Ever since releasing the still uniquely dazzling Garlands to an unsuspecting, yet soon-to-be awestruck assortment of post-punk new romantics back in 1982, one-time Cocteau Twin Robin Guthrie's future has ostensibly mapped itself out for a career writing soundtracks for films.
Therefore, its no real surprise that his most recent material has been created as direct celluloid accompaniments, last year's duel collaborations with Harold Budd 'After The Night Falls' and 'Before The Day Breaks' receiving particular critical acclaim.
Unsurprisingly, his latest venture, providing both the score and incidental music to Dany Saadia's epic comitragic 3:19, isn't a million miles away from his other solo, unrelated-to-film, instrumental work while also following the now familiar textured layers of ambience that afforded the Cocteau Twins legendary status as true pioneers of a (at the time) whole new genre.
The only thing that is absent of course is someone with the vocal talents of say Liz Fraser or Siobhan De Mare. His more recent collaborator as Violet Indiana on 2004's hugely underrated 'Russian Doll' that would undoubtedly elevate this record into the masterpiece category.
Nevertheless, 3:19 still works as a recorded artefact in its own right with or without the visual accompaniment, such is Guthrie's supreme talent at creating aural landscapes of ethereal beauty.
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7Dom Gourlay's Score