Waltz with Bashir (2008) is a groundbreaking animated documentary by Israeli film maker Ari Folman. One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli […]
Contemporary
Max Richter: Shadow journal
The Blue Notebooks “Shadow journal” was originally released in The Blue Notebooks (2004), the second solo album by German born British composer Max Richter. While classically trained, the musician is also influenced by Rock and Electronic music or by modern minimalists such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich or Arvo Pärt. Max Richter scores for classical formations […]
Antony and the Johnsons feat. Björk: Flétta
This exquisite collaborative track comes from Antony and the Johnsons’ 2010 recording Swanlights. The track was originally composed in 2006 during the recording sessions for Björk’s album Volta which includes two duets with Antony Hegarty. In “Flétta”, Antony and Björk sing to actual Icelandic words and interweave vocal lines over Antony’s original piano song. As Björk explains: We […]
Maja Ratkje and Frode Haltli: Vandring
Vandring This is a composition from Frode Haltli’s 2007 recording Passing Images featuring a vocal performance by Maja Ratkje and Arve Henriksen on trumpet. As the accordion player notes, the origin of this track is twofold: Vandring is based on “Jeg er på vandring gjennom livet” as it is sung by Elias Akselen (b. 1947) who […]
Andrey Dergatchev: The return
I must have watched The Return three or four times now, several years apart, and each time I am left with a very strong impression. Set against the backdrop of the desolate wilderness of Northern Russia, The Return is an arresting film by first-time director Andrey Zvyagintsev. On its release, the film took most critics by surprise and […]
Amadou & Mariam: Wily Kataso
Amadou & Mariam have been playing music together since the early 1980s and Folila, released in April 2012, is the pair’s latest recording. Often referred to as “the blind couple from Mali”, Amadou & Mariam have a great knack for composing catchy songs in their inimitable Afro-pop style. While a lot of their music is […]
