Musical Accompaniment for the End of the World is the musical equivalent of enjoying a glass of Laphroaig whiskey while observing a rapidly approaching storm through the window. It is soothing ... despite the unshakeable sensation of impending doom.
Foto: Jože Suhadolnik
Musical Accompaniment
for the End of the World
Released by the Pekinpah Association, 2012
Produced by Silence
01 Hunger
02 Sing
03 Silkskin
04 Pioneers of Nothing
05 Naïf
06 Sturmschlager
07 Electricity
08 Wish Me Well, Wish Me Hell
09 Heart of Darkness
10 Death is New York
All packages are sent from Ljubljana (SLO) within 48 hours after the placement of the order. Orders received during weekends and holidays are shipped on the first working day after the placement of the order.
Naročiti je mogoče tudi preko predračuna (pošljite e-pošto z vašim naslovom in naročilom na posta@pekinpah.com).
Silence's first regular album since Vain, a Tribute to a Ghost (2004) was released by Pekinpah on April 14th 2012. The release date was selected on account of its exquisite catastrophic pedigree; preceded by Friday the 13th, it marks the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic.
Due to its minimalistic concept (summarized in the album's subtitle, Songs for two pianos, tactful synths and voice), Musical Accompaniment appears to pick up where Vain's closing track, Runalong - Acoustic Version, left off. The album features ten songs performed by two remarkable pianists, Igor Vićentić (with whom Silence first collaborated on The Passion of the Cold) and Sašo Vollmaier. The pianos were recorded at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb. The vocals and synthesizers were recorded in Silence's private production facility, the Daily Girl studio.
Silence's engagement in theatre - especially the ongoing collaboration with director Tomaž Pandur - has had a prominent role in shaping the album's sound. It has prompted the duet's decision to discard drums and bass in favor of an intimate, predominantly acoustic sound. It has also nudged the piano arrangements toward a more classical feel.
The album's title and cinematic atmosphere, however, stem from Silence's infatuation with movies. Musical Accompaniment pays tribute to the work of Hladnik's late father, renowned director Boštjan Hladnik. Sequences from Hladnik's films Fable of Love (1954), Masquerade (1971) and Dancing in the Rain (1961) were reissued as videos for three songs from the album; Death is New York, Heart of Darkness and Electricity. Even though they're divided by decades, the footage and the music fuse seamlessly, yielding an extraordinary father/son collaboration.
CD version sold out. Digital version available on BandCamp.