Saint-Ex, The Black Mass and more

Reviews on-the-go is a column that picks out a selection of soundtracks for single-paragraph “mini reviews”. Usually recent discoveries and releases, and usually recommendations, but not exclusively.

In Camera (Clark, 2023)

British drama by Naqqash Khalid, about a frustrated young actor who is constantly rejected at auditions – premiered at Karlovy Vary in 2023, but had its wide premiere in 2024. Composer Christopher Stephen Clark (who just goes by ‘Clark’) was a new acquaintance to me, but has done music for many platforms – both for media and outside. For this film, he provides a hypnotic, ambient score that utilizes shimmering electronic textures – usually just lofty chord modulations, minor-mode and semi-minimalist, and sometimes with soft vocals (a cross between Susanne Sundfør and Björk) offering the melody line. Vast, open landscapes (plenty of reverb) add a melancholic-mythological slant to the young actor’s frustrations, ultimately resulting in a lovely score that is part shoegaze, part experimental synthpop. Favourite tracks: «Green Breaking», «Running Dreams», «Captive Bliss»

Madame de Sévigné (Florencia di Concilio, 2023)

This was an under-the-radar drama, with limited distribution throughout 2024, about a mother’s attempt to make her daughter more independent in 17^th century France. I was previously aware of Uruguayan composer Florencia di Concilio via her earthy score for Léa Mysius’ Ava (2016), but here she impresses once again with an intimate, acoustic score that is stripped down to basics – a chamber ensemble (with certain time-specific tropes), sometimes highlighting melodies for solo instruments like guitar and flute that feel more at home in 60s cinema. Old meets new. Only 24 minutes in length, but perfectly capturing the delicate relationship between mother and daughter through wistful melodies. Favourite tracks: «Sévigné», «Lettres améres», «Bretagne»

The Rooster (Stefan Gregory, 2023)

An Australian dramedy from 2023 about a policeman who befriends a forest-dwelling hermit (played by Hugo Weaving). Composer Stefan Gregory apparently has an eclectic background in “theatre, rock’n’roll, and mathematics”, which may account for the unusual approach to this score. Written exclusively for human voices, it sends associations to Andy Hull and Robert McDowell’s ingenious score for Swiss Army Man (2016). At times ethereal and spiritual, at other times rhytmical, with staccato vocalizations, the brief, 24-minute album constructs a totally absorbing sonic landscape that shows the range of musical possibilities within layered vocal harmonizations. Ripe with otherworldly sensations. Favourite tracks: «Bush Grave», «Bathing», «I Am Here»

Mullet Madjack (Fernando Pepe & Mateus Polati, 2024)

This retro-futuristic first-person shooter videogame tells the story of mullet-doning Jack who fights socalled “Robillionaires”in the year 2095. Brazilian composer duo and game specialists Fernando Pepe and Mateus Polati infuse the proceedings with a deliciously funky synthwave score that adds pulse to the fast-pace gameplay. Deep, wet basslines (shades of Daniel Deluxe and Carpenter Brut!) meet spacey synth strings over the course of its 46 minutes. Amping up the 8-bit DNA at its core, it’s a lush and expansive take on the subgenre. Fun stuff! Favourite tracks: «Jack the Mullet Mad», «This is the Grid», «Second Life, sort of»

Saint-Ex (Christophe Julien, 2024)

French drama/adventure film by Pablo Agüero, based on a true story, about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s search for his pilot friend lost in the Andes (also the basis for Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1995 film Wings of Courage). Christophe Julien had a strong year in 2024, between this and the infectious comedy score for Les Chèvres!. There are certainly hints of the region’s musical identity, including recurring flute and string figures, but mostly it connotes vast, open mountain landscapes through glissando modulations. Sometimes classical and spiritual, othertimes darker and more experimental with various orchestral and electronic “effects” (including what sounds like a theremin and the use of morse code?) for the inhospitable environment. Intriguing collision of elements. But be aware of dialogue! Favourite tracks: «Saint-Ex», «Le charango du ciel», «Tempête de glace dans la cordillère»

The Black Mass (Fernando Perdomo, 2023)

Indie slasher film about a group of college girls stalked by Ted Bundy in the late 70s. US guitarist Fernando Perdomo uses his band background (as a freelancer, he’s accompanied artists like Norah Jones and Beck) to provide an absolutely delightful take on 70s funk, disco and prog. The moment that first track kicks into 10CC guitar licks, you know you’re in for a fun ride. The first half of the album is refreshingly low on genre tropes (like stingers and sneaking-around music) and behaves more like an instrumental rock album. The second half sometimes takes a more ambient and electronic turn, but in a Pink Floyd kind of way. Supremely entertaining, overall. Favourite tracks: «It’s Gonna Be a Good Day», «Hypnotized by the Queen of Derriere», «The Visitation»

Cat’s Eyes (François Lietout, 2024)

French TV series (supposedly their most expensive ever) about three sisters in Paris who attempt to steal back their father’s artwork, based on a Japanese manga. While the title song has that unmistakable “happy-go-lucky” style of Japanese anime, François Lietout’s score proper is a delightful synth affair swirling around in the upper register, occasionally underlined by a breakbeat or an odd “glitch” effect. It’s a fat and luscious sound, probably augmented by acoustic instruments here and there (I hear strings), that goes to the core of the characters’ scheming and heist-ing. A busy, but rewarding landscape full of funk and mood. Favourite tracks: «Bateaux mouches», «Course poursuite sur les toits», «La fête»

A Highland Song (Laurence Chapman, 2023)

A softspoken adventure platform game, about a young teenage girl who runs away from her family home. There is nothing “videogamey” about Laurence Chapman’s score – it’s a cautious, beautiful affair for small ensemble, mostly piano and strings (sometimes on soft synth cushions), and set comfortably in a Gaelic style. Wouldn’t be out of place as the more downtempo bits of a Braveheart or Rob Roy. Dreamy and spacey in nature, it speaks as much about the young girl’s nature as the Scottish Highlands themselves. Pure aural therapy for half an hour. Favourite tracks: «A Highland Song», «Each Moor and Meadow», «A Highland Fantasia»