This may be a website for brutal music, but we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the passing of director David Lynch. Lynch, known for his strange, artsy and disturbing movies like Twin peaks, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, has a complex and intriguing relationship with music.
While not a musician himself in the traditional sense, music is an integral part of the “Lynchian universe,” contributing significantly to the unsettling, dreamlike, and often eerie atmosphere of his work. Lynch films often use unconventional and unnerving sounds with a strong industrial or experimental edge. Think of the eerie synthesized soundscapes in Eraserhead or the haunting melodies in Twin Peaks.
Lynch incorporated rock and metal elements into his work throughout his career. For example, Wild at Heart features a prominent metal concert scene. The band playing in the scene is not real, but Lynch created the music specifically for the film, capturing the raw energy and intensity of heavy metal.
He has also worked with various musicians, including Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Acomposer Angelo Badalamenti, who created iconic scores for many of his films.
Lynch and Reznor’s collaboration on Lost Highway was a significant moment in both of their careers. Reznor was brought in to produce the soundtrack and also contributed original music to the film, further enhancing the unsettling atmosphere. Reznor would later come to contribute to many more film soundtracks like The Social Network and Watchmen.
The Lost Highway soundtrack remains one of the best of the 90s soundtrack era. Along with the soundtrack albums for films like Natural Born Killers (also done by Trent Reznor), The Crow, Judgment Night, Empire Records, Spawn, etc., Lost Highway was an integral part of an era where the soundtrack sometimes was even better than the movie.
The film itself even features a cameo from Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez playing actors in a porno and the soundtrack also features the song “Apple of Sodom,” arguably one of Manson’s best from the era, that does not appear on any of his albums. Smashing Pumpkins also contributed music as well as Rammstein, in their first introduction to a broader United States audience before “Du Hast” hit the airwaves.
Lynch also directed the music video for Nine Inch Nails song “Came Back Haunted” bringing his unique visual style to the medium.
Surprisingly, Lynch has released several albums of his own music, showcasing a blend of experimental, bluesy, and sometimes unsettling sounds.
In 2015, Duran Duran, The Flaming Lips, Moby and Lykke Li were among the musicians and bands who celebrated the music of Lynch at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the David Lynch Foundation. The performance featured songs from his films including Eraserhead, Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive, as well as the television series Twin Peaks.
Following the news of his death, a number of musicians took to social media to mourn Lynch and celebrate his works.
“RIP #DavidLynch,” Slash wrote on Instagram next to a black-and-white photo of Lynch.
“Everything is fine…,” The Weeknd wrote as a tribute to Lynch next to a photo of the director on the set of Twin Peaks.
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, wrote on Instagram, “Truly saddened to hear of the passing of David Lynch. Working with him was like a dream out of one of his movies, and I treasure the times I got to speak with him and hear first-hand his vision for a film. I truly encourage anyone who loves movies and television to watch all that David produced. He was a true artist, through and through.”
Drummer and record producer Questlove also shared a series of photos of himself with Lynch. “Lynch was the first human/creative that stressed the importance of not overworking and taking time out to breathe & meditate and searching for creative avenues not in my comfort zone (he was my guiding creative light for the Somethingtofoodabout book from 2016,” he wrote. “Took a liking to me always inviting me to his events and parties and really stressing the importance of self care Thank you.”
Marilyn Manson wrote on his Instagram “May you live forever inside our dreams” on top of a picture of the Lost Highway cover.
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