for Soylent Green.