Although The Notwist generated a storm of hyped attention when releasing their Neon Golden album in 2002, that was never the music for me. And neither for this weblog, since it’s nowhere near ‘ambient music’.
My local record shop retailer recently insisted I’d listen to their recently released “Sturm” (Storm) soundtrack.
And right he was (Thanks Willem!)
‘Storm’ does not refer to the current dutch movie hit about the Zeeland flood in 1953, but to the film by director Hans-Christian Schmid.
Here’s the plot description of the film:
Hannah Maynard, a prosecutor at the Tribunal in The Hague, manages to convince a young Bosnian woman to testify against an alleged war criminal. Amidst the inconsistency of political interests and threats coming from Bosnian Serb nationalists, she realizes that her opponents not only sit on the dock across from her, but are also found in her own ranks.
Although this German-Danish-Dutch production clocks 110 minutes, the Notwist soundtrack length is barely half an hour. But the music is extremely effective (even without the movie to accompany it).
It starts out like a modern day minimal composition on Vilina Kosa Version. The compositions following this opening track will appeal to all of you that are into music like that of Max Richter, Johann Johannsson, Ólafur Arnalds, the Bersarin Quartet, Greg Haines, etc.. etc..
O well that’s just namedropping.
This soundtrack is very beautiful, a balanced form of modern experimental acoustic ‘chamber music’, using “bowed xylophone, alienated glockenspiel, orchestra accordion and minimal electronic”.
Alien Transistor (the label) releases this album in 12″ vinyl format with the CD enclosed together with a 24 page booklet. A modern day “One Size Fits All” Release.
If the movie is half as interesting as the music, I must go and see it.
But even if this movie proves to be boring as hell the soundtrack deserves to be heard.