© 2025 Lawrence Tuczynski

All info courtesy of David Hirsch and BSX Records

Title BUKIMISHA: Undersea Wars: ATRAGON AT LATITUDE ZERO
CD Label BSX Records
CD Number BSXCD9238
Music Composed By: Akira Ifukube
Music Performed by: Bukimisha
Number of tracks 64
Running time 73:40
Number of discs 1
Year of release/manufacture January 14, 2025

REVIEW

January 23, 2025 courtesy of BSX Records
(Exclusive liner notes by David Hirsch)

BUKIMISHA: Undersea Wars: ATRAGON AT LATITUDE ZERO (BSXCD9238)

https://buysoundtrax.myshopify.com/products/bukimisha-undersea-wars-atragon-at-latitude-zero

Dive beneath the waves as BSX Records presents a double feature of Bukimisha's thrilling "a capella" recreations of Akira Ifukube's complete scores to the special effects extravaganzas ATRAGON and LATITUDE ZERO.

ATRAGON follows the threat from the villainous undersea kingdom of the Mu Empire and the surface world's only hope is from a secret super-submarine. The maestro's score draws on many of his established martial themes, some originally created during the Second World War. A counterpoint is "Makoto's Theme," a gentle, longing melody for estranged daughter of the boat's captain.

LATITUDE ZERO is an usual pulp-style adventure that was shot in English and starring Hollywood heavyweights Joseph Cotton, Cesar Romero, and Richard Jaeckel. Here, a trio of explorers stumble upon an hidden utopia at the bottom of the sea. They're under threat from a mad scientist and his army of mutant creatures. Ifukube's score for this film quite different from his earlier work, but fear not, his theme for the Black Shark submarine is still imbued with his more familiar menacing style.

This album has been mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland from the group's original digital recordings, all supervised and approved by Takeo Yahiro & their great mentor, Dr. Bukimi. Exclusive liner notes by author David Hirsch with Sam Scali. This CD set is a limited run.

BUKIMISHA: Undersea Wars: ATRAGON AT LATITUDE ZERO (BSXCD9238)

    ATRAGON (1963)

  1. Toho Logo 0:16
  2. Appearance of the Steam Person 0:44
  3. Main Title 1:20
  4. The Submarine Rises to the Surface 1:51
  5. The Delivered Film 0:16
  6. Warning from Mu 1:54
  7. Emergency UN Conference Convenes 0:16
  8. Challenge from Mu 1:06
  9. Worldwide Terror 0:26
  10. The Red Satan 1:59
  11. The Submarine Returns to Port 0:40
  12. Communication Ball 0:11
  13. Gotengo Defense Force 0:21
  14. Makoto's Theme I 0:56
  15. The Undersea Battleship's Test Run I 0:38
  16. The Undersea Battleship's Test Run II 2:13
  17. The Undersea Battleship's Test Run III 0:48
    (Film Version)
  18. Makoto's Theme II 1:47
  19. Unno's True Colors 0:56
  20. The Prayer of the Mu Empire 3:15
  21. Guardian Dragon Manda 0:19
  22. The Mu People on Mount Mihara 1:00
  23. The Declaration of Mu 1:00
  24. The Undersea Battleship Attacks I 0:26
  25. The Undersea Battleship Attacks II 0:46
    (Film Version)
  26. Marunochi Collapses 0:32
  27. Tokyo Bay Conflagration 0:44
  28. Tokyo Bay and the Undersea Battleship 1:31
    (Film Version)
  29. The Rescue 2:11
  30. The Undersea Battleship vs. Manda 1:51
  31. Volunteer Corps Moves Out 2:08
    (Film Version)
  32. Ending 1:11

    33. LATITUDE ZERO (1969)

  33. Main Title 2:49
  34. Anomalies in the Deep Sea 1:42
  35. The Undersea Volcano 0:47
  36. The Submarine Alpha 2:15
  37. Mackenzie 0:25
  38. The 164-Year Voyage 0:48
  39. Bloodrock 0:35
  40. The Alpha vs. the Black Shark I 1:03
  41. Black Shark Chase 1:12
  42. Tracking Missile 1:34
  43. Projected Image 0:55
  44. The Entrance to Latitude Zero 1:15
  45. The Alpha Enters Port 2:51
  46. Utopia - Latitude Zero I 0:44
  47. Utopia - Latitude Zero II 1:42
  48. Utopia - Latitude Zero III 2:56
  49. A Meal at Latitude Zero 0:21
  50. Attack of the Black Shark 0:39
  51. The Kidnapping of Dr. Okada 0:57
  52. Immunization Bath 1:00
  53. Malik and Dr. Okada 1:23
  54. Bloodrock Trap 1:22
  55. Griffon 0:27
  56. Bloodrock Monsters 1:42
  57. The Mackenzie Invasion 0:35
  58. Lucrecia's Last Moments 0:25
  59. Black Shark Appearance 1:37
  60. Pieces of Metal 0:16
  61. The Alpha vs. the Black Shark II 1:51
  62. Griffon and the Black Shark 1:11
  63. Noisy Ground 0:20
  64. Ending 0:24