Shows / CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
Join gak as he explores music from the movies, tunes from television and any other cinematic source, along with atmospheric pieces, cutting edge new tracks and strange old goodies that could be used in a soundtrack to be. The spotlight swings widely to encompass composers, genres and other categories, but all in the name of discovery and ironclad whimsy.
Episodes
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #811 - "More a marathon than a test" (2026 November 02)
Although Hallowe'en Horror Month ended abruptly when gak got sick in the back half of October, there are still vestigial bits to cover as Claudio Simonetti's…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #810 - "Let me check our eerie yellow stockroom" (2026 October 19)
Hallowe'en Horror Month continues though gak is on the road, so it's time to enter a place that started as Youtube shorts and became a film this year…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #809 - "Witches' brew makes for a bitchin' stew" (2026 October 12)
Thanksgiving and October horrors combine here for the Garrys' 2020 rescoring of the 1922 Swedish/Danish early horror film Häxan. gak thinks too much about food…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #808 - "True love requires some assembly" (2026 October 05)
It's October again so it's time to kick off our annual Horror Month in the leadup to Hallowe'en! First up: The Bride of Frankenstein over the years, from 1935…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #807 - "Naturally superior but so are the blackflies" (2026 September 28)
807 is gak's original area code so as we ponder the Canadian National Day of Truth & Reconciliation this week, we combine themes around Northwestern Ontario…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #806 - "Creepy island vibes" (2026 September 21)
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out last week and in contrast to other award ceremonies, this one for television is spread out over multiple days so…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #805 - "Forever figure-eights" (2026 September 14)
William Orbit (1956-2026) was active in pop & classical music, so we'll touch upon some of his production work and we have a short profile on the soundtrack to…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #804 - "Expanded & exceeded are the pleasure machines" (2026 September 07)
Happy Labour Day! With the influences of the 2000s genre electroclash popping up anew, along with the death of the French producer Kavinsky (1975-2026), this…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #803 - "Don't take our queens away" (2026 August 31)
Life has been particularly cruel as of late, so losing both Dolly Parton (1946-2026) and Tim Curry hours apart this week feels extra mean. We'll mostly focus…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #802 - "No one summers like a Canadian" (2026 August 24)
While the season is still in session, we jump on a genre coined from the Beyond Yacht Rock podcast: Camaro Summer with all its 1980s hard rock simple…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #801 - "Black angels lift us up" (2026 August 17)
It's been a while since we've had some funk and/or blaxploitation, though Donny Hathaway's score to the 1972 film Come Back Charleston Blue veers occasionally…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM Nº800 - "Cirean-cròins & tuataras" (2026 August 10)
We pay tribute to the singer-songwriter Glen Hansard (1970-2026) and actor Sam Neill (1947-2026) as we hop around many of their associated films. gak's back…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #799 - "Planetary dream collection" (2026 August 03)
For your August long weekend, it's part 19.5 of our all ambient series, though this one gets the half point for bringing a jazz touch to the scene. Percussion…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #798 - "No quitting so keep your wishes" (2026 July 27)
Vancouver Pride Week is upon us so with gak back in the saddle, it's time for LGBTQ+ themes galore with a profile on Gustavo Santaolalla's Oscar-winning score…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #797 - "Swirling runes in a timeless loop" (2026 July 13 & 20)
Part 19 of our all-ambient series takes a look at Spencer Doran, one half of the environmental sound act Visible Cloaks, and his score to the 2023 video game…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #796 - "Yo wellermen & wellerwomen" (2026 July 06)
In the midst of prerecorded shows or possible repeats, gak's back to do a proper light summer theme around pirates & sea shanties. We will not get all your…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #795 - "Four strong winds to paint you" (2026 July 29)
With gak elsewhere in Canada this week, this pre-recorded episode celebrates what this nation has with a profile on Michael Timmins' score to the 2016 biopic…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #794 - "It's about all of this and maybe some more" (2026 June 22)
With the Vancouver International Jazz Festival underway, it's time to get jazzy again as we look at some of the performing in one of this city's true…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #793 - "Yá’át’ééh" (2026 June 15)
With the coming Sunday sporting many holidays, we'll focus mostly on National Indigenous Peoples' Day with the score to 1966's Navajo Joe with some more Ennio…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #792 - "The science ball goes into BC Place for one point" (2026 June 08)
With another large sports event coming to Vancouver, we'll talk both soccer & football as the world's most beautiful game has a tournament with 7 games in…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #791 - "It's got the oceans, the orchards & the ogres" (2026 June 01)
Exploring the idea of the blue marble we live on, this explorative episode uses Daniel Blumberg's score to the 2020 film The World to Come to hit the globe…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #790 - "Improved & improvised, Pt I" (2026 May 25)
Miles Davis was born 1926 May 26 so this week marks his centenary. Therefore, most of this episode is jazzy with one of Davis' soundtracks, the 1958 French…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #789 - "Everything's wetter on VHS" (2026 May 18)
For your Victoria Day programming (now 3 hours long), we pay tribute to the Japanese author Koji Suzuki (1957-2026) with dueling North American & Japanese film…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #788 - "Sound the sun gong & watch the fire rise" (2026 May 11)
With recent volcanic activity abounding (though presently, far from the Pacific Coast of Canada), we dust off hopes of a eruptive profile, nicely timed with a…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #787 - "Fener mascelle" (2026 May 04)
May the fourth be with you! Despite a new Star Wars film on the horizon this month, we'll go with an Ennio Morricone score to a 1979 space film that apparently…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #786 - "Sweet machines of grubby lace" (2026 April 27)
gak's back and still somewhat jetlagged as he dives into one of his favourite genres: musique concréte & early industrial as Cosey Fanni Tutti scored a 2020…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #785 - "Unaltered zones" (2026 April 20)
It's been a while since we've gone all ambient, so with gak on the road again, let's listen to some of the beatless wonders that came out in 2025. 01. Mount…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #784 - "You're never mercilessly alone, wee bird" (2026 April 13)
With a bit more time and stroke of luck, we'll finally pay tribute to the actor Robert Duvall (1931-2026) with a focus on two Texan gems: the 1983 film Tender…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #783 - "Delayed resurrections" (2026 April 06)
Since it's Easter, we'll explore the idea of rebirth via the story of Lazarus, mostly from the eyes of Shinichirō Watanabe and his latest anime series of the…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #782 - "My buddy's cortege" (2026 March 30)
There have been hopes to share the soundtrack to 1971's cult classic Harold & Maude for a long time but with the passing of Bud Cort (1948-2026), we've got…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #781 - "Anghodar farar kardam/khili doydam" (2026 March 23)
Pivoting back to hard reality, with much of the world's focus on Iran, we finally dig into music from that country. We'll explore some recent reissued pop…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #780 - "Vi har alle vår rolle å spille" (2026 March 16)
The 98th Academy Awards were handed out on Sunday so as we wrap up award season, we'll recap who won and we'll profile the score from the Best International…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #779 - "Paddles to peddle" (2026 March 09)
With the 98th Academy Awards to be handed out on Sunday and we've already covered all the nominated songs & scores, we'll go with one that was on the shortlist…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #778 - "Monstrous souls seeking love" (2026 March 02)
Not only is it Week 6 of our annual Oscars profile but it's also CITR's annual FUNDRIVE! As I profiled the 5 nominees for Best Original Song, which ties into a…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #777 - "Get your nose in the carpet" (2026 February 23)
For our final Oscar-nominated score profile, leading up to next month's Academy Awards, we listen again to cues from Jonny Greenwood's work from Paul Thomas…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #776 - "Taking arms against a sea of troubles" (2026 February 16)
It's Week 4 of our annual Oscars profile and first time nominee Max Richter has had a strong presence in modern classical music. His score to Hamnet ties into…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #775 - "Neck bolts optional" (2026 February 09)
Week 3 of our annual Academy Awards profile looks at Alexandre Desplat's Oscar nominated score to Guillermo del Toro's 2025 adaptation of Frankenstein. gak…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #774 - "Back to the shack, two Mississippi" (2026 February 02)
Week 2 of our annual Academy Awards profiles looks again at the music from 2025's Sinners, which has two musical nominations amongst its records 16 total: one…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #773 - "I'm covered in bees!" (2026 January 26)
The nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were announced last Thursday. Thus begins our annual Oscar season profiles! We begin with Jerskin Fendrix's nominated…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #772 - "We still don't want this fascist groove thing" (2026 January 19)
Since 2026 still has some spillover from the previous year, we'll hear selections from Tom Rowland's score to the 2025 limited TV series Mussolini: Son of the…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
24 Hours of Radio Art, Hrs 15 & 16 - "Is í an t-ochtú farraige an ceann a sheolann os ár gcionn uile" (2026 January 17)
"The eighth sea is the one we sail above us all" gak's back, live, for 24 Hours of Radio Art, emphasizing the radio part of the art. In honour of the 75th…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #771 - "Well past eleven & way more black" (2026 January 12)
gak marks 18 years on air at CITR -- 16 with this show name -- though we'll mute any celebration for now in light of a crazy year thus far, paying tribute to…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #770 - "Growing into eyeball kids" (2026 January 05)
We begin a new year with an overdue profile on music from Norman McLaren and the National Film Board of Canada. We all made it this far. 01. Ctznshp: The New…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM 47 + 146 [REDUX, DELUXE SIZE] - "Grumpy pistol vs. Turkey tinsel" (2025 December 29)
For the 5th day of Christmas, your troop dove into the Exploding Head Vaults for a supersized episode featuring holiday episodes from 2010 & 2012. Since those…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #769 - "Too much loot in the sack so Santa just wants cash" (2025 December 22)
It's our 18th annual counter-Christmas carol episode where we find holiday hymns & seasonal songs outside of what you're hear endlessly elsewhere. We'll dig…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #768 - "Time doesn't exist yet it controls us anyway" (2025 December 15)
As folks start going into holiday mode, let's review some of the music that helped define 2025 along with one film score: Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack to Paul…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #767 - "Antelope pairing" (2025 December 08)
As 2025 winds down, we'll explore some of the year already but we'll profile some of Gazelle Twin's recent music, particularly with the 2024 TV series Mudtown…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #766 - "Warlording over us" (2025 December 01)
Actor Tatsuya Nakadai (1932-2025) recently passed away so as he reflect on his life, we dive into perhaps his most iconic role in Akira Kurosawa's 1985 epic…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #765½ - "La bellezza nella bella confusione" (2025 November 24)
With the recent passing of actress Claudia Cardinale (1938-2025), we dig into her career, focusing on one film in particular: Federico Fellini's 1963 meta-film…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #764 - "I fight for all the users" (2025 November 17)
The latest part of the Tron series is 2025's Tron: Ares with a film score by Nine Inch Nails so we'll dive into the grid via the sea of simulation. 01. Robyn…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #763 - "Years booking with Euclid" (2025 November 10)
We tried this last year but station upgrades around that time meant things went sideways so it's take two of our Remembrance Day profile tied to Max Steiner's…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #762 - "Staging magical bullets" (2025 November 03)
Playwright & director Robert Wilson (1941-2025) had an enormous impact on avant-garde theatre so we'll explore music associated with his works, particularly a…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #761 - "Krampus starts early" (2025 October 27)
Our annual Hallowe'en Horror Month concludes this week with a film that confuses holidays but has become a seasonal fave: 1993's The Nightmare Before…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #760 - "The latest designer diseases" (2025 October 20)
Hallowe'en Horror Month continues in earnest as we explore the human body & celebrity skin via EC Woodley's score to the 2012 film Antiviral. 01. Ace Frehley…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #759 - "Terror delivered to your door in 30 minutes or more" (2025 October 13)
For your Thanksgiving enjoyment, in contrast to past holiday episodes that aided with digestion, this one is designed to help with any harvest meal prep…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #758 - "Juke joint jeopardy" (2025 October 06)
It's October so it's time for our annual Hallowe'en Horror Month! One of the big films in 2025 is Sinners, so we get bloody & bluesy with Ludwig Göransson's…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #757 - "We are the future ancestors" (2025 September 29)
In honour of the actor Graham Greene (1952-2025) along with Canada's National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, we span indigenous themes with some soundtracks…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #756 - "Smash the flood lights, wonder boy" (2025 September 22)
Robert Redford (1936-2025) had a profound influence on the world, be it through acting, directing, producing & activism. As we pivot to pay tribute to him…
- CiTR -- Exploding Head Movies
XHM #755 - "Display case for all my tiny wings" (2025 September 15)
As we attempt to recap the recent Emmy awards, we profile the violinist/composer Alexander Balanescu and his score to the 1995 film Angels & Insects. We also…