Blade Runner fan editions – A Guide for the Perplexed

While there is substantial and knowledgeable guidance in "The Blade Runner Soundtracks Ultimate Thread" (Thread 72496) and "Do Androids Dream Of Lossless Audio Files?" (Thread 75274), it is buried deep where those in need of it will have trouble finding it. So here are my own thoughts on the matter. Additions and disputations are welcome.

The question "Which of the bajillion Blade Runner editions should I get?" has no simple answer. But I think I can narrow it down for you.

My qualifications? I have listened to every BR bootleg ever released. Ha ha, no. But I have read the "Ultimate" and "Android" threads in their entirety. (No small project!) So I’m confident that I’m aware of the major contenders.

So… are you a Leon, a Deckard, or a Roy?

LEON
"Uh… so which one do I get?"

The "2019 Edition".

A lean 67 minute edition focused on the most memorable Vangelis material – albeit one whose sound quality would later be surpassed. [And Track 8 is slightly marred by dialogue.] I affectionately refer to it as the "Basic Pleasure Model". This should have been the standard commercial release. It is what I would give to a friend with a general interest in the soundtrack. If I could have only one edition and was never allowed to skip tracks, I would choose this one.

DECKARD
"I must hunt down the right one."

The "EMS Recombination 2011 Definitive Edition".

A culmination of almost 30 years of fan labor, this is the pinnacle of quality. You could download just the first two discs, delete a few tracks of interest chiefly to completists, and have an edition that would satisfy all but the most hardcore proponents of the work. (Though there is exquisite music on disc 3 that I wouldn’t want to be without.)

ROY
"I’ve heard things you wouldn’t believe."

At this level of intensity, there will be no substitute for handcrafting your own edition. Use the EMS as a backbone and supplement it with the "29th Anniversary Limited Edition".

If the EMS is 100% sound quality/95% completeness, the 29th is 95% sound quality/100% completeness. It also hews closer to film order – making it a valuable guide to assembling your own track list.

If you’ve gone this far, you might also consider adding "Los Angeles November 2019" as a resource.

It is an ambient sound suite meant to transport the listener into the world of the film. I imagine it would be valuable in fashioning bridges between cues.

So where to grab all this goodness?

The "2019 Edition" can be found in 320 in the Ultimate Thread here (Thread 72496). FLAC links here (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f92/blade-runner-fan-editions-guide-perplexed-131480/#post2332347).

To the best of my knowledge, working FLAC links for "EMS Recombination 2011 Definitive" can currently be found only on Avaxhome here (http://avaxhome.ws/music/bootlegs/Vangelis__Blade_Runner_EMS_Recombination__2011.htm l).

The "29th Anniversary Limited Edition" is available in FLAC here (http://misterekis.blogspot.com/2012/08/vangelis-blade-runner-29th-anniversary.html).

"Los Angeles November 2019" can be found in 320 in the Ultimate Thread. It is available in FLAC as Disc 3 in the otherwise-to-be-avoided "Esper Retirement Edition" here (http://misterekis.blogspot.com/2012/02/vangelis-blade-runner-esper-retirement.html).

Fantastic sharing ribonucleic

yo

Very nice 🙂 i wish there were more posts of this kind here at ffshrine

This is great, thank you!

Awesome. I went for the EMS.

Fantastic ribonucleic! Thank you.

Many thanks!

Thanks. I never knew there were so many blade runner releases

Funny and informative. Kudos.

FLAC’s for the 2019 Edition can be found here:
• Blade Runner – 2019 Edition.part1.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?2g8328bclcwb9ji)
• Blade Runner – 2019 Edition.part2.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?xg0ysjuav8l1q9b)

Enjoy!

FLAC’s for the 2019 Edition can be found here:
• Blade Runner – 2019 Edition.part1.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?2g8328bclcwb9ji)
• Blade Runner – 2019 Edition.part2.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?xg0ysjuav8l1q9b)

Enjoy!

Thanks for the links 🙂

Thanks. I never knew there were so many blade runner releases

Me neither. I think it’s worse than Inception. Although all the "editions" of Inception I guess are just fan edits and various bullshit threads, but this Blade Runner thread is comprised of legit releases. It’s crazaaaay. Almost rivals how many times Star Wars has been released.

Thanks so much for this guide.

Does anyone know what the correct password for the EMS unzipper is? "kermith" doesn’t work.

Thanks.

Thanks so much for this guide.

Does anyone know what the correct password for the EMS unzipper is? "kermith" doesn’t work.

Thanks.Using the password "kermith" worked for me. What are you using to unpack it?

Using the password "kermith" worked for me. What are you using to unpack it?

I got it to work with UnRarX. For some reason it wasn’t working with StuffIt Expander on a Mac.

Thanks.

very informative post. What is wrong with the "…otherwise-to-be-avoided "Esper Retirement Edition""?

If anyone is interested in the main sources of all these boots… there’s an old article on BladeZone (http://media.bladezone.com/contents/film/production/soundtrack/i_dreamt_music/i_dreamt_music.php).

What is wrong with the "…otherwise-to-be-avoided "Esper Retirement Edition""?

It’s not bad, per se. But it’s been far superseded in terms of dialogue removal.

Brilliant… you guys are brilliant

I prefer the EMS version myself. It’s the only one I listen to anymore