GROOVE WEEK: JERRY VAN ROOYEN
Spy Vibe's Groove Week began with Alan Hawkshaw over the weekend. The UK master now passes the torch over to a maestro from the Netherlands, Jerry Van Rooyen. Like Hawkshaw, Rooyen is known for his groovy soundtracks. Check out the compilation from Crippled Dick Hotwax, At 250 Miles an Hour (available now on iTunes and Amazon download). Although I grew up with The 10th Victim soundtrack, I really hadn't explored Eurospy or crime soundtracks fully until the Lounge wave hit in the 1990s. It was a revelation to see Combustible Edison performing music by Mancini and Nino Rota, and an even greater impact when Hotwax began releasing their catalog. I'm a sucker for infectious keyboard riffs. They seem so fitting for retro crime/spy adventure! Here is Van Rooyen's The Great Bank Robbery.
