Django Unchained soundtrack

The motion picture Django Unchained is due for release in UK cinemas this weekend with much acclaim from critics worldwide thus far. Quentin Tarantino is reportedly back to his very best, and with this Spaghetti Western take on pre-civil war America, even the soundtrack has been hyped to equal measure.

Tarantino is widely known for his musical selection in previous films, which has helped to sustain his cult popularity among hardcore music fans. This soundtrack solidifies that formula with a great mixture of mood, colour and genre. The album has a definitive theme throughout, with a heavy nod to cowboy scores of the past. Tarantino pays homage with the impressive opener – Django, by Luis Bacalov, which was used as the title track on the original film Django (1966).  The song’s grindhouse style blends well with the 60s folk rock vocal. The LP is littered with the classic sound of a typical Western movie soundtrack.

With the film including depictions of the slave trade, RnB, soul and hip-hop feature heavily on the album and enhance its cool.  The style of a lot of these tracks alludes to the American civil rights movement, giving the track listing an added sense of funk, as well as seriousness. Indeed, the track Unchained, featuring a mash-up of the late greats, 2Pac and James Brown, has a powerful message and purpose. Other relevant urban acts such as John Legend and Rick Ross also lend their talents on this album, but Freedom, by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton, is the real stand out song, exhibiting true soul from the spirits of the past.

Like all Tarantino soundtracks, the music is strung together by excerpts of dialogue taken directly from the film. This helps to carry an accurate narrative throughout, which ties the album to the story brilliantly. It seems Quentin Tarantino has poured everything into this production with a fantastic soundtrack to match an equally fantastic screenplay.

Verdict: ••••

Samuel Mensah

The Django Unchained soundtrack is available to purchase in shops now.

Watch the video for Django by Luis Bacalov here: