Joseph Van Vissem: "This is the music of hermits"

On June 27, a summer program of film screenings with live music will work in the Museon Art Park. It will open up the show of the experimental Chilean film “Partir to Live”, the soundtrack to which will be performed by the director of the film, a member of the psychedelic group Föllakzoid Domingo Garcia-Uidro and the avant-garde composer and lutane Joseph Van Vissem, who received the prize prize of the Cannes Film Festival for the sound track for the film Jim Jarmusha "only lovers will survive." The Dutch musician living in Brooklyn, the owner of the only black lute in the world, said Colta . Ru About the magic film “Partir to Live”, 10 favorite soundtracks of all times and peoples and explained where the love of gloomy and sad music came from.

About the film "Partir to Live"

The people from the Sacred Bones Records , label who issues me, introduced us to Domingo Garcia-Uidro. At first we began to hang out together in New York, then Domingo offered to voice his film. With Jim Jarmush, we also first began to communicate and be friends, and then make music together. It is natural for me to make music with friends. Like in youth - as if you were locked in a room with the guys (or girls - the floor does not matter here), take the tools, begin to play music and go into the unknown. I can’t imagine how you can write music differently.

In the film “Partir T O Live” there are no dialogues and in general the plot as such, so I had a lot of freedom - my hands are completely untied. In “Only lovers will survive,” for example, I wrote some pieces under a specific task set by Jim. Part of the music there is a pure function. Therefore, some fans of this soundtrack who come to me at concerts amusive, call it brilliant from the first to the last sound and do not want to hear any objections. Even from me.

These are the music of hermitted - a man alone with his guitar and his feelings.

“Partir T O Live” is a completely different matter. This is something like magical cinema, there is no narrative in it, and the plot is determined by the music itself. For this film, I composed music about traveling and the state of trance, which can be falling, including during travel. I know a lot about this: I constantly travel - I give concerts around the world, promoting lute. I like to tour - this is in my blood.

The sound path "Partir T O Live" was written specifically to perform it alive. The concert version of the soundtrack is different from the prefered. Each time it is different and depends on the architecture and acoustics of the place where the film is shown. Sometimes I play the lute more, sometimes I use electronic effects more - feedback, tremolo, reverb and chorus. I also use Field Recordings - announcements from airports and stations that I recorded during my travels. I like their sound - it seems to me that it goes very well with the lute. Perhaps I will have time to record something at the Moscow airport.

I think that in Moscow I will focus on electronics, and I will also bring my 12-string electric GretSch . And on the lute I will play a separate concert - before the show.

10 favorite soundtracks of Joseph Van Vissem

1.

"Gospel of Matthew"

Director Pierre Paolo Pazolini

I started playing the guitar at the age of 11, and one of my first records was the first album of Raya Kudera. He ended with the blues of blind Willy Johnson " Dark WAS The Night ” , which made a huge impression on me. It all started with it-and in this music written by Willy Johnson in the 20s, you can find the roots of everything that I did later. Pazolini used this thing in his Gospel of Matthew - I am a big fan of Pazolini and this film. The soundtrack to him, despite his eclecticism, is in the first place in the list of my favorite soundtracks.

2.

"Paris, Texas"

Director VIM Wenders

" Dark WAS The Night ” performed by Raya Kuder will appear in the film of Vim Venders“ Paris, Texas ”. She will become the leitmotif of this film, which I really love. The sound path to it, completely played by Ray Kuder, is an example of what the soundtrack for the film should be.

3.

"Dead"

Director Jim Jarmush

A little strange that “ Dark WAS The Night ” will also appear in the third film, the soundtrack to which is in my personal list of the best soundtracks. This is the "dead" Jim Jarmusha. Vim Wenders had a very great influence on Jim. Jarmush spied on Wenders this atmosphere Road Muy, which is created by a slide guitar. Jim is not only an outstanding director, but also a musician. It seems to me that he is even primarily a musician. I know that many of his scenarios are inspired by music.

These three films - “The Gospel of Matthew”, “Paris, Texas” and “Dead” - personify my sparkling with gloomy music, which can simultaneously cause attacks of longing and happiness in a person. Well, like a country-blouse or industrial. Composing and speaking myself, I strive to achieve the same effect, which can be simplified as “to feel good by feeling bad.” An amazing effect: you play people something gloomy and sad, while their mood increases. These are the music of hermitted - a man alone with his guitar and his feelings. I fell in love with such music in childhood and love to this day.

4.

"Devils"

Director Ken Russell

In 4th place, I put the soundtrack to the "devils" of Ken Russell, in which David Munro took part. Munro - a magnificent musician - committed suicide during one of the bouts of depression; I think there were Freudian motifs behind this-he was a homosexual and could not cope with this, living in the aggressive-homophobic environment of Great Britain in the 1970s. A very sad story, like the music that I like.

5.

"Nosferatu"

Director Werner Herzog

The soundtrack to the "Nosferat" Werner Herzog, composed by the Popol Vuh Crout Cro-Croup, is magnificent. In general, I prefer soundtracks written in groups, which then tour with them and perform live, to those whose author is a composer. It seems to me that composers seem to live in an ivory tower. They handed over the job - and out of the heart. Another thing is the group that travels around the world - she represents her music directly, sees and feels her reaction.

6.

"Turin horse"

Director Bela Tarr

Amazing cinema and music to him, which Mikhai Vig wrote, the constant co -author of Bela Tarra. In my opinion, he composed music to all Tarra films. Tandem Tarr and VIG is one of the examples of the perfect coincidence of the director and composer. This film was impressed by my friend and co -author of Domingo, who made a video clip for Föllakzoid “Pulsar” with a running horse clearly under the influence of this movie.

7.

"Suspiria"

Director Dario Argento

To mark this work is a kind of cliche . It is curious that without a film for me, Goblin music sounds like Pink Floyd , whom I am a small fan. However, it works great with the film. By the way, I spoke at one festival with Goblin . There we met.

8.

"Spring Breakers"

Director Harmoni Korin

And now something is completely different- Skrillex youth music to the film Harmoni Korin. I just like this soundtrack.

9 and 10.

"In the Shadow of the Sun" and "Blue"

Director Derek Jarmen

The soundtrack for “In the Shadow of the Sun” wrote Throbing Gristle , and to “Blue” , the last film of Jarmen, Coil . Both works are brilliant, magnificent music.