This month’s Filter has an interview with Jonny. He discusses his Bodysong score, what kinds of movies and scores he loves this most, and a few interesting sentences about the new album.
Here’s an excerpt-
Has a film ever ruined a piece of music for you? Or made the music better?
I can remember soundtracks that you just can?t separate from the film?it?s just so intertwined, so important. Like the Hitchcock ones where they kind of inform each other and become this larger thing as a result. That?s magical when it happens. There?s the soundtrack to The French Connection II?I think it?s my favorite soundtrack. It hasn?t been released. I actually had to go and get the film and just make a recording of it to get the music.
I?ve always just assumed the second one wasn?t as good as the first, so I skipped it.
Oh, it?s great! It?s really good. It?s set in Marseilles and they get Gene Hackman hooked on heroin. It?s really good and dark. You?ll love it.
What are some of your other favorite films?
Mostly Woody Allen. I think he?s sort of still underrated, actually. He?s just such a great storyteller. People kind of complain about the repetition of character and forget what?s great about his films. They?re like modern fairy tales. I just saw Crimes & Misdemeanors again the other night and it just struck me that it?s just dealing with such big ideas, but done with such a lightness of touch. He?s amazing. What can I tell you? He?s a treasure, really. So, probably those and maybe the Coen Brothers films.
The subject matter of the film Bodysong got me to thinking if things like art, sex, or maybe even just getting drunk are about the closest we tiny humans can come to big galactic things. Or, maybe good music and art is just good and I?m trying too hard to make it something else.
[Long pause] I think when [music?s] good and it?s really affecting, then it?s stupid to be embarrassed about it?about how good it is. You know, there?s a certain Tom Waits song that whenever I hear it I, you know, it just?it makes me talk in this inarticulate way that I?m using now, it?s so good. It seems to me quite disingenuous to be embarrassed about it. I think it should be ambitious and good music does deal with life and art and all these wonderful things. I used to be ashamed talking about it, but now I just think it?s fraudulent to pretend otherwise. I don?t even know what I?m trying to say. You just sound like you?re being passionate about it and I agree with you. I don?t know how else to put it into words. You?re the journalist, you should know. I?ll leave it to you. If you could hash that out by tomorrow, that?d be great.
Are you giving me homework?
Yeah, keep it short?200 words. By tomorrow, please.
You can go read the whole thing over at Filter.
(Thanks to At Ease.)
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