F# A# 39
It’s maybe not surprising that music from a year from winter’s collection often turns up in films, radio or television. This Christmas we’ve had a bit of the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble — I think ‘Wedding Postponed’ from A Year from Easter as the background music for an advert for Radio 4’s serialisation of A Christmas Carol.
Much stranger however, is the use of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in the background for the trailer for the BBC’s new production of the 39 Steps. I was under the impression that Godspeed were quite particular about their music being used (or not being used) for these purposes. The only other time I’ve heard them on a soundtrack was on 28 Days Later (’East Hastings’ from A# F# Infinity). The music suited the post-apocalyptic theme of the film perfectly.
Well, maybe the members of Godspeed (the band is sadly no more) are relaxing more about their music’s use, or maybe they need the money. Anyway, I look forward to watching the 39 Steps and seeing if Godspeed have made their way onto the soundtrack and will keep an ear peeled for any future use of their music.
Rook #1
Great photo of a rook on Flickr by John Grey. I love the sense of movement in it and the feeling it’s like a snaphot of something glimpsed out of the corner of an eye. Very Jamesian.
Christmas on Mars
Yesterday I saw Christmas on Mars, the Flaming Lips‘ film which has finally been released after a seven year gestation period. Going on my experience of the Lips’ music and shows I was expecting a piece of gentle psychedelic whimsy but this was altogether much darker.
The story focuses on a group of astronauts on a space station on Mars in 2055. The station is starting to disintegrate as are the minds of most of its crew. Then a stranger arrives (Wayne Coyne, complete with antennae) and things start to change…
Wayne Coyne was present at the screening and did a Q and A after the film in which he explained the ideas behind the film. Apparently he was influenced by some of the stories he’d heard in childhood about a failed mission to Mars which had been covered up (learned from from his dope-smoking elder brother, unsuprisingly).
Shot mainly in black and white and featuring shots of dead babies and marching bands of men with the heads of female genitalia, plus a matching disorientating soundtrack, Christmas on Mars easily earns its place in a year from winter’s canon of disconcerting art.