John McLaughlin - Music for Abandoned Heights - 180g Vinyl LP

2025

John McLaughlin has one of the richest artistic legacies in modern music, not only due to his unmatched technique, but also his boundless curiosity. From early masterpieces Extrapolation and Love Devotion Surrender (with Carlos Santana), to the genre-bending invention of Mahavishnu Orchestra and the blistering acoustic explorations with Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia, John has always sought for the new and transcendent. His work reaches out for a profound spiritual connection. Now, he has brought his singular vision to the world of film music with his score Music for Abandoned Heights.

Compositionally, McLaughlin poured his imagination into the film's script to craft a rich blend of hot fusion and pensive ballads. He describes his writing process: "In my mind I would interact with the different personalities and situations and wait for my imagination to come up with themes, atmospheres and emotional 'colors' that echoed the drama and action." The resulting musical explorations give the album a muscular, turbulent beauty reminiscent of McLaughlin's electric fusion classics Inner World and To the One.

McLaughlin's searing electric and mellifluous acoustic guitar lines are assertively supported by virtuosic performances from frequent collaborators Gary Husband (drums/keyboards), Julian Siegel (saxophone), Misha Mullov-Abbado and Etienne Mbappe (bass). These industry vets gracefully spark fire on heavier tunes like "The Scene" and introspective delicacy on the ballad "Nathaniel and Christine."