A rattling bicycle fender; distant cow maidens blurting musically; sheep scurrying right to left—soft thunder: silent, powerful time in limbo. This scene, from late Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s last film, Offret, inspired me to compose a track eventually titled “A Gotland Stroll (Location Hunting).” Equally significant (possibly more so), though, was the image of Tarkovsky himself scouring the barren Gotland countryside in Sweden searching for shooting locations. Very satisfied with the final track, I felt compelled to write an entire album devoted to these dual inspirational sources—both the man and his films.

A previous music project, First Station, was also an homage—to late abstract expressionist, Barnett Newman. In contrast to that experience—approached like a blank slate, minus any aesthetic limitations or constrictions—producing Station No. 2: Myasnoye proved intimidating, for, in cinema (unlike painting), sound already exists—environmentally as well as musically; moreover, in Tarkovsky’s cinematic universe, sounds are as fundamental as the imagery. This anxiety of influence, coupled with that ever-present artistic dilemma—being derivative, in this case by merely echoing the films’ pre-existing sounds—led on several occasions to the project nearly being abandoned. However, it eventually became clear that at least some shades of Tarkovsky would need to be incorporated less the creative process itself be obstructed. Bach and Verdi, therefore, appear in vignettes—not because of their presence in his films, though, but, rather, because both are integral to the man himself.

Tarkovsky’s published diaries, Martyrolog, influenced Myasnoye more than anything else. One inspirational passage, from July, 1986, recorded while he was being treated for terminal cancer at a German clinic in Oschelbronn, reflects Tarkovsky’s powerful connection with nature:

Yesterday I went out for a walk, and was suddenly
overcome with an inexplicable urge: I took my
shoes off and walked barefoot on the cold earth.

This poignant reflection—autobiographical evidence of the nature theme that permeates his films—not only provides revelatory insight into the man himself but also, specifically, inspired the album’s final track

Ambient music demands listeners to observe: sounds float in-and-out of their environment. Tarkovsky’s films require the same: observation. Aural elements—environmental, musical—are integral to experiencing his work. Field recordings are thus incorporated throughout Myasnoye, creating a rich, dense texture.

This album, one hopes, will both be worthy of Tarkovsky’s talent and honest approach to his art as well as stand on its own as an Ambient work deserving to be listened to—and observed.


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