A NEW SCORE FOR KOYAANISQATSI

A NEW SCORE FOR KOYAANISQATSI

Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio’s cult documentary from 1982 originally scored by Philip Glass, gets an updated score by singer-songwriter Chantal Acda and beyond drums-percussionist Eric Thielemans.

The film, which presents beautiful, raw, rhythmic and touching images showcasing accelleration, disconnect and decay in a world of advancing technology, is as relevant as ever, maybe even more so today. That is why arts centre Viernulvier in Ghent asked Chantal Acda and Eric Thielemans to create their new, updated score, to be played live during screenings of the documentary. Chantal and Eric worked on the music during the Coronavirus lockdowns, finding new depth and meaning in the images and sounds presented by Koyaanisqatsi.

Slow deep electric waves, lonely synths in sonic desert landscapes, rhythmic pulses, transporting drums and bells, and deeply longing sounds and voices make up the audible fundamentals of this imagined, neo shamanic, ritualistic music to accompany the Earth as it keeps on supporting our post human frenetics even today.

A selection of the musical material was released on vinyl in the summer of 2022. The live performance was premiered on Film Fest Ghent and Viernulvier in the Fall of the same year.