Imagining October
| Imagining October | |
| Track by Genesis P-Orridge and Dave Ball | |
 | |
| Year | 1984 |
| Recorded | DJM Recording |
| Composed | Genesis P-Orridge David Ball |
| Produced | Genesis P-Orridge David Ball |
| Genre | ambient, drone, soundtrack |
| From | Imagining October |
Origin[edit | edit source]
Imagining October is a short film by Derek Jarman which consists of Super 8 footages he took in Moscow, Russia and Baku, Azerbaijan, as he was one of the British filmmakers invited to USSR in 1984, and later added staged scenes with English actors playing Soviet soldiers. The film provides parallels between USSR and Thatcherite Britain which at the time was hostile to the gay community and was going down on workers in the light of miners' strikes. Jarman, who was friend with Genesis P-Orridge and already collaborated with them in both Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, asked them to create the soundtrack. Dave Ball, who previously worked with P-Orridge on another film soundtrack, Decoder, by that time became their notable collaborator.[1][2]
Record and release[edit | edit source]
The soundtrack, in four parts, was recorded within several hours in DJM Recording studio, London. It was a product of P-Orridge and Ball live improvisation with Jarman reading out notes and talking to them in the process.[1] The outcome is droning ambient tracks with warm sound, some of which utilize samples such as Psychic TV's “Eden 1” (ringing phones), orchestral performance of William Blake's “The Sick Rose” by Benjamin Britten and Robert Tear and unknown song, supposedly performed by Russian militarily choir.[2] The last, fourth part of the soundtrack features colder, string-like synths.
For years “Imagining October” existed only on studio made tapes.[3] In 2022 it received proper official release by Cold Spring Records, as mini-album on etched 12" vinyl, with liner notes by James Mackay, Jarman's producer, collaborator and archivist, and as digital download from their Bandcamp.[4][5][6]
Personnel[edit | edit source]
- Written-By (music), production, recording – Genesis P-Orridge, David Ball
- Mastering – Martin Bowes
Listen[edit | edit source]
- Official uploads on YouTube
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- After the soundtrack was done Jarman filmed scenes with soldiers in AIR Studios, which Ball and P-Orridge visited, and incorporated the sound of paintbrush on canvas from portrait painting sequence into their music.[1]
- Due to lack of budget on Jarman's side, Ball and P-Orridge received his black and gold diamante paintings as payment for their work on soundtrack.[1]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Decoder – soundtrack album of 1984 West German film with tracks by Dave Ball and Genesis P-Orridge
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Electronic Boy (autobiography by Dave Ball)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 compulsiononline.com: Genesis P-Orridge & Dave Ball - Imagining October review. (compulsiononline.com) archived
- ↑ Genesis P.Orridge & David Ball – Imagining October: Soundtrack (1984, Cassette) - Discogs. (Discogs)
- ↑ Cold Spring on Instagram: “Great night at the launch of Derek Jarman @HOMEmcr feat the Super 8 compilation. We release the soundtrack to "Imagining October"…”. January 30 2022. (Instagram)
- ↑ Cold Spring on Twitter: “Out 6 May: GENESIS P-ORRIDGE & DAVE BALL - 'Imagining October' (Dir. Derek Jarman) O.S.T. Etched 12". .... 4 February 2022. (Twitter)
- ↑ Cold Spring on Twitter: “Out now! GENESIS P-ORRIDGE & DAVE BALL 'Imagining October' .... 19 October 2022. (Twitter)
