Despite avoiding it for a period of time, Yorke came through with his best solo album yet. He assuredly created a multi-layered horror soundtrack that serves as an engrossing confection of new musical landscapes in its own right while being essential to the film’s effect.
It achieves the toughest task for a soundtrack--to maintain interest independent of the images it was built to accompany and accentuate--with impressive ease.
Without the luxury of diegetic songs, the Radiohead frontman’s music for Luca Guadagnino’s forthcoming Suspiria remake is instead much more traditional, belonging in the background to ramp up the emotional cues, and as such is not as satisfying a home listening experience.
Haunting yet mesmerizing, "Suspiria" is an expression of music as a subconscious part of the human experience. Unified by tracks like "Unmade"Haunting yet mesmerizing, "Suspiria" is an expression of music as a subconscious part of the human experience. Unified by tracks like "Unmade" and "Suspirium", the album echoes with a sense of unease that begs repeated listens. Thom's best solo effort yet.…Expand
It's been a year and a half since we learned that Thom was working on the soundtrack for Suspiria's remake. Modernized and deprived of thatIt's been a year and a half since we learned that Thom was working on the soundtrack for Suspiria's remake. Modernized and deprived of that glamorous gloss the predecessor was startling with, the new movie is directed by the Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, mostly known for his last-year's drama Call Me By Your Name.
There are no strict reasons why it is that the director chose Yorke to write music for this flick (Well, it's not hard to guess - let's just say they wanted to promote each other). But, anyways, with the news coming from the media, the fact of our beloved musician contributing to such an iconic movie came a bolt from the blue.
Basically, the album is considered to be both the soundtrack and the full LP in Yorke's discography. It consists of two discs, with the overall length of 80 minutes, compounding a very varied atmosphere in itself.
The first part is more of a chill show. We've got some fine and mesmerizingly sad instrumentals and a bunch of airy songs that complete the film and appear to be one of the best in the entire musician's catalogue. The story builds up, we get to know the characters, the main villains, and, with the end of this disc, guided by 'Unmade' of heavenly beauty, seems like we get a slight hint on what that Mother of Tears is.
The second portion opens with the previously released track called 'Volk'. And it's really intense, making easiness of the film coagulate rapidly. I think, right from this moment the scene becomes a closed space, making you feel like you're watching a horror play. There are not so many songs on the 2nd disc – only a couple, with one being a rearrangement of the original Suspirium, and the other one being a country ballad, backed by belligerent synths. 'A Choir of One' is the track which gained my respect not less than any of the masterfully created songs on this album. That is, probably, one of the most terrifying moments on the record, as well as having the longest duration – 14 minutes of an experimental ambient, with Yorke howling here and there. Then 'Synthesizer Speaks' breaks in, bringing even more terror with it, followed by a procession of a handful of instrumentals creepy to nearly the same extent. 'The Epilogue' pretty sums it all up, enthralling with its eeriness and leaving you in bewilderment: 'Is it future or is it past?'
Speaking of Suspiria OST, in a row with Yorke's top-notch material, this album makes a noticeable appearance. Sometimes too noticeable that you want to name it his best solo work. It's pure heaven (sorry, I mean, hell...), and I wish you all feel 'suspirium' listening to this one...…Expand
Thom Yorke's Suspiria is a macabre yet mesmerizing experience.
Sometimes really creepy and others melancholic that fits perfectly as aThom Yorke's Suspiria is a macabre yet mesmerizing experience.
Sometimes really creepy and others melancholic that fits perfectly as a polished soundtrack.…Expand
It must take some serious pull to get Thom Yorke to do the soundtrack to your film. It's an impressive masterstoke as the match of Yorke withIt must take some serious pull to get Thom Yorke to do the soundtrack to your film. It's an impressive masterstoke as the match of Yorke with a suspense horror is perfect. The album itself has half a dozen outstanding songs and pieces by Yorke, a few of which would grace any Radiohead album. As a double album, it's arguably too long to really come back to on a regular basis but there are some real gems across the collection. The title track is sublime as are the likes of "Has Ended", "Unmade" and "Open Again".…Expand