Bird's Eye View

BEV talk to Tanya Auclair and Aristazabal Hawkes about adding their Sounds to our Silents.

Tanya Auclair and Aristazabal Hawkes are playing not once but twice at our Sound and Silents: Mary Pickford Revived event this March. Aristazabal is helping Tanya out with her score of Mary Pickford melodrama The Female of the Species at the Southbank Centre on March 9th and Tanya is returning the favour, assisting Aristazabal’s score of feature length silent classic Sparrows at the Hackney Picturehouse on March 11th.

We spoke to the ladies about their adventures in cinematic scores and their dream soundtracks.

Hello Tanya and Arista!

BEV: Please describe your soundtrack in three words?

Tanya: Tension, Desert, Thrum
Arista: Dark, Emotive, Intense.

BEV: How do you two know each other? Have you ever performed together before?

Arista: We met a few years ago through mutual friends, the South Devon Steiner connection.
Tanya: We finally got to work together when she played on my last EP Origami, then I supported her band Guillemots on tour last year too.

BEV: Is this your first time scoring a film?

Tanya: No, it’s my second now. The first was working with Charlie Dark, Adriano Adewale and Bigga Bloco last year on a rescore of Marcel Camus’Black Orpheus’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, its an amazing film, we had a lot of fun.
Arista: Yes, under my own name, I have done a number of similar works with Guillemots in collaboration with Future Shorts but never with my own concept and band.

BEV: The length of your compositions is obviously much longer than the classic 3 minute pop song but your scores must be to some extent dictated by the structure of the films. Have you found that writing to a film is a liberating or constricting experience?

Tanya: Its a whole different way of approaching music, the film isn’t a constraint at all, its quite liberating not being the focus of a performance and just being a part of a bigger thing, if anything its a bit scary because of the power you have over someone’s whole experience – these being silent films, even more so.
Arista: I have definitely found it broadened my experience and understanding of the relationship of sound to motion pictures. It really challenged and combined my intuitive instinct and “technical” abilities. I found it all encompassing.

BEV: How do you think your performance will be affected by the space you are playing in ? Is it very different from your usual show?

Tanya: Space always plays a big part, the Purcell Room is built for sound, its a proper concert hall but its still pretty cosy for a venue of this kind.
Arista: And of course the main difference with this as opposed to a “normal” gig is the focus! Which is The Film!

BEV: If you could compose a score to any film (or as an accompaniment to any other piece of art) what would it be?

Tanya: I wouldn’t mind trying to score to a series of paintings – some big colour pieces by Miro or Cy Twombly.
Arista: The music for a video starring Charles Mingus, Merrill Garbus, James Brown and Chopin.

BEV: What else are you working on at the moment?

Tanya: Apart from finishing this score – my 3rd solo release, another EP with Yult and some new collaborations.
Arista: Auditioning for Prince’s 2012 tour, applying to be Blue Ivy’s nanny, no really, looking to be as busy and productive as possible. I am currently in Norway recording new material with Guillemots for an online spring release as well as my own solo project.

BEV: If you could recruit anyone to help you with your soundtrack who would it be and what would they play?

Tanya: Can’t answer that one, that’s like asking a bee to choose only one flower.
Arista: Frank Sinatra, Van Dyke Parks, Amy Winehouse, Alice Coltrane and Bob Dylan. Playing whatever they like!

BEV: What is your favourite ever soundtrack?

Tanya: Ever? Then can I have the opening credits from Taxi Driver, the monolith scene from 2001 A Space Odyssey, the ‘Prologue’ from West Side Story, some Blade Runner and the end credits from Badlands.
Arista: Betty Blue

Tanya Auclair performs her score to ‘The Female of the Species’ at SOUND AND SILENTS: MARY PICKFORD REVIVED I @ SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Friday 9th March// /Aristazabal Hawkes performs her soundtrack to ‘Sparrows’ at SOUND AND SILENTS: MARY PICKFORD REVIVED II @ HACKNEY PICTUREHOUSE, Sunday 11th March.

http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/4588/mary-pickford-revived-i/sound-silents-mary-pickford-revived-i.html