Songs (click on the -icons for audio)
1. Hooverphonic "This strange effect - Surf's up Cindarella Mix"
2. The Groove Cartel "Rumba Lunar - Vox Live Mix"
3. Milk Fisk "Shades"
4. Alex Callier "The Shop"
5. Soul Sucker "Soul Sucker"
6. La Esterella "Do You Know What It Means To Be Lonely ?"
7. Alex Callier "Finding Dylan"
8. DAAU "Gin & Tonic (the morning after / cinérex remix)"
9. Soulwax "Saturday"
10. Alex Callier "Fucking Drunk"
11. Soul Sucker "Funky Beat"
12. The Seatsniffers "Be There Alone"
13. Alex Callier "Theme from Shades"
14. Troubleman "Random Acts of Kindness"
15. The Groove Cartel "Not Guilty - Cine Matic Mix"
16. Hooverphonic "Renaissance Affair"
17. Alex Callier "Der zit mor ene flik in die n otto"
18. Dan & The Electro's "The S Stands for Surf"

My opinion

The belgian movie Shades, which had to struggle to get out of mediocrity by having the highest number of "fuck you"-s in flemish film-history and the uninspired presence of a worn-out Hollywood star (Mickey Rourke), got welcomed by the film-press about as cordially as an alligator at a party for impalas. That same movie does however have an excellent - and almost 100% Belgian - soundtrack that mixes surf, r&b, triphop and pop in an adequate manner, and that's certainly a treat for all Hooverphonic-fans.
A part of the soundtrack-cd is taken in by songs that have been released elsewhere and before, sometimes in a new remix. Thus, you'll find Hooverphonic's "This strange effect" in a wicked surf-mix, you'll find the danceable Groove Cartel with their "Rumba Lunar", two songs by Soul Sucker, Soulwax with a naked "Saturday", The Seatsniffers, and an umpteenth mix of DAAU's "Gin & Tonic".
A second part of the cd is taken from the instrumental score, written and performed by Hooverphonic's Alex Callier, and interspersed with scraps of film-dialog, introducing the lemma "Motherfucking Klootzak" and so on.
As a cherry on the cake, there are a number of nicities : Troubleman is a new band from Antwerp that show a great deal of talent witht the track "Random Acts of Kindness". La Esterella - a female singer from the 78 rpm-days - was pushed into a studio to record the classic "Do You Know What It Means To Be Lonely" onto tape. Milk Fisk is a a word-play (Hoover - Nilfisk ...), and hides a new and excellent Hooverphonic-song that languishes in a David Lynch-atmosphere. The surf-guitar from Dan & the Electro's is also a new name for Raymond Geerts and his friends, and doesn't shy away from some Tarantino-epigonism.
All in all there are very few weak moments on this cd, and taken together this provides for a soundtrack that doesn't need a imaginative listener to dream a film with it. So, y'all fuck off towards the next fucking record store, you motherfucking fuckers.

And your opinion?
Did I get it all wrong, or was I spot-on ? Do you want to share your opinion about this cd ? Send it in, and I'll put it up here !

This Album in the Press

- sc in Rif-Raf (fr) : "The soundtrack is coherent but is tarnished somewhat by a to fashionable production, à la Flamande, a standardized sound that fills up your ears and give this album a sound that's too clean for it's ambitions.".
- Dirk Steenhaut in Metro (De Morgen) : "The Belgian film Shades by Erik Van Looy ... also has a soundtrack to treat with respect. Moreover, it consists of nothing but musicians from our own turf, which gives some ground for chauvinsm."
- Teek : "This soundtrack offers a contemporary mix of rock- and dance-sounds and a number of fragments from the score by Alex Callier who "does his thing" in various disguises."

Did you see a good (or bad) review of this album ? Tell me about it !

Where to buy this CD ?

You can order this CD from a number of locations (prices researched on October 20th, 1999, but nothing guarantees they still are the same when you read this).

The lowest price is in yellow, the highest in red. This price comparison doesn't take things into account like deduction of shipping expenses when ordering more than 1 cd, bonus points, differences in guarantees ... Shipping prices are those for customers in Belgium.

Have you seen this record elsewhere on the net, do you own an online-CD-shop with Belgian products in it, or if there's something wrong with my calculations : let me know.

More info :

- "Shades - Music from the original Soundtrack" is a realisation by Sony Belgium.
- More info on the various bands on the soundtrack can be found on the pages about Hooverphonic, Soul Sucker, Soulwax, The Seatsniffers, DAAU.
- A review of "Shades" - the movie - at Up to Movie.
- "Shades" at the Internet Movie Database

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