Jóhann Jóhannsson - Sicario
- Written by Ben Macnair
Writing about a film soundtrack, without seeing the film is an abstract. We do not know the story-line, the narrative arc, the characters, the atmosphere, and how they all relate to each other, nor do we know the scene which the soundtrack underscores. We are left with a sonic footprint, and very little idea about the shoe, or who wore it.
The soundtrack to Sicario, by the acclaimed Jóhann Jóhannsson is all strict beat percussion, explosive, sonorous bass, and minimalism. It is also quite claustrophobic, but there are a few moments of aural beauty, as the soundtrack develops, but the use of percussion can sometimes get in the way of any musical development. It just seems relentless, like in the third track, ‘The Border’, a near three minute drum solo, with only minimal, brooding strings and keyboard to add any contrast, whilst track four, ‘Drywall’ starts in the same way, but the drums are lower in the mix, acting almost as a heartbeat, and if these moments are meant to ratchet up the tension in the film, they certainly succeed.
Other tracks are short, almost tone poems, such as ‘Explosion’, or ‘Desert Music’, with its slow development, and plaintive cello and string themes. There seem to be two distinct moods in the soundtrack, from the bombastic opening four tracks, to the more sonorous, classically ambient score that takes up the second few moments in the soundtrack.
There is much beauty in this soundtrack that can be enjoyed on a purely musical basis, with playing that suits the mood, and generally, these pieces seem to the most musically rewarding. ‘Desert Music’ is more than five minutes long, but it rewards repeated listening on its own, even if divorced from the image, because there is enough happening in it as a piece, whilst other moments, such as ‘The Bank’, or ‘Convoy’ are pure mood pieces, all designed to shift tension and mood.
Having not seen the film, I am unaware of how these eighteen tracks work within the context of the moving images, but from a purely musical and listening point of view, there is enough here to interest a serious music fan.
Denis Villeneuve's Sicario is released in cinemas on October 8. The OST is available now from amazon & iTunes.