Ten Tracks Today – 3rd September 2011

01 – “Iran” – Auslander Ohne Grund – Dieter Schleip

An enjoyable track that features predominantly solo acoustic guitar that has some low synth textures washing around. Just after the halfway point in the track the guitar becomes more aggressive and is supported by bass guitar. It’s a great little background piece. This track is part of a 2 CD showcase of the composer’s work.

02 – “Love Theme” – Come See The Paradise – Randy Newman

Quite a hesitant-sounding piano solo before the track really starts with a piano/orchestra playing of the theme proper. It may be a bit over the top to feature in a Top Ten of love themes but is pleasant enough. The orchestra does sound a bit synthy in parts.

03 – “A Gun For Ringo” – A Gun For Ringo – Ennio Morricone

A great melody from Morricone. Prominent twangy guitar, lovely strings and typical Maestro vocals (though I have no idea what they are saying).

BUDRUS – Kareem Roustom

Original Review by Alan Rogers

Budrus is a 2009 Israeli/Palestinian/American documentary film directed by Julia Bacha that follows the non-violent demonstrations conducted by the residents of the Palestinian town of Budrus during the early 2000s in protest at the planned Israeli security barrier to be built around the town. The barrier would separate the town from land and olive trees important for the town’s economy and history. Containing contributions from both sides, Bacha manages to provide a testimony to the power of peaceful protest and gives a film that many reviewers agree manages not to take sides.

Syrian/American composer Kareem Roustom is an Emmy nominated composer who has composed a score that reflects the film’s ability not to take sides by giving the film a musical score that does not provide too much of an emotional input to the film. With cues such as “The First Demonstration” and “Girl Meets Bulldozer”, where you would expect in a drama there to be music that emphasises aspects such as the courage of the downtrodden against the aggressor in any other “us versus them” conflict, etc, Roustom chooses to underscore these scenes with quiet almost reflective music that uses the various parts of the musical ensemble to provide a backdrop to the situations. Roustom’s musical upbringing is based in the musical traditions of the Arab Near East and, together with his Western music training, he is at home both scoring the film with music that gives a strong sense of place (relying on what sounds like instruments such as the buzuq (a long necked lute), tablah (a small hand drum) and daff (a type of tambourine)) and giving the music a Western feel also – a small string ensemble and acoustic guitar features prominently in a significant proportion of the score.