John Carpenter – “Distant Dream” (Singles Going Steady)

Jared Skinner: John Carpenter can cast a chilly autumn cloud on even the sunniest days. In “Distant Dream”, Carpenter offers a track with an eerie, ethereal iciness. It leans on an energetic, steady and stalking beat that pauses for a brief moment, leaving the listener in a state of almost unsure suspense, before a middle section that then erupts into a drum, guitar and synth frenzy. A track that is essential for any Carpenter fan, “Distant Dream” is synth at its most thrilling. [7/10]

Emmanuel Elone: “Distant Dream” is another synth-styled song by legendary film director John Carpenter. It’s a dark, mysterious track that creeps along before ending with even heavier synths and some drum kicks thrown in. This isn’t a great listen on its own, but definitely would work in the type of moves that Carpenter is known to produce. It’s mood music at its finest. [6/10]

Chad Miller: It’s not a bad track, but there’s not a lot to follow either. It moves from section to section, but there’s never really a natural progression. Just sort of average all around. [5/10]

Pryor Stroud: “Distant Dream” is deliberately stranded somewhere between B-movie horror theatricality and hero-worshiping sci-fi mythos. It suggests fear, but also otherworldliness, mutation, bodily anxiety and even standing-over-the-fallen triumphalism. Right after the final, climactic confrontation between creature and human, the camera pulls back and panoramically scans the wreckage, fire, and wasteland that has been left behind, relishing it, taking it all in, and then “Distant Dream” plays, leaving the audience with hope for a sequel that will simply replicate the thrills of the past hour and a half. [7/10]

Chris Ingalls: I love the fact that a legendary film director pushing 70 is hauling out his own soundtrack music. The analog sounds (particularly the drums) blend in nicely with the moody keyboards and noisy squalls. It’s sort of like Giorgio Moroder crashing a Rush jam session. [7/10]

John Carpenter‘s new album Lost Themes II releases April 15th via Sacred Bones.

SCORE: 6.40