Kaada "Music For Moviebikers" (Ipecac)
By
Wednesday. Jul 12, 12:25 AM
Can there be a worthy soundtrack if the film does not exist?

On Music For Moviebikers, Norwegian composer Kaada weaves an orchestra of colorful instrumentation (some of which are homemade) together to create a “pop meets the concert hall” soundtrack to a film that does not exist. These 13 songs indeed do provide a cozy Scandinavian landscape for its ghost film… however, the album is desperately in need of an actual film to compliment, lacking the strength to be the centerpiece for 59-plus minutes.

Aside from the argument (why film-esque music but no film?), this collection yields plenty of good moments. Kaada applies his pop sensibility well to these numbers, creating pieces that are not as long winded (still too long!) as some a stone’s throw away in the classical world, yet managing to retain the classical aesthetic. The finer moments come when the dense instrumentation thins out and the sensitivity of Kaada's melodies are allowed some well deserved breathing room (“Smiger,” “Spindle,” “No Man’s Land,” “Birds of Prey”). This gives the listener a chance to cleanse their aural palette and take in his pretty musical gestures without competition from the 20-plus musician ensemble, which at times is sonically redundant.

Music For Moviebikers is a good film soundtrack. So in that sense, Kaada succeeded in what he set out to do: bridge the gap between a recording artist and a film composer. Unfortunately, there is no film to accompany, and by itself this album is too longwinded and predictable to keep a listeners attention for the better part of an hour. In the end, a valiant solution… but was the problem worth addressing?
www.kaada.no
www.ipecac.com

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John Somers

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