There\'s a new game in town as newly launched soundtrack label Nicabella Records releases composer John Frizzell\'s score to Touchstone Pictures\' \"Stay Alive\" in a special limited collector\'s edition of 1,000 copies. Written and directed by William Brent Bell and starring Frankie Muniz (\"Malcolm in the Middle\"), the film tells the story of a group of teens who stumble upon a new video game called Stay Alive, detailing the grisly true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as \"The Blood Countess.\" A chilling connection is made when the gamers are murdered in the same method as the character they played in the game.
The \"Stay Alive\" score is a hybrid of electronic and orchestral recordings manipulated using Logic Pro sequencing software. The themes show a range of tone and purpose, including an agitated string line for \"Kill\" and a romantic and cinematic for \"Countess\" that features a piano melody. Each theme was recorded in many keys and different registers, recorded using aleatoric techniques where players randomly drifted in and out of tune and improvised. Multiple versions of the themes were recorded and manipulated during the composing-to-picture process and afterward, an additional unmanipulated orchestral recording was done to hold the score together and give it depth. \"Stay Alive\" revisits the composer\'s talent for suspense films, adding to a repertoire that includes \"Ghost Ship\" and the upcoming thriller \"The Woods.\"
Frizzell has written scores for a variety of genres, and has proven his musical talent and versatility. He recently completed work on \"The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio,\" starring Julianne Moore as the mother of ten who, in the 1950s, supported her family by writing jingles and entering them into contests. For that score, Frizzell teamed up with newgrass band Nickel Creek, whose latest album hit number one on Billboard\'s Internet Sales and Independent Album charts.
Hollywood-based Nicabella Records, launched in May 2006, plans to release new titles in conjunction with an innovative marketing campaign that will promote the artists through traditional and non-traditional channels. \"Stay Alive\" is available exclusively at speciality stores and at www.buysoundtrax.com.