Del Rey & The Sun Kings

Battleship Potemkin is Jackson Del Rey's homage to director Sergei Eisenstein’s classic silent film. In his writings, Eisenstein stated that he hoped a new score would be written for the Battleship Potemkin every ten years. Eisenstein felt that although the imagery of the film would remain vital and vibrant, new music would help “update” the film and thereby aid its introduction to subsequent generations of moviegoers.

The Battleship Potemkin was originally screened in Moscow in October of 1925. Interestingly, in 2005, (the 80th anniversary of Potemkin) the Pet Shop Boys (I’m not kidding) were commissioned to compose a new soundtrack thereby “fulfilling” Eisenstein’s wishes. However, the score by the Pet Shop Boys fails to capture and/or convey any of the unique drama or historical context that led the valiant sailors aboard the Potemkin to mutiny against the tyrannical rule of Czar Nicholas. And quite frankly, the ‘80s era Pet Shop Boys apparently haven’t bought any new synthesizers lately and their score sounds, well, dated. Perhaps they could write the score to the next David Hasselhoff movie…

Eisenstein kept notes about what kind of music he wanted to see behind “Potemkin.” He wrote that he was not very interested in melodies that followed the action on the screen and that instead, the songs should be structured in such a manner so as to build tension between the five parts or chapters he designated as the “inner” construction of “Potemkin.” Eisenstein’s only other recorded thoughts regarding the musical score was that he wanted the ending sequences as rhythmic as possible.

To this end, Del Rey & The Sun Kings chose to blend classical instruments including live violins reminiscent of Samuel Barber, with nylon stringed guitars and rather cool trumpets (think Miles Davis) together with an “industrialized” background of purposefully synthetic sounding Tangerine Dream inspired keyboards and various rhythmic, mechanical samples (Morse code/echo sounder/machine press.)

“Potemkin” also pays homage to several of Del Rey’s favorite film composers, most notably Ennio Morricone (Vakulinchuk Acts) and Jerry Goldsmith (A Happy Day In The City.)

With the recent interest in 80s music, and with original Savage Republic member Del Rey’s “other” 80s band, 17 Pygmies simultaneously releasing its first new recordings in 17 years, “Potemkin” would seem to be in the right place at the right time.

Visit www.trakwerx.com to hear audio samples and pre-order CDs!!!