This is the world of Southwest of Here.
The story follows two men - Edward and Bill - as they make their way across the open country to exact revenge on an unsuspecting man. It explores the contrasting nature of the human psyche.The main role of Southwest of Here's score is to capture this unique time and location - it is set in harsh isolation, "looking out from the mountain top, smoke in the distance..." It is a vast landscape.
The characters are originally from Ireland, so this carries a reference in the sound, but cautiously, because this place is unlike the rolling lush greens of Ireland - it a place that is rougher - somewhat desperate yet open - harsh and unforgiving.
I recorded with Chris Bleth and his brilliant set of whistles. (Bleth plays Duduk on Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica, and did that beautiful solo on Narnia: The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe - "A Narnia Lullaby" by Gregson-Williams - definitely worth checking out).We chose a low pitched whistle to avoid that shiny bright timbre whistle is usually known for, and at the same time, we created a sound world of openness and vulnerability in tone with breath control that the whistle allows. We approached the music with less ornamentation and decoration, but with enough rubato to form our desired musical shape.
Here is the main theme:
Along with whistle, there are moments of Celtic harp, dulcimer, grand piano and acoustic guitar, but used in a non-traditional sense to support the drama, to enrich the soundscape and create a balanced ensemble across the frequency range, so we could achieve a full sound palette when needed. The mid and high ranges are layered with ppp non-vibrato strings.
Along with whistle, there are moments of Celtic harp, dulcimer, grand piano and acoustic guitar, but used in a non-traditional sense to support the drama, to enrich the soundscape and create a balanced ensemble across the frequency range, so we could achieve a full sound palette when needed. The mid and high ranges are layered with ppp non-vibrato strings.
We are currently mixing, which has been critical in capturing and evoking this vast location, taking particular care in crafting the music's placement and space. We'll update here soon with a sneak peak of the score which we'll post at the new webportal at www.leahcurtis.net.
Posts
