The Sonic Cosmology of UNDER THE SKIN
Film scores are one of those things that are often overlooked by the casual viewer, a background blend of sounds, conjuring nothing in the imagination, something to exist simply as a replacement for silence. However, every now and then, a special combination of both perceptive vision and inspired music can help a film transcend into a magnificent and memorable one.
In 2013, director Jonathan Glazer and musician Mica Levi did just that, when they collaborated on the film Under the Skin; a chilling and enigmatic sci-fi/horror tale, of a woman using her seductive charm to lure young men to their demise. The details are left vague and unclear and this adds to the overall unsettling ambiance of the film; a feeling that is only accentuated by the otherworldly score of Mica Levi.
Mica Levi is herself a unique figure in the film industry, with her unostentatious manner, seemingly at odds with the sleek and glamorous world of Hollywood. She embodies what it means to be an artist, completely dedicated to her craft and uncompromising in her sonic vision.
Classical trained from a young age, Levi endlessly pushed boundaries and experimented, delving into the world of DJ culture and forming her band Micachu and the Shapes before moving onto writing film scores.
With Under the Skin, Levi created her own a world, a cosmology of sound, in which each instrument played a specific role.
Before filming, director Jonathan Glazer took a unique approach, in that he gave Levi musical direction in very abstract terms.
He discussed feelings, moods and philosophy, an approach that liberated Levi and allowed her to express herself in a more freeway.
The viola was a recurring motif used by Levi throughout the film, scratching and articulating the notes in a rapid and aggressive manner; the result of which created an alien and insect-like sound,
the perfect accompaniment to the main character’s predatory nature. Drums were slowed down in tempo, drawn-out, to create an obscure heartbeat that reverberates throughout the movie. A haunting pulse.
“Magnitude and perspective or the impossibility of a beehive, something that you can’t quite compute but was alive was the main thing to get across.”
Another element of the score that stands out is that of the cymbal. In the words of Levi, it acts as a representation of the cosmos; like the cosmic sea it stretches out to infinity. It is all controlling, omnipresent and emanating a sense of peace.
Throughout the writing of the score Glazer and Levi wanted to retain an element of human performance throughout and even when synthesisers were introduced, a live and imperfect nature was encouraged.
The prospects of mistakes, bad-recordings and strained notes are what gave the overall score a DIY and unpolished feel at times.
Its imperfection, dark and disjointed sounds are what made it stand out from other scores.
Mica Levi and her work on Under the Skin is a clear demonstration of the power of vision and imagination in cinema; to have a strong concept and the resolve to follow through with it, regardless of audience’s expectations. When these things are aligned, there can only be one result; pure artistry.
Words by SAMO