Of the weird and the wonderful, The Octopus Project weaves an unmatched score to Sasquatch Sunset, a film that’s been creating quite a buzz in the Sound & Screen Film Festival circuit. Best known for their experimental, boundary-pushing sounds, The Octopus Project raises the surreal tone of Sasquatch Sunset to uncharted levels, including Riley Keough’s animalistic grunts, among other harmonies of “singing” plants.
It is directed by first-time filmmaker Lilah Kendall and takes place deep in the heart of the Pacific Northwest’s dense forests, following a group of environmental activists as they attempt to discover the mysteries of the Sasquatch legend. As the group sets off on its journey, their adventure takes them through a journey that unfolds into exploring both the mysteries of nature and those of human limitations. To ground this story, Kendall worked with The Octopus Project-an Austin, Texas, experimental band known for adding electronic beats to their live instrumentation and sampling. The result? A soundscape as spooky, magical, and atmospheric as the woods themselves.
The most memorable element of the sound is, of course, Riley Keough’s unconventional vocals. Rather than singing in the classical sense, Keough contributes guttural growls, whispery bits, and even a kind of breathy chanting. It will be like her voice itself comes out of the wilderness-the primal, raw energy it requires of the film. Keough grunts and other ambient noise have been fused together to ensure that an auditory experience provides as if they are being stalked in the woods while watching. Her involvement in the film has been touted for providing a human visceral connection to the survival aspects coupled with primal instinct.
Nothing can probably better complement Keough’s tour de force performance than the clever use of “singing” plants. The band here has captured small electrical impulses in plants that it translates into sounds, and through this process called plant sonification, the score includes melodies produced by the forest itself. Such an organic soundtrack lends an air of authenticity to the wild setting of the film and brings nature into the spotlight of sound in ways previously unheard of. The Octopus Project employs these sounds by plants as instruments and meshes them with electronic beats as well as haunting strings for that entirely new sonic experience.
“I’d say Sasquatch Sunset is more than just a score, it’s definitely a blend of nature and the narrative,” Kendall said of the Q&A session at the festival. “We weren’t interested in music standing next to the film, it had to breathe and pulsate within it.”
With its bold, evocative soundtrack, Sasquatch Sunset is fast becoming a must-see for fans of both experimental cinema and innovative music, as The Octopus Project continues to redefine what a film score can be.
