We don't get many motion picture soundtracks for review here at Chain D.L.K., but when we do, and that release comes on vinyl, count me intrigued. That the soundtrack was done by Billy Gould & Jared Blum of The Talking Book (Billy is also the bassist of Faith No More as well as the CEO of Koolarrow Records) is even more intriguing. I haven't seen the film, but according to IMDB, here is the synopsis:
"On 11 August 1999, most of Europe was engrossed in the total solar eclipse, which momentarily enveloped the Earth in darkness. But in Serbia, people were busy barricading themselves in their homes and shelters for fear of the dark. Filmmaker Natasa Urban returns to the eclipse as motif and metaphor in her paradoxically evocative and thoughtful film about her own upbringing during the war in the former Yugoslavia, to which she travels back in THE ECLIPSE to collect stories and anecdotes from her family and acquaintances. A cotton curtain in the wind on a spring day, a lush forest floor. The war is far away - or is it? Shot on analogue 16mm film with an artist's eye for how traces of the past remain deposited in the present - both physically and mentally - Urban creates a rich, existential work of imagery with a quiet, philosophical weight that is rare and precious. As when her father wanders the lush landscapes while you hear him reading from his journals about the wanderings he took while the war was still going on."
I think that it's important to have at least a conceptual understanding of the film even if you haven't seen it, but obviously it would be a richer experience to see it then listen to the soundtrack. I did watch the brief trailer for the film on YouTube and after listening to the soundtrack, I think Gould and Blum have created a soundtrack that transcends the documentary. The soundtrack consists of 18 fairly brief tracks in the experimental electronic/dark ambient vein. The longest track, "Total Solar Eclipse" (5:53) has some dialogue on it. There is also a little folksinging on "The Three Birds." The album is highly atmospheric and without knowing about the film, could easily be taken for a horror, mystery or fantasy soundtrack. There is a bleakness to the soundscapes on the album which isn't surprising, considering the subject matter of the film. Yet, there is a subtle musicality running through many of the tracks. Still, the overall feeling is alienation and gloom, as well as fear at times. While Faith No More fans will consider this a worthy collectible, dark ambient/experimental electronics enthusiasts should reap the richest rewards. Limited Edition vinyl in either black or white/green, or unlimited digital download.