Music from and Inspired by The Jackal soundtrack of the 1997 action thriller, starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. This “discrimination” doesn’t mean that the other album, containing Carter Burwell’s score should be disregarded. In fact, some of the tracks from there would fit inconspicuously on this album, Burwell being one of the most versatile film composers of the last two decades. His slick combination of electronica and a traditional score creates the real sonic trademark of the movie. That and, of course, the opening track, Massive Attack’s Superpredators, which sets the tone for the violence that is to follow and creates a memorable title sequence in the process.

And speaking of violence, an action movie, back in the day, would usually have more of a rock collection type of soundtrack, that’s why The Jackal, musically, is quite the milestone. By 1997, electronica and dance music had evolved in a more aggressive ‘beast’, bravely competing with rock as a mean of venting N. energy. The cream of the crop of the artists who achieved this are featured on The Jackal. A lot of these bands actually toured together. There’s no point in denying that UK was the headquarters for this new face of dance music and this is also illustrated through the selection found on this OST.

We’ll start with the most obvious, so we can ‘get them out of the way’ — The Prodigy. They make their appearance on this album with the classic (even then) hit, Poison, but without the ”phone call” intro. They are also joined by their touring partner back in the Jilted day, Moby (with Shining), one of the few non-British names on the whole thing. The list continues with Apollo Four Forty and their blood pumping mover & shaker, Raw Power (such a good choice of title). Keeping it still in the big beat bands area, we have Agent Provocateur with Red Tape (another title destined for action flicks OST’s). The DJ’s aren’t missing either. Of course, you have Fatboy Slim ‘going out of his head’, as well d’n'b icon, Goldie, both with a track (Sunray 2) and a remix of Bush’s Swallowed. Lunatic Calm’s overused Leave You Far Behind also makes its first ever appearance on a soundtrack.

There is also a softer side to this album, it’s not big, but it’s there. You have Primal Scream’s ‘feel good Sunday morning’ Star, Ani DiFranco’s moody Joyful Girl, some chill d’n'b by LTJ Bukem and then, there is Shineaway. Fully aware of the consequences, I must say that this is the true treasure of the album. A collaboration between The Psychedelic Furs’ singer, Richard Butler, and virtuoso producer BT, Shineway is basically a ballad, but with enough cool sounds around the edges to be the ballad to the power songs listed above. If the other songs are the stuff that draws you to this album, Shineway is the thing that’ll keep you there. There are some other songs on it, but I have to leave at least a bit of mystery unrevealed. You check it out !

From these, the stand-out is JLTF (not to be confused with JLTF-1), which in some ways sounds like a slow-motion Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad, and this, too, would make wonders on an indie movie set in a small town, where it always rains. You could include on the same movie Walk With Me and Wait for Me (on the end titles !). Moby himself makes only one vocal appearance on Mistake, which shows some resemblance with Slipping Away or Where You End from Hotel. As for his previous album, Last Night, this one could pass for a reaction to that. If that was the crazy Saturday night out, this one is the Sunday coffee at noon. Alone. Watching the rain falling on your window and making the world seem black and white. But in a good way.

There a few moody instrumentals, that are either too short or too weird to deserve their own titles (Stock Radio or JLTF-1). There is the already-overestimated-because-of-its-David Lynch-video Shot in the Back of the Head and the rather predictable Pale Horses. But you also get an instant classic like the brilliantly-titled A Seated Night, which has a Sunday Mass feel to it. It’s built on a sampled choral bit and then synths and synths and synth are added, with a minimal beat in the background. It sounds like Massive Attack doing a Christmas carol. But in a good way. Opener Division will make you wonder “for what movie did John Barry composed this?”, while Scream Pilots will take you back to 80′s or rather early 70′s new age, like Vangelis or Mike Oldfield.

If you weren’t just dying to dance on new tunes by Moby, you will not be disappointed by Wait for Me, especially if you listen to it when you are in the mood for such stuff. It’s that kind of album. If you feel depressed and want to listen to something that will cheer you up, don’t choose this. But if you want to add depth to that depression and make it an existential crisis (you know you sometimes want exactly that !), Wait for Me will do the trick. But in a good way.

MUSIC VIDEO FOR Drinking in L.A.