Vangelis couched his electrosymphonic score in percussive rhythms and shadowed timbres. Effectively interpolating dialogue from the film, the CD moves from the threatening tension of "Blush Response" to the ethereal wordless vocal of Mary Hopkin over a water-drop synthesizer sequence on "Rachel's Song." A few tracks, notably "Love Theme" with Dick Morrisey's smarmy saxophone solo, drip with Hollywood sentimentality, but Vangelis quickly wipes that away with the hyperdrive of "Blade Runner (End Titles)."

--John Diliberto