Just when you thought the race for best 2016 soundtrack was over (ending, of course, in a tie between Dirty Grandpa and Ride Along 2) dark horse Cancelled Faces comes out of, like, nowhere (!), taking a commanding lead. Brooklyn-based musician Ohal is responsible for this upset, working not only with traditional acoustic and electric instruments but also with field recordings, and homemade theremins and synthesizers, to create a sonic palette with which not even Zoolander No. 2 can compete.
A bit about the film in question:
Cancelled Faces is Lior Shamriz’s two-part noir about a gay couple’s love affair in Seoul and a cult in the desert… The main narrative, set against a backdrop of urban density, self-doubt and paranoia, is driven by cold synthesizers and melancholic melodies anchored by counterpoint and harmonic pathos.
The secondary plot functions as an allegory to the first one. An exploration of the oppressed body through the story of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the narrative frames a lawless landscape where the fourth wall is broken and theater and dance take the place of traditional cinematic dialogue. The journey through Jerusalem is arranged for marimba, clarinet, and strings, relying heavily on overtones and delay to create momentary interruptions that emphasize covert emotional content.
Ohal utilizes the soundtrack framework to explore the compositions as soundscapes, and to great effect. A classically trained lifelong musician, this is Ohal’s first formal release, in preparation for Acid Park, her full length of contemporary-composition-pop which drops later this year, likewise on Styles Upon Styles. Head to the afore-linked website to pre-order the tape, which ships (along with a complimentary 11”x15” screenprint from artist Inva Cota) February 26th.
NYC heads can catch Ohal performing with LXV and Excepter member SSPS at Trans Pecos on February 25th. Preview the track “Cancelled Faces”, with footage from the film, below.
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