Man with a Movie Camera

by The Cinematic Orchestra

Overview

It was just a matter of time before the Cinematic Orchestra received a commission for a film score, but this 2003 release actually dates from 1999. The genesis of Man With a Movie Camera lies in the selection committee of a Portuguese film festival, which asked Cinematic Orchestra to score their re-airing of Dziga Vertov's 1929 film of the same name, a silent Soviet documentary focused on a day in the life of an average worker. Performed live by the orchestra, Man With a Movie Camera doesn't allow J Swinscoe to indulge in his usual post-production magic, but it is a surprisingly adept score, with occasional bursts of on-the-one jazz-funk wailing to break it up. (Pity the poor comrade who's soundtracked 70 years later with a hyper-speed Pretty Purdie-type drum solo and some old-school-rap samples in the background.) Scattered moments of brilliance abound, and at one point, someone on sax comes up with a brilliant foghorn recreation. The cinematic material lies in '70s astral jazz, with evocative, tremulous work from soprano sax and violin. Just two caveats: several of these performances were later echoed in tracks appearing on the Cinematic Orchestra's 2002 release Every Day, and some passages have a baffling, you-had-to-be-there quality. Apparently it was a hit at the festival, though only the DVD release of Man With a Movie Camera has the film itself, along with a Cinematic Orchestra performance live in the studio, plus a Channel 4 documentary on the making of the record. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2023
Label:	Ninja Tune
UPC:	5054429173772
Rank:	63232

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Cinematic Orchestra   Primary Artist
Tom Chant   Saxophone
Wayne Urquhart   Cello
Luke Flowers   Drums
Prabjote Osahn   Violin
Jonah Ellis   Piano,Keyboards
Phil France   Double Bass
Milo Fell   Percussion
Antonia Pagulators   Viola

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Steve Hodge   Assistant Engineer
Kenny Barron   Composer
Jason Swinscoe   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Alan Mawdsley   Mixing,Engineer
Barry Gibb   Composer
Jimmy Sturr   Composer
Robin Gibb   Composer
Phil France   Composer,Producer,String Arrangements
Maurice Gibb   Composer
The Cinematic Orchestra   Mixing
J.J. Barry   Composer
Carla Morais   Original Idea
John Davis   Mastering
Dario Oliverira   Original Idea
Miguel Mariachi Dias   Original Idea
Carl Fox   Photography