#82 seppuku paradigm – your witness

how do you review a soundtrack for a film you’ve never watched before? as a mercury rev fan, i’m pretty used to that since the rev have always had a cinematic approach to their music (who else records on 35mm?), but it’s still hard trying (not) to connect the song to the film’s narrative in a situation such as this. the film in question is pascal laugier’s martyrs, the controversial horrorshow on child abuse premiered at the cannes film festival this year. it was scored by parisian duo willie and alex cortes, (otherwise known as seppuku paradigm) who composed the film’s main theme “your witness”. the song, taken on its own, is cold and pensive, deliberately atmospheric even to the point of emotional disengagement – in other words, “chill”. but when considered in context of its filmic relation, the coldness becomes brutal and the distance unbearable, though in both ways beautifully executed. and if you thought that to be a tad too morbid for your liking, you might not want to know the duo’s name is inspired by the seppuku (or harakiri) suicide of japanese author yukio mishima. enjoy!

mp3: seppuku paradigm – your witness