Frontier Life
Banda Sonora (Sound Track)
Accretions
It’s always a bit tough to evaluate a movie soundtrack without having seen the movie. Not all soundtracks are assembled as greatest hits albums, and the weird electronica populating this album seems more adept at punctuating a visual story than taking center stage itself. The documentary Frontier Life examines the culture of Tijuana, a city that both bridges and is isolated from the prosperity of the Estados Unidos and the traditional values of the interior of Mexico.
No mariachi music here, although little bits of it abstract into some songs, such as “El Animal” by Clorofila. Other songs, such as Hans Fjellestad’s “Phone Damage” would sound at home on a Hearts of Space midnight special – weird beeps and boops make complex and subtle rhythms that don’t appear in the first few casual listens. Then, you wind up with Marcelo Radulovich’s wall of noise audio barrage “Unico Amor.” Everyone fell in love with the “Revolution Number 9” thing in the ’60s, but it is a hard sell to the record buying public. Still, it has its place in setting a mood, and that’s what soundtracks are really for, aren’t they?
For a movie about Mexico, this is not the music you expect. For a movie about alienation, alien cultures and an intellectual disaffection with the world as it is, this is just about perfect. Still, it’s not something I’m going to pop in the CD player for my next big party. While interesting, this does NOT pass the Dick Clark test – no beat, and you can’t really dance to it.
Accretions: http://www.accretions.com/ • Frontier Life http://www.zu33.com/
