There’s a new record from Amenra coming out this week, and it reaches almost beyond the emotional depths I’ve come to expect from this band. They were asked to create the soundtrack to the Belgian film SKUNK, directed by Koen Mortier and based on the book by forensic youth psychiatrist Geert Taghon. The film is based on the real stories Taghon witnessed in his work, stories of the children who grew up in violence and addiction, and leave home only to be trapped in a punitive system of lockup and institutionalization. I thought about those kids a lot during pandemic lockdowns and social isolation — how many were trapped in homes with dangerous adults, with no outlet for themselves or outside influences to turn to? Where will they all be in the next few years?
The music Amenra created to accompany the film builds the kind of suspense and ominous, heartbroken atmosphere I associate with classic horror cinema, the kind of films that relied more heavily on musical atmosphere than they did on special effects. It’s profoundly eerie and disturbing, a constant hum of sonic threat. And then there’s the most gorgeous cover of Tim Buckley’s “Song To The Siren,” famously covered by THIS MORTAL COIL, and I’m crying. I want more dream pop from Amenra.
It was a great honor for us to be able to compose some unique pieces of music for Koen Mortier. The ominous atmosphere in ‘Skunk’ is something that many people also find in our sound world. We had hoped for a long time to one day do something for film. However, we decided not to go for our usual instrumentation and to mainly work with soundscapes to represent the imminent threat. We also bring some soothing moments of comforting beauty.
CHVE
SKUNK features Amenra’s Colin Van Eeckhout playing the main character’s father. The film is playing in Belgian cinemas now, with international dates coming soon. Today, Amenra is premiering their video for “Small God” off the soundtrack, made up of unused footage from the film and directed by Koen Mortier. SKUNK OST is out on vinyl tomorrow, March 15th, via Sonhouse Records — get it here. AMENRA will be stateside soon starting on May 3rd, and I don’t know about you but there’s no way I’m missing them! They’ll have an exclusive pressing of SKUNK OST only available at shows. Watch “Small God” below.
Every young person has the right to tell their story. That’s why I believe the cinematic adaptation of this book also does justice to the stories of all these young individuals. But I was afraid that no one would dare to film it. Every time I thought about attempting it, I thought of one person who could do it justice, and that was Koen Mortier.
Geert Taghon
