Darkness, Darkness Soundtrack

Anyone who saw the recent production of Darkness, Darkness at Nottingham Playhouse will have been aware of the importance of music and sound in the creation of mood and the reinforcement of meaning. The soundscape – incorporating, in addition to  everything from police sirens and gun shots to the chants of Notts County supporters and striking miners, no less than 23 pieces of music – was created by sound designer, Drew Baumohl, working closely with other members of the design team, including filmmaker and video artist, Will Simpson, who was responsible for the projection design.

The initial idea of using the noirish slowcore music of the German band, Bohren & Der Club of Gore and the ambient post rock of the Canadian Godspeed You! Black Emperor to provide the atmospheric interludes and backgrounds, came from the show’s director, Jack McNamara, while the more obviously jazzy selections were mine. I think they work well together.

Here, for anyone wishing to follow up, is a listing of the music used …

Bohren & Der Club of Gore

• Midnight Black Earth
• Vigilante Crusader
• The Art of Coffins
• Grave Wisdom
• Maximum Black
• Skeletal Remains: all from the album, Black Earth

• Cairo Keller: from Gore Motel

• Im Raunch
• Fahr Zur Hollie : from Piano Nights

• Staub: from Dolores

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

• Moya: from Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

• Asunder, Sweet: from Asunder, Sweet & Other Distress

Thelonious Monk

•  (I Don’t Stand) A Ghost of a Chance With You: from Thelonious Himself (1957)
• These Foolish Things: from Thelonious Monk Trio (1954)

Billie Holiday

• These Foolish Things: from The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol 2 (1936)
• For All We Know: from Lady in Satin (1958)

Joe Temperley

• I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart: from Easy to Remember (2001)

Coleman Hawkins

• One Note Samba: from Desafinado (1963)

Pablo Casals

• Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prelude
• Suite No. 1 in G Major, Allemande: from Bach Cello Suites (1939)

Cyprien Katsaris

• Waltz No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69. No. 2: from Chopin-Waltzes

Human League

• Together in Dreams

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

• Two Tribes