Black Rain – Neuromancer (Room40)
Label: Room40
Released: November 8, 2024
Black Rain’s Neuromancer soundtrack is a sonic echo of a future imagined 40 years ago in William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk novel. Originally crafted for the 1994 audiobook, and later partially revisited via the Blackest Ever Black label, this long-unavailable score has been resurrected and refined, evoking a vivid yet haunting vision of the Sprawl and its shadowy networks.
Core members Stuart Argabright and Shinichi Shimokawa’s stripped-down, studio-driven approach yielded a soundscape steeped in brooding post-industrial textures. Tracks like “Tokyo Night City” and “Wintermute” evoke the grit of Chiba City and the cold allure of cyberspace, while Lawrence English’s masterful post-production amplifies the atmosphere, weaving episodes of unease and beauty into a seamless narrative arc.
The newly restored edition offers a rare glimpse into both Gibson’s world and the creative depths of Black Rain, bridging past speculative hopes with today’s uneasy realities. This release, both nostalgic and prescient, cements Neuromancer as a cultural touchstone, its resonance echoing louder than ever.
Rating: 9/10
An evocative resurrection of cyberpunk’s most enduring sonic artifact.
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