JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON: And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees (Type Recordings)

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Posted on Mar 16th 2010 01:05 am

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Jóhann Jóhannsson: And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees

JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON
And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees
TYPE64
Type Recordings 2010
13 Tracks. 40mins17secs

Amazon UK: CD | LP US: LP Boomkat: CD | LP iTunes: DLD

Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson might be best known for the records he has been delivering since he made his debut on Touch almost ten years ago with the superb Englabörn, but the cinematic nature of his work has also led him to work on countless soundtracks for feature films, short films and documentaries. Originally released as a limited vinyl edition at the end of last year, And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees is Jóhann Jóhannsson’s soundtrack to the beautiful animated short film Varmints, created by Studio AKA member Marc Craste, based on the book of the same name published over two years ago by children’s author Helen Ward, which Craste also illustrated.

Based on a series of recurring themes, the music unfolds here with great solemnity, cast in a particularly refined mould of rich orchestral swathes and flamboyant choral parts, delicately tinted with electronic textures. Like the ominous clouds of dirt and urbanisation that progressively cover the vast fields in which lives the little creature at the centre of the film, Jóhannsson’s pastoral opening sequence, which grows from a lone piano into a beautiful orchestral piece, gradually becomes denser and more oppressive. At first only perceptible through a distant rumbling thunder, which echoes through a wonderfully light and poignant choral section, but soon, sombre clouds draw in on The Flat and continue to cast vast shadows of despair and desolation through Siren Songs and Dying City, and while Pods and The Gift offer fleeting moments of respite, these are somewhat short-lived, eventually giving way as this soundtrack reaches its emotional peak with the stark monotone electronic drone which pierces through the lament of a cello and the heavenly choral motifs on Escape. Only with the last two pieces does Jóhannsson returns to the elegant pastoral theme of the beginning.

Jóhann Jóhannsson has developed a unique way of creating poignant themes which rely equally on the infinite nuances of the orchestra, on his flair for melody and orchestration, and on his parsimonious use of electronics. This has infiltrated every level of his work over the years and has greatly contributed to giving him a place of honour on the modern classical stage. The emotional nature of Marc Craste’s film and its underlying dramatic scope are a perfect match for Jóhannsson’s expressive style, and here, he delivers one of his more achingly beautiful pieces of music.

4.8/5

Jóhann Jóhannsson | Jóhann Jóhannsson (MySpace) | Type Recordings
Amazon UK: CD | LP US: LP Boomkat: CD | LP iTunes: DLD
Varmints on iTunes: DLD


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One Response to “JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON: And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees (Type Recordings)”

  1. THE 2010 REVIEW | themilkfactoryon 19 Dec 2010 at 8:51 pm

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