Blanck Mass
Blanck Mass is coming to a cinema near you and Getintothis’ Matthew Eland settles down with his popcorn and gives evils to the blert kicking his seat
Blanck Mass has announced the release of his debut film score.
The album, available digitally courtesy of Invada Records on March 13, accompanies Calm With Horses, which hits cinemas on the same date.
Calm With Horses has been adapted from a short story in Colin Barrett’s excellent 2015 collection Young Skins.
The film, from first-time director (and former rally car driver!) Nick Rowland, is a raw tale of crime and family life in rural Ireland.
It follows ex-boxer Douglas ‘Arm’ Armstrong (Cosmo Jarvis), faithful heavy to the drug-dealing Devers family, as he struggles to manage his unpredictable best friend Dympna (Barry Keoghan) and ex-girlfriend Ursula (Niamh Algar), the mother of his child.
Given the subject matter and the punishing fabulousness of Blanck Mass’ last record Animated Violence Mild, Benjamin John Power’s solo guise may seem like an odd choice for scoring an hour and forty minutes of gritty realism.
However, the first two songs released from the album (The Devers and Jack’s Theme, available here) indicate a more introspective, minimalist style of electronica.
The Devers mixes a Mogwai-style piano riff with the atmospherics of Blanck Mass’ 2011 self-titled debut.
Jack’s Theme is a sparse, synthesised drone, which sounds like Nightcrawler doing the Blade Runner soundtrack.
It hints at an interesting new direction for Blanck Mass, and showcases the artist’s versatility.
Says Benjamin John Power: ‘Stepping inside the world Nick created was both a new challenge and a rewarding experience. Trying to depict the internal dialogues of the rich and varying characters required me adopting a new discipline, like going undercover as opposed to expressing my own emotion.
Although the score I created has a rich tapestry of sentiments, tying them all together and creating a coherent journey both to picture and as a standalone score has been an amazing experience. The working relationship between Nick and I was explorative and enlightening and I really enjoyed working hands on with him.’
It’s looking set to be a busy year for Blanck Mass, with the artist recently confirmed for this year’s Supersonic Festival.
Calm With Horses track list:
Violent Child
The Devers
Jack’s Theme
Different Breed
Halfwit
Sleepless
The Cliff
Loyal Skin
Heck Speaks
Descent
That Plank In Your Eye
Manipulation
Prove Yourself
Photograph
Nothing That Cannot Be Turned Back
Leaving
Credits
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