Culmination:
N. 1. To reach the highest point or degree: A final climatic stage
N. 2. To come to completion: End. A concluding action.
N. 3. Attainment or arrival at the highest pitch of glory.
Retirement:
N. 1. Removal or withdrawal from service, office, or business.
N. 2. The execution of a "replicant" in the motion picture "Blade Runner".
These two words epitomise this release: It is the fourth and final chapter of the "Esper" Blade Runner series of scores. Someone once said, "All good things come to an end". 25 years after the film's premiere the "Blade Runner Trilogy" set was released but is far from complete with a lot of eminent music missing, hence the need for this release which is a true reflection of Vangelis' enigmatic score. All the music is here in chronological order.
Like when a Blade Runner "retires" replicants, the "25th Anniversary Culmination" is intended to illustrate this with its dark artwork and black discs, mirroring Ridley Scott's vision of a futuristic Los Angeles.
The "Retirement Edition" has many improvements over all other Blade Runner releases. For the first time the original and full studio recording of "Prologue And Main Titles" is featured, incorporating superior sound quality. It also contains an unreleased early demo of "Tales Of The Future" and a track entitled "J.F. Sebastian's Apartment", both of which are new and exclusive to this release. "End Titles" has the best sound quality to date and is played here in its full original 7 minute recording. "Dangerous Days" and "Wounded Animals" are also complete and in their best ever sound quality. There are also extended and full versions of "I Am The Business" and "I Dreamt Music", otherwise known as "Desolation Path" or the "Alternate Love Theme".
There has always been an argument to whether the music of Blade Runner sounds better with or without sound effects. This final "Retirement Edition" aims to create the most "musically-pure" and complete Blade Runner listening experience to date. The score has been completely remixed and created from scratch so it does sound very different from the previous three "Esper" releases. When the "Blade Runner Trilogy" set was released the original 1994 album was remastered and it is these remastered recordings that are used on the "Retirement Edition". Also many other unreleased tracks have been remastered.
Since the film's initial release in 1982, the now legendary Blade Runner score by Vangelis Papathanassiou has become one of the most talked about scores of all time. The "Retirement Edition" is the ultimate Blade Runner score, professionally mixed in a recording studio to give you, the listener, the best sound quality and mix of music possible.
A collection of alternate material, exclusive and unique to the Esper "Retirement" Edition. This includes a specially prepared "City Streets" suite that aims to transport the listener into a futuristic Los Angeles, sampling the film in chronological order using all available sound effects. These discs also contain Vangelis unused music for the film and a selection of bonus material. Finally you will find interpretations and remixes by other artists that were influenced by the film, sampling Blade Runner's distinctive diaolgue and effects. Most notably there is a DJ Mix which includes two exclusive suites of the Future Sound of London's "My Kingdom" and Cosmic Baby's "L.A. 2018" that were specially created by Esper Productions for this set.
