Such themes are ingrained in Minari‘s soundtrack too, composed by Emile Mosseri (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Homecoming, Kajillionaire) and released on Milan Records. According to the Los Angeles Times, Chung’s vision for the film was informed by “his own mental Polaroids,” and he asked Mosseri for a score capable of evoking the nostalgia of childhood memory. What results is a soundtrack caught between two worlds—the mundanity of daily toil expanded and deepened by something less rigid, another plane shaped by forces less physical, be they memories, dreams, or familial bonds.

Lead single ‘Rain Song’ is the perfect example of this spirit. A collaboration between Emile Mosseri and Korean translator and lyricist Stefanie Hong, the song sees Mosseri’s original lyrics translated into Korean and sung by one of the lead actors, Yeri Han. The track is performed as a lullaby in the movie, and this hushed emotive style is intrinsic to Mosseri’s sound. Those small moments before sleep where the present can be parked, a half-wake world where dreams are possible and the futures we desire can flutter into view.

Minari is set for release on the 12th February, and the soundtrack will be out via Milan Records on the same day.

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Such influences and ideas are explored in a ‘The Same Water’, a short documentary based around Katie Spencer’s work. The film, which originally premiered at Kardomah94 in Hull, began as a series of recordings taken from a live session for local charity, The Warren. Intrigued by the atmosphere and inherent flow of the songs, director Patrick Mateer decided to expand the videos into a short film centering on Spencer’s creative process and personality. As Mateer explains:

“I was inspired by Katie’s music – and at first, the song “Drinking The Same Water” in particular – I wanted to look at how I could visually reflect the themes and emotions of the songs. The heartbeat of the film is Katie’s storytelling through her lyrics and I used these, along with the interview footage we filmed, to weave a narrative amongst the songs that tells us who Katie is and why she makes the music she does.”

We’re delighted to share the film for the first time online. With songs interspersed with intimate and insightful interview sequences, as well as lovely scenic shots of Hull and East Yorkshire, it makes for a pretty inspiring listen. In a world where so called millennials are labelled vapid and superficial, young artists don’t often get the opportunity to reflect on their ideas and aims, and it’s a testament to Mateer and Spencer herself that ‘The Same Water’ allows the latter and disproves the former.

The film was commissioned by Warren Records who are a PRS For Music Foundation Talent Development Parter, and the music is being released as an EP, aptly titled Live Soundtrack to a Short Film, which you can get on CD/digital via the Katie Spencer Bandcamp page. In addition, Spencer is currently working on her debut album alongside Brian Young, featuring Ted McKenna, Foss Paterson and Danny Thompson, so be sure to keep an eye on her website for further news, and be sure to listen to more of her music via Soundcloud. You can find out more about Patrick Mateer via his website.

Photograph by Patrick Mateer

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Their music is forthright, their positivity and hope border on something of a spiritual level… That their songs and ideas don’t come off as New Age-y clap-trap is a testament to 1) how much we (or at least I) want to hear/identify with what they are saying, and 2) the sense of authenticity that surrounds their work.

The outfit, led by songwriter Craig Minowa, have never been ones to shy away from experimental projects and ideas, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to learn that their new album The Seeker is also a full-blown movie. As the band describe:

“The Seeker” is an experimental art-drama serving as a metaphor for humanity’s search for the meaning of life and the divine. This album and film chronicle the life story of a girl who undergoes great loss at a young age and her life’s journey to find herself. It was written by Cloud Cult, directed and produced by Jeff D. Johnson, and stars Josh Radnor (TV’s How I Met Your Mother) and Alex McKenna (What Women Want).

The first song to be released, ‘No Hell’, sounds like a continuation of everything that makes Cloud Cult so great. A folk song with lush ambient flourishes, the track is an ode to human life and the natural world – the pain, the beauty, the bright white light.

“There’s no use in running
unless you run like heck,
the best things we learn we’ve learned
we learned from the wreck”

You can pre-order The Seeker now as part of a Pledge Music campaign, which includes a number of special prizes over various price levels. The record will be released on the 12th February, but any Pledge Music backers will get an “All Access Pass”, meaning you’ll get a song or chapter of the film every Friday, so you can watch the story unfold gradually.

Photo by Graham Tolbert 

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The film revolves around the inhabitants of Bathtub, a fictional island off Louisiana. Six year-old Hushpuppy (played by Quvenzhane Wallis, who received an Oscar nomination for the part) has to cope with an unwell and increasingly volatile father, an apocalyptic storm and an apathetic world. There are clear Katrina hints and environmental themes, but there is also a beautiful story about family here too. It is so refreshing to see something that explores our relationship with the environment that does not paint everybody as evil or weak or vain. This film is upbeat despite the undeniably bleak message, it is something that celebrates our existence rather than condemning it. For me the film says: yes, humanity is to blame for a vast amount of damage and suffering (ecological or otherwise), but there is optimism in single humans, in individuals. Humans can be resiliant and tenacious and loving, and these are the very characteristics that can save us.

Anyway, back to the soundtrack. It was co-produced by Dan Romer and director Benh Zeitlin. The music, which is for the most part minimalist, feels part of the very fabric of the visuals and the story, as if the narrative could have been woven from the music just as easily as it was created the other way around. I’m not sure whether it is a completely fair observation (as I’m sure most movie composers work closely to match their work with the film in question) but I felt that it was apparent that the director had helped score his own film. 

It’s simple, just like the lives of the people of Bathtub. There is no flashy instrumentation, no thundering of a grand orchestra, just evocative and masterfully thought out music that adds an extra dimension to Hushpuppy’s view of her world. There are tracks that feature Cajun music (such as The Lost Bayou Ramblers, Leroy “Happy Fats” LeBlanc and the Balfa Brothers) and these are surrounded by the usually minimalist soundtrack, successfully portraying them as something Hushpuppy experiences in between or as well as her own mental soundtrack (i.e. the main soundtrack to the film). It is a clever concept that I’d guess would come across much better if you have seen the film.

Get the soundtrack from iTunes and the other usual places and have a listen on Spotify (boo!). Try and see the film if you can, it is a joyous watch. Check out the trailer below.

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