Note

Some years ago, the soundtrack was written for the independent short film Film Fetish, directed by Akihiro Arashima, author of “Eigakan no Mawashimono - A Projectionist’s Thoughts”. We once worked together at a movie theater in Tokyo.

It may sound strange to say this personally, but Akihiro Arashima is a very unique person. He has deep knowledge not only of film but also of music and art, and in the early days of the internet he even ran a rather deep and interesting website. Back when we worked together at the theater, most of our conversations were actually about silly things rather than films or projectors. Even now, some habits that continue today probably came from those days.

Through that connection, a request to compose the soundtrack arrived around the summer of 2012. Although music had been made for many years, writing a film soundtrack was a first experience. There was some doubt about whether it could really be done, but the offer was accepted rather casually. After that, Arashima became extremely busy with filming and dealing with the closing of the theater where he worked. Meanwhile, the project was almost forgotten through autumn and winter. Work finally began near the end of February.

The video that was provided naturally had no music, and the scenes where the director wanted music were completely silent. This was understood in theory, but the instinct was still to search for sound, which made the lack of experience quite clear. After a meeting at a family restaurant, the plan was to build the soundtrack around a few image tracks that had been prepared earlier based on the script.

Usually, music is made by opening a DAW and freely layering sounds. For a soundtrack, however, the process is different. The video must first be imported, cue points set, and tempo detection prepared. Timing between picture and music is not easy, since film editing does not always follow a simple 4/4 rhythm. This caused quite a bit of trouble during composition. Still, the moment when a scene suddenly changes and the music hits at the same time can be very satisfying — something like the sharp, punchy impact often found in the films of Kihachi Okamoto.

After a rough take was completed and approved, the final recording began. By that time, however, spring had already arrived. For someone recording at home, natural sounds and everyday noise are constant enemies. Strong spring winds blew almost every day, and recording often meant adjusting the microphone position and trying again.

The work was originally expected to take two or three weeks, but in the end it took a full month to complete. Watching the finished film with the music finally in place was quite a moving moment.

At the director’s request for music that felt “easy to follow,” the soundtrack was built mainly around acoustic guitar. Behind that simplicity, however, there is heavy multitracking, processing with Max/MSP, and many small effects added quite freely. One of the most enjoyable parts was creating rhythm tracks from the sounds of various film projectors. That section turned out particularly interesting.

The soundtrack album is divided into two parts: Film Fetish Suite, which gathers the music used in the film together with unused pieces, and Film Fetish Theme, the track used for the end credits. The album flows a little differently from the film itself, so listening together with the movie may offer another way to experience it. The track Night Flight is also a remake of a song originally included on the earlier album “Voice Called From Within The Wall” (2004). Listening to both versions may also be enjoyable.

1. Film Fetish Suite: Intro

The album opens with the running sound of a sampled film projector. The motor noise, the sound of the film moving, and reversed sound effects overlap and gradually lead into the next track.

2. Film Fetish Suite: Rebirth

A short piece built from acoustic guitar with a light stutter effect. The timing is arranged to match a scene in the film.

3. Film Fetish Suite: Night Flight

“Night Flight” is a track built from layered acoustic guitars, creating a bright and sparkling sound. It is used in one of the highlight scenes of the film and is also a full remake of an earlier song. The original version appears on otom’s 2nd album, “Voice Called From Within The Wall” (2004).

4. Film Fetish Suite: Interval1

A drone track created for a scene in the film. It uses sampled projector noise and theater ambience.

5. Film Fetish Suite: Flight Night

A remix based on “Night Flight”. This track was not used in the film and appears only on the album.

6. Film Fetish Suite: Interval2

A drone track created for a scene in the film.

7. Film Fetish Suite: Found Objects

“Found Objects” is another track included only on the album. It was originally created as an outtake for the “Night Flight” scene.

8. Film Fetish Suite: In Transition

“In Transition” is a piece written for the ending scene. A short track with a soft and mellow mood, built from acoustic guitar and E-bow sounds.

9. Film Fetish Theme

The theme from the film “Film Fetish”, used for the end credits. A catchy instrumental prepared separately from the suite. Built from layered acoustic guitars and a rhythm track made from sampled projector and theater noises. It was also a track where I returned to the guitar after some time.