During these turbulent times, I’ve tried to maintain this routine (after some efforts of course) to come to this space every Sunday and explore (apparently) hidden gems in the ocean of YouTube, trying to interpret and find some meaning in the audio-visuals.
Why do we have stories? They are not mere words – they have centuries of wisdom instilled in small phrases of a writer, actions of a theatre artist, note hit by a singer, stroke mastered by a painter… The person may die, but he/she wishes that the legacy goes on. Thus, we try to find ways to re-invent the same stories again and again, devise fancy shot angles, fuse classical with modern, in attempt to create that unique fingerprint that can stand the test of time…
Baby Driver (2017), a film by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and my favourite Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), was not only unique in the way it was shot, or production design (some have written about styling of each character and colour palette, too), but also the music of the film. The protagonist makes mix tape of the phrases to shock and amusement of his other crew members, and am sure he would have some tune going on in his head all the time.
Today I’m not delving into the film’s celebrated music itself, which you can of course explore, but the works of Michael Wong, better known by his stage name Mike Relm with several of the hits and TV spots to his credit. Like Baby, he also splices and dices segments from a film to give snapshot of the entire soundtrack. Have a look –
If you enjoy this, there’s entire world of film soundtracks that he’s worked on – from Avengers to the Joker. Highly recommended!
For the Indian section, a slightly somber selection. Masaan (2015) is an intimate look at Banaras (Varanasi) and its socio-political interplay. The film is a must-watch for those who wish to see something outside of glitzy Bollywood fair, but icing on the cake is soundtrack by the Indian Ocean. The regular listeners would be able to identify the indelible stamp of the band’s sufi rock style, but occasional ones would also be able to enjoy the vocals and deep lyrics of Varun Grover.
Here’s the explanation and translation of this masterpiece along with Tu Kisi Rail Si…
Happy YouTubin!
Parth Shastri Archive 