In August this year, John Murphy released his Anonymous Rejected Filmscore. A soundtrack that was rejected and actually never used for the film it was written for. Nevertheless, these tracks found their way to their own album years later. John Murphy wrote about the release:
‘Ano’ is the soundtrack album based on a film score I had thrown out five or six years ago. And even though the score hit the cutting room floor, I always felt it was one of my better, more original efforts. In my head it became the ‘lost score’. The score without a film.
When I listen to this, I try to imagine what the film this score was written for would have been like. What was the setting? What were the characters doing? Many of the tracks are dark, with pressing beats expressing fear and haste. But there are also these beautiful Adagios orchestrated with strings, just like finding absolution and walking into the light.
I feel like some these tracks have a high similarity with other film scores by John Murphy. I enjoy the composition style of John Murphy very much. Think of the electric guitar riffs from 28 Days Later or Sunshine. These movies I mentioned each feature an utopia, where the world as we know it is coming to an end. Maybe he wanted to transport the same for the story of this movie?
I don’t know if the names of tracks give any hints to what was supposed to happen. They are mostly generic, starting at 3:59am in the morning, we learn how to count 1-2-3-4. Is the 8mm Dream about dreaming in Super 8 film format or is it a reference to the bullet caliber? As Ghosts, we need to learn How to Leave Your Body, only to meet a Dead Ballerina. Is Automatic referring to a weapon? What happened to the Boy? We have been through California, had to make a Sacrifice. Eventually, the epic finale In Extremis features these guitar riffs creating this unique John Murphy sound. And at the end of the day we Fade to… gray … or the credits … or …?
I am glad this soundtrack was released even without a corresponding film and did not get lost completely. Not knowing what the original intentions behind these sounds were, John Murphy’s Anonymous Rejected Filmscore opens up a lot of room for your own fantasy.
Links
Anonymous Rejected Filmscore
John Murphy
(2014, Taped Noise, 12 tracks, 67 minutes)