Andy Fosberry : Anthology of the Dark

Musician and composer Andy Fosberry is a master of mood. He works in film scores, real and imagined, as well as creating masterful music in pop, rock, ambient, and electronic realms. His attention to detail, gift for melody, and arranging prowess make him the go-to artist when you want a score to elevate your film. Or, if you just want to elevate an evening at home and need some music to play on the hi-fi.

His releases for labels such as Spun Out Of Control and Third Kind, as well as work that he’s self-released(like his most recent album connection lost), all pull you into these detailed and engaging worlds. Sonic realms both light and dark.

Fosberry’s most recent release is Anthology of the Dark with Spun Out Of Control, a sort of sonic sampler platter of cuts pulled from three different film score projects. Hatched, Prototype, and The Mutation were film score projects Andy Fosberry worked on between September and December of 2020. Anthology of the Dark is a selection of pieces from those scores turned into a cohesive single album. It’s another stunner of a release, and builds on the engaging musical set pieces Fosberry created for last October’s gorgeous and haunting Blair, Maryland(Spun Out Of Control).

Though these scores and films are quite unique story-wise and in mood, the thru-line would be Andy Fosberry. His work shines thru regardless of story and sonic touches. Fosberry has a sound all his own, which always shows a human connection under all the cinematic flair. Blair, Maryland, Death Ship 2047, as well as his work with the infamous Turquoise Moon all show a deeply melodic composer with the gift for mood creating.

Anthology of the Dark is an amazing collection of pieces that lock into the tension and urgency of the work they were made to accompany on the big screen, while at the same time being curated in a way that makes for a deeply engaging standalone listening experience. Something like “Pursuit(from Prototype)” locks into both Steve Moore and Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury vibes with its cavernous percussion and buzz saw electronics, while “It’s All Falling Apart(from Hatched)” settles into quiet dread and an unsettling peace you know probably will not last. That’s the nature of the horror film world. It’s what we’ve signed up for, baby.

Elsewhere, “Time For The Truth(from The Mutation)” creates a sense of unease by building ambient sound like a slow fog enveloping the countryside. It’s exquisite and quite glorious in a subtle way. The track does build to a chaotic crescendo which slips into the ether before any damage is done.

Andy Fosberry is truly one of the most forward-thinking guys working in both electronic music and score work. He’s quite adept at building worlds on both his solo records and his cinematic scores, whether they’re for a BBC doc or for a dystopian world he’s created in his own mind. I’m still listening to his Blair, Maryland and connection lost on the regular. Anthology of the Dark is an exquisite taste of what the man can do when given a narrative to work with. His knack for matching visuals with music can only be described as brilliant, and Anthology of the Dark is a perfect example of that.

‘Anthology of the Dark’ is available now via Spun Out Of Control. Buy it here.