Suspiria (2018 soundtrack)

Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) is the soundtrack for the 2018 horror film Suspiria, composed by English musician Thom Yorke and produced by Yorke and Sam Petts-Davies. It was released on 26 October 2018 through XL Recordings. Suspiria is Yorke's first feature film score, and incorporates instrumental tracks, interludes, and songs. "Suspirium" was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

"Suspirium" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Suspiria (disambiguation).

Suspiria
Film score for Suspiria by
Thom Yorke
Released26 October 2018
Studio
Length80:15
LabelXL
Producer
  • Thom Yorke
  • Sam Petts-Davies
Thom Yorke chronology
Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
(2014)		 Suspiria
(2018)		 Anima
(2019)
Singles from Suspiria
  1. "Suspirium"
    Released: 4 September 2018
  2. "Has Ended"
    Released: 3 October 2018
  3. "Volk"
    Released: 10 October 2018
  4. "Open Again"
    Released: 17 October 2018
  5. "Unmade"
    Released: 25 October 2018

Background

Suspiria was Yorke's first feature film soundtrack. He had previously written music for short films produced by the fashion label Rag & Bone[1][2] and a 2015 production of the play Old Times by the Roundabout Theater Company.[3] He was approached to score the 1999 film Fight Club, but declined as he was recovering from the stress of promoting Radiohead's album OK Computer.[4] Yorke initially refused the Suspiria offer, but accepted after months of requests from the director, Luca Guadagnino.[5]

Writing

Yorke decided it would be pointless to replicate or reference the soundtrack of the original Suspiria by Goblin.[6] Instead, he cited inspiration from the 1982 Blade Runner soundtrack,[7] musique concrète artists such as Pierre Henry,[5] modern electronic artists such as James Holden,[5] and music from the film's 1977 Berlin setting,[8] including krautrock acts such as Faust and Can.[6]

The soundtrack took about a year and a half to create.[6] It features the London Contemporary Orchestra and Choir,[9] which previously appeared on Radiohead's 2016 album A Moon Shaped Pool.[10] Yorke's teenage son Noah played drums on "Has Ended" and "Volk".[6] Much of the score was completed prior to the film shoot, which allowed Guadagnino to play it on set during filming.[11]

Yorke wrote sketches on piano while reading the script and viewing rushes.[6] He likened his approach to the film composer Ennio Morricone, whom Yorke felt structured melodies similarly to pop songs.[6] He said: "There's a way of repeating in music that can hypnotise. I kept thinking to myself that it's a form of making spells. So when I was working in my studio I was making spells. I know it sounds really stupid, but that's how I was thinking about it."[8] He said he enjoyed working for commission, which motivated him to explore musical ideas he otherwise would not have discovered.[6]

Yorke did not write lyrics that followed the film narrative, but was conscious of the scenes the songs would be used in.[6] He described the lyrics as political, influenced by discourse surrounding Brexit and US president Donald Trump, which "got tied up with" scenes of marching soldiers in the film.[6][12]

Music

Suspiria comprises instrumental tracks, interludes, and songs, incorporating instruments such as piano, guitar, flute, drums, and modular synthesisers.[13] "Suspirium" is a piano waltz with flute and sparse production. "Has Ended" is a "slow-creeping groove" with droning keyboards, a dub-like bassline, and time-stretched piano.[6] "Volk" is a "tension-filled" instrumental with "buzzy" white noise and "cacophonic" rhythms.[14]

Promotion and release

The Suspiria soundtrack was released on 26 October 2018 by XL Records.[9] It was preceded by five promotional singles: "Suspirium",[5] "Has Ended",[15] "Open Again",[16] "Volk",[14] and "Unmade".[17] XL held free listening events in cities around the world in September; fans could enter a lottery by email.[18] In October, Yorke performed three songs from the soundtrack for BBC 6 Music.[19] A limited vinyl EP of additional tracks, Suspiria Limited Edition Unreleased Material, was released on 22 February 2019.[20]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[21]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[22]
The A.V. ClubB+[23]
Consequence of SoundB[24]
The Guardian[25]
The Independent[26]
Mojo[27]
Pitchfork8/10[28]
Q[29]
Rolling Stone[30]
Uncut8/10[31]
Headphone CommutePositive[32]

The Guardian said the Suspiria soundtrack "[belonged] in the background to ramp up the emotional cues, and as such is not as satisfying a home listening experience". The review praised the "raw" synthesiser sounds but found them "melodically basic", and found some tracks approached horror cliche.[25] Rolling Stone praised the vocal tracks, describing them as "vintage Yorke, and they make you wish he’d written more of them for Suspiria". The review concluded: "It’s an intriguing sideways swerve for Yorke, who’s still finding new ways to unsettle and delight listeners after all these years as one of rock’s greatest ever late-night spooks."[30] "Suspirium" was shortlisted for the 2019 Academy Award for Best Original Song,[33] though it did not earn a nomination at the 91st Academy Awards.[34] The song was also nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020.[35]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Thom Yorke.

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."A Storm That Took Everything"1:47
2."The Hooks"3:18
3."Suspirium"3:21
4."Belongings Thrown in a River"1:27
5."Has Ended"4:56
6."Klemperer Walks"1:38
7."Open Again"2:49
8."Sabbath Incantation"3:06
9."The Inevitable Pull"1:36
10."Olga's Destruction (Volk Tape)"2:58
11."The Conjuring of Anke"2:16
12."A Light Green"1:48
13."Unmade"4:27
14."The Jumps"2:38
Total length:38:05
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Volk"6:24
2."The Universe Is Indifferent"4:48
3."The Balance of Things"1:08
4."A Soft Hand Across Your Face"0:44
5."Suspirium Finale"7:03
6."A Choir of One"14:01
7."Synthesizer Speaks"0:58
8."The Room of Compartments"1:14
9."An Audition"0:34
10."Voiceless Terror"2:30
11."The Epilogue"2:46
Total length:42:10

Personnel
  • Thom Yorke – words, music, arrangement, production, recording
  • Sam Petts-Davies – production, recording, mixing, music editing
  • Hugh Brunt – orchestration, conducting
  • Noah Yorke – drums
  • Tom Bailey – engineering (AIR Lyndhurst)
  • Laurence Anslow – assistance (AIR Lyndhurst)
  • Alex Ferguson – assistance (AIR Lyndhurst)
  • Walter Fasano – music editing
  • London Contemporary Orchestra and Choir – score performance
  • Giulia Piersanti – hands and eyes used on front cover
  • Stanley Donwood – design
  • Doctor Tchock – design
  • Agnes F – design

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 65
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[37] 30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[39] 44
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[40] 40
French Albums (SNEP)[41] 109
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[42] 55
Irish Albums (IRMA)[43] 53
Italian Albums (FIMI)[44] 19
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[45] 33
Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] 10
South Korean International Albums (Gaon)[47] 100
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[48] 26
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[49] 28
UK Albums (OCC)[50] 13
US Billboard 200[51] 79

References
  1. "Thom Yorke Soundtracks Short Film With New Music: Watch | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. "Radiohead's Thom Yorke soundtracks Rag & Bone's new short film | Watch". Far Out Magazine. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. Chow, Andrew R. "Thom Yorke Is Set to Compose Music for a Pinter Play on Broadway". Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. Trendell, Andrew (3 October 2018). "Thom Yorke on how he nearly wrote the soundtrack for Fight Club". NME. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  5. "Thom Yorke on Why He Was Scared to Tackle the Suspiria Soundtrack -- And Why He'll Never Stop Touring". Billboard. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  6. "Thom Yorke on writing the score for Suspiria". BBC Radio 6 Music. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  7. Yoo, Noah (3 September 2018). "Thom Yorke Details New Suspiria Soundtrack, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  8. Kreps, Daniel (1 September 2018). "Thom Yorke Talks 'Suspiria' Score at Venice Film Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  9. Young, Alex (4 September 2018). "Thom Yorke details Suspiria soundtrack, shares "Suspirium": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  10. Gibsone, Harriet (7 May 2016). "Radiohead's new album to be released on Sunday". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  11. Guadagnino, Luca (19 October 2018). "Director Luca Guadagnino Discusses "Suspiria"". AOL Build (Interview). Interviewed by Ricky Camilleri.
  12. "Thom Yorke says Tory government are treating UK 'like lemmings running off a cliff' - NME". NME. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  13. White, James. "Hear Thom Yorke's Theme For The New Suspiria". Empire. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  14. Legaspi, Althea (11 October 2018). "Watch Thom Yorke's Unsettling New 'Volk' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  15. Murray, Robin (3 October 2018). "Listen: Thom Yorke - 'Has Ended'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  16. Legaspi, Althea (18 October 2018). "Hear Thom Yorke's Mesmerizing New Song 'Open Again'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  17. "Listen to One Last Thom Yorke Suspiria Single Before the Full Score Drops Tomorrow". Paste Magazine. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  18. "Thom Yorke Announces Suspiria Soundtrack Listening Parties Next Week | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  19. Kaplan, Ilana (28 October 2018). "Watch Thom Yorke Perform Three 'Suspiria' Songs for BBC Radio 6". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  20. "Thom Yorke Announces Suspiria Unreleased Material Vinyl". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  21. "Suspiria [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] by Thom Yorke Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  22. Yeung, Neil Z.. Review of Suspiria [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  23. Purdom, Clayton (26 October 2018). "Thom Yorke summons a dark new sound in Suspiria". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  24. Graves, Wren (31 October 2018). "Thom Yorke Scores Scares on the Spinning Suspiria". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  25. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (26 October 2018). "Thom Yorke: Suspiria review – nape-prickling soundtrack sits in the shadows". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  26. Bray, Elisa (25 October 2018). "Thom Yorke, Suspiria album review: Radiohead frontman's first ever soundtrack summons the darkness of horror". The Independent. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  27. "Thom Yorke". Mojo. No. 301. December 2018. p. 93.
  28. Sherburne, Philip (27 October 2018). "Thom Yorke: Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  29. Monroe, Jazz (December 2018). "Terror Visions". Q. p. 106.
  30. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (25 October 2018). "Review: Thom Yorke Mixes Haunting Instrumentals and Gorgeous Songs on 'Suspiria'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  31. Bonner, Michael (December 2018). "Thom Yorke - Suspiria (Music For The Luca Guadagnino Film)". Uncut. p. 20.
  32. "Thom Yorke - Suspiria (XL)". headphonecommute.com. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  33. "Oscars' Best Song Shortlist Includes "Shallow," "All The Stars," & More: See The List". Stereogum. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  34. "The 91st Academy Awards | 2019". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  35. "2020 Grammy Awards: Complete Nominees List". The Recording Academy. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  36. "ARIA Chart Watch #497". auspOp. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  37. "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  38. "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  39. "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  40. "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  41. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 44, 2018)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  42. "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  43. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Thom Yorke". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  44. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 44 (dal 2018-10-26 al 2018-11-01)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  45. "Portuguesecharts.com – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  46. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  47. "South Korea Gaon International Album Chart". On the page, select "2018.11.04~2018.11.10", then "국외", to obtain the corresponding chart. Gaon Chart Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  48. "Top 100 Álbumes – Semana 44: del 26.10.2018 al 1.11.2018" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  49. "Swisscharts.com – Soundtrack / Thom Yorke – Suspiria". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  50. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  51. "Thom Yorke Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
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