The success of Beyond Rangoon for Zimmer begins with his choice of instrumentation. The electronics, despite their inherent weaknesses in expressiveness, are used primarily as bass-driving devices, providing a steady, droning rhythm and occasional sharp hit for moments of fright. This is how Zimmer creates the horror; the score is extremely heavy in the bass, not only in the mixing of the recording, but also by design. By doing this, Zimmer avoids the stereotypical crashing of the upper range electronics (except, perhaps, in "Village Under Siege") that would tarnish lesser Media Ventures scores like The Rock. With the synthesizers (and moderate string section) restrained to a supporting role, the truly wonderful instruments of the ensemble can shine. The ethnic flutes and pipes performed by Richard Harvey are the central voice of the score, offering a convincing feel for the culture of Burma while also soothing the listener. Upper and lower range pipes alternate in performances opposite a mournful female voice. The ethereal wordless vocals offer an additional sense of beauty to the location and drive the spirit of the female characters in the film. Often in the background behind these performances are ethnic bells and chimes that cause a significantly watery effect on the score. These four elements together form a strikingly cohesive ensemble, performing often with awesome beauty and representing an attention on subtle texture that Zimmer largely abandoned in his later, more predictable blockbuster scores. Their roles wouldn't be as impressive if not for Zimmer's nearly constant presentation of thematic harmony. With very slow tempi from the outset, the themes are elegant though simple, and their deliberate pace allows the gravity of the performances to sink in even further. The repetitive, but fluid construct of these rhythms is similar to parts of Toys, especially with the very heavy bass electronics, though the instrumentation foreshadows the most elegantly appealing stylistic aspects of The Prince of Egypt. Overall, the recording quality of Beyond Rangoon is extremely clear, and it is mixed with a wet sound that suggests an almost dreamy state in which the plot is taking place. The final suite on the album (which was released a year after the film's debut) is a stunning piece that compensates for the occasionally overbearing cues earlier on the product. This is, without a doubt, a hidden Zimmer gem from a time in his career that many of his collectors wish he would revisit once again.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download