Journey to the West: Music by Everett Griffiths
The music for Journey to the West encompasses a variety of styles to achieve a
feeling that is refreshing but familiar. Inspiration came from Australian dijeridoo, Zimbabwean mbira
melodies, Gaelic chanting, Stravinsky's rhythmic thumping, Gregorian chant, and even heavy metal guitar riffs.
The works blend standard acoustic arrangement with electronic soundscapes to sonically portrait the surreal
odyssey that comprises the narrative. Technically, the list of cues shown here is the temp score; once the
animation is finished and the picture has been locked, new music will be written that will sync up
with the picture and help unify the film. Writing cues for the temp score has given me a chance to
explore the different instrumental combinations and explore different compositional techniques.
Cues
- The Dreamtime -- For marimba, clapping, voices, percussion, and didjeridoo. I tried to
musically represent the act of creation.
- Pond of Stars -- For flute and synthesizer. It uses an arabesque sounding hexatonic scale
to paint harmonically the reflective pond the animals pass after escaping the farm.
- Mystic Horn -- This continues the hexatonic feel and ends on Skryrabin's mystic chord,
symbolizing the pregnant moment when the animals enter the cave.
- Cave of the Ancients -- This is primarily for marimba, emulating the Zimbabwean mbira music
played at all-night spirtual gatherings where the people communicate with their ancestors.
- [unnamed] -- I'm still working out a name for this one. It's a minimalist piece that uses
Steve Reich inspired phasing to achieve a Philip Glass sound. I wrote it for two pianos and tuba (!),
but I may write some lyrics and have the tuba part sung by a choir of basses.
- Veni -- by far, the most difficult piece I've ever written, notated, and tried to record.
It's essentially an embellishment of a hymn.
- Consumption -- an electro-accoustic piece, pertaining to Max's arrival in the City of Consumption.
- Enter the Dragon -- This music was inspired by the moment in the story when Max unwittingly releases the
dragon by feeding him his last remaining meal. Musically, it is a counterpoint between marimba, piano, and electric guitar,
driven by Stravinsky-esque seismic thumpings. Of course, hats off to Bruce Lee.
- Round World -- a free flowing electronic piece, a sonic rebirth after the destruction of the city.
- Vivian's Lament -- a piece for strings. Live, this isn't as effective, but in the studio, the violin stays at a constant speed
while the other tracks are slowed down and sped up to achieve key and tempo changes, producing a weird effect.
- Matembezi ni Maombi -- This is a choral piece in Swahili, based on a Swahili proverb: "Walking is Prayer." It rehashes
material in "The Dreamtime" and serves as music for the credits.
Recording is in process and the CD will be made available by winter 2004. I may add a few tracks by then.
I'm currently working on my Master's degree in music composition at
the University of Kansas. Hear some of my other compositions at
www.pocopico.com