Searching for and listening to movie soundtrack music for the year is an active quest of curiosity, discovery, and collage. For those fatigued and pushing through the chilliest season, I hope this mix can provide both energy and warmth, as it did to me in making it.
Trends in film music over the last decade are continuing strong in 2023, particularly in the ambition of independent auteurs using complex and unusual scoring. (Jonny Greenwood paved the way for an approach that has been kept alive this year by the likes of Mica Levi and Bobby Krlic. Not included in the mix but needing an honorary mention is the sound work of Mark Jenkin's Enys Men, which is a treat for the ambient ears.) The foundation for this mix is Angela Schanelec's beautiful and aptly titled Music, which provides both diegetic and non-diegetic moments to guide us. Samples range from The Old Oak, in which classical choral choir meets Syrian guitar and words of hope that now hit harder than ever, to a mix of sentimental strings courtesy of the legendary Joe Hisaishi. Abstract experimental sounds by two completely different kinds of artists—Harmony Korine and Thomas Newman—are mixed with sliced samples from Ayşe Polat's In the Blind Spot, and iconic '90s reissues, Lost Highway (1997) and Pi (1998), are featured with the contemporary sounds of Tim Hecker’s shrills in Infinity Pool and Maustetytöt’s Finnish jam from Fallen Leaves. Finally, wrapping up this sonic summary of the year is something warming: Alexander Payne’s great use of Cat Stevens in his New Hollywood homage, The Holdovers.
TRACKLIST
1. Excerpt, Music (Angela Schanelec, 2023) 00:00
2. Kris Bowers, "My Child," Chevalier (Stephen Williams, 2022) 01:40
3. Excerpt, BlackBerry (Matthew Johnson, 2023) 03:12
4. Barry Adamson, "Dub Driving," Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1997, Reissue) 05:20
5. Tim Hecker, "Here To Stay," Infinity Pool (Brandon Cronenberg, 2023) 09:00
6. Thomas Newman, "Headphones," Elemental (Peter Sohn, 2023) 16:40
7. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, "P.I.M.P," Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023) 17:20
8. Excerpt, Music (Angela Schanelec, 2023) 20:33
9. Excerpt, Afire (Christian Petzold, 2023) 26:55
10. Excerpt, Fallen Leaves (Aki Kaurismäki, 2023) 28:00
11. Joe Hisaishi, "The Ark," The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki, 2023) 31:00
12. Herdís Stefánsdóttir, "First Harbinger," Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan, 2023) 32:20
13. Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer," Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) 34:45
14. Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen, "If You Leave Something Behind," Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023) 36:20
15. Clint Mansell, "Pi R Squared," Pi (Darren Aronofsky, 1999, Reissue) 37:30
16. Jerskin Fendrix, "Bella," Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023) 38:56
17. Excerpt, The Old Oak (Ken Loach, 2023) 40:30
18. Bobby Krlic, "Homecoming," Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster, 2023) 43:50
19. Excerpt, Rotting in the Sun (Sebastián Silva, 2023) 46:00
20. Hildur Guðnadóttir, "St Louis," A Haunting in Venice (Kenneth Branagh, 2023) 47:00
21. Richard Reed Parry, "Driving Home," Eileen (William Oldroyd, 2023) 50:00
22. Joseph Trapanese, "The Decision," No One Will Save You (Brian Duffield, 2023) 51:20
23. Robbie Robertson, "Tulsa Massacre Newsreel," Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023) 54:10
24. Robbie Robertson, "Mollie," Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023) 56:30
25. Excerpt, Aggro Dr1ft (Harmony Korine, 2023) 56:50
26. Excerpt, The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, 2023) 57:10
27. Excerpt, In the Blind Spot (Ayşe Polat, 2023) 57:40
28. Cornel Wilczek, "Mother," Talk to Me (Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou, 2022) 58:40
29. Devonté Hynes, "Tattoos," Master Gardener (Paul Schrader, 2022) 60:30
30. Joe Hisaishi, "Reincarnation," The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki, 2023) 63:00
31. Cat Stevens, "The Wind," The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023) 65:30