Various Artists

Je Veux Voir O.S.T.

Soundtracks | Lebanon | 2008

The Scrambled Eggs are no strangers to movie atmospheres. They contributed several outstanding tracks to filmmakers Joreige and Hadjithomas’ previous outing, ‘A Perfect Day’, and the soundtrack went on to win a prestigious European award. ‘Je Veux Voir’ (Joreige and Hadjithomas’ latest ) is however an altogether different experience, as it sees the Lebanese rock band tackle the movie’s atmosphere on their own, delivering in the process 17 tracks of unbridled intensity and startling restraint.

Tracks 1 to 14 (which are mysteriously untitled) were recorded after watching excerpts from the as-yet-unreleased movie; the band gathered in Beirut’s Tunefork studios, and improvised directly onto tape melodic passages combining ambient soundscapes, ‘guitarified’ meanderings and moody rock drones. These were filtered through 16 ambient microphone inputs disposed haphazardly in the room, not necessarily directed at any particular instrument, and recorded by prolific sound engineer Fadi ‘Fe’ Tabbal. Additional arrangements and mixing were performed at a later stage by ‘Fe’ and Scrambled head-honcho Charbel Haber.

Tracks 15 and 16 feature French/Lebanese experimental musician Joe Ghosn, surrounded by a cast of like-minded friends, operating under the guise of Discipline and the Mainstream Ensemble. Tracks 17 to 19 are further additions by the Scrambled Eggs, consisting of demo tracks remixed by band members Charbel Haber and Marc Codsi, as well as one stellar, unreleased recording, ‘Let it Go’.

Ziad Nawfal