Selected Score from “Liquid Lady”. A few reimagined tracks from “The Venus Fix” along with a couple live performances from our actors in the film.
Liquid Lady Score
(Ramblings)
Bastet
Bastet came into being from a simple repetitive guitar riff on the high end an acoustic guitar. The original name for it was “Snake Charmer”. I was trying to write something Egyptian, very trancey, something that rotated consistently. From that guitar riff Bastet was born. Like most other ambient songs on “The Venus Fix”, Bastet was slowed down and reverbed quite a bit. Subtle atmospheric sounds were added to enhance the feeling of an ancient time perhaps a different world.
During the recording my cat Nina was quite vocal. I don’t remember if it was an accidental recording of her or I intentionally went and got her meow’s but that became the vocals for Bastet. The slowed down version was layered on top of the normal speed version, and you can hear ghostly meow’s coming from Bastet herself.. To honor the Kiva Ale and myself felt there needed to be a moment of silence and a break after the noise that occurs in during the “Death March” train sequence. Sounds of moans and winds take up the first minute and half of the song
The song ended up fitting perfectly as the introduction to the “Desert”.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation was an improvised song that Alejandro created in the Charcoal Kiln of Death Valley. We stumbled upon the location which was relatively close to where we spent the night before in a spot called Wildrose. (we saw a perfect flight of UFO’s dipping over the mountain the night before).
The Charcoal Kiln or “Bee Hive” was a totally improvised scene from the actors. I placed the camera and Romario, Alejandro, and myself basically wrote the scene in the Kiln. Romario and Alejandro improvised a long take that would be the first words spoken in the Desert and that became the basis of the scene. It originally was 7 minutes but was cut down to around 3.
We felt at some point Aaron would need to be given the guitar. A sort of temporary exchange took place where Aaron let Miguel borrow the Malachite totem and in exchange Aaron got to play Miguel’s guitar.
The idea that music helped Aaron remember himself was thrown around quite a bit. At some point we had thought Aaron’s transition into this other world made him lose his memory taking a bit from the River Styx. The song itself felt very apt for the Kiln. Simple Am+Em chords were used which were established as Miguel’s theme at that point. Ale used this motif eloquently and it gave that connection between who Miguel is to Aaron, a sort of shadow self, all shown through music.
In the film SFX sounds of hawks, fire roaring, wind swirling can be heard faintly in the background as if Miguel (a shapeshifter) is accompanying Aaron’s performance. To finish off the track Album version of the piece I layered Alejandro’s performance with a warped electric guitar version to give it that final “umph”.
Nova Waves
This song came out of me in a day. Probably about 2 hours. It is a total improvisation of me trying to do “Desert Rock”. It ended up being a 3-part song. We only use part 2 in the film during the “Cacti Wandering” sequence. It is one of the more experimental moments on the record particularly part 3 of the song which is a lot of noise and improvised guitar noodling. Part 2 seemed to be quite a cinematic moment when it was matched up with Aaron walking from the shot I like to call the “Dying Sun” (where Aaron is silhouetted as he walks towards the camera).
Minerva’s Den
Minerva’s Den was my attempt at a sort of modern Black Sabbath, I suppose. It has some sludge, a bit of groove, and some space rock in it. Alejandro and I had tried to write multiple songs for the Drug Den knowing it needed a grungy feel, but they all seemed too cheesy. Minerva’s Den came about when I wasn’t trying to write for the film but just write for myself. The name came from the video game “Bioshock 2”. Just out of a whim I decided to put in the Den right when Aaron enters until the poker game has finished. I was apprehensive about putting something that originally had nothing to do with the film into an entire scene. In addition, it is a metal song at its core, something that isn’t heard in the rest of the film. At the end of the day Jesiah and Alejandro loved it and its placement so that was enough for me. A strange synchronicity occurred and I learned shortly after that Todd’s (Mike) grandmother’s name was Minerva. Mike’s domain is the Drug Den so it was a nice wink from the universe during the process. I was very happy this song got to be in the film and give some energy to the Drug Den.
Can’t Win Em’ All
Can’t Win Em’ All is part stoner rock, part attempt at jazz rock, and part Portishead homage. I knew I wanted something led by the bass. Another song that wasn’t intended for the film but ended up making its way in there. It added a much-needed breath after the intensity of Minerva’s Den in the poker game.
There’s a sort of tongue and cheekiness about the bassline that I love. It added a backing rhythm to “Mike’s monologue” which has a lot of comedy in it. It’s all about the vibe and I felt it was as close to Sabbath as I could get while retaining a sort of uniqueness.
The name itself came from watching the Astros constantly during the editing process. Baseball is a long game. So is editing. It was nice to have that friend next to me during the process.
Drug Den Trip
Drug Den Trip is less of a song and more of an experiment in atmosphere. Drones mixed with an extremely slowed down “Reverse Time Gate” that just rises in loudness. Reverbing and echoing Aaron’s actual camera audio added quite a terrifying element to the trip sequence. There might be some bells layered in there as well. A bit of a distorted “Alice in Wonderland” moment.
It was interesting to note that the “Drug Den Escape” sequence originally was to have a punk/noise song on top of it but ended up being an atmospheric number which was a bit more foretelling of what was to come in the second half of the film.
Ticking Sands (LL Version)
Ticking Sands (LL Version) is probably my favorite piece on the album. It is a part of the “Sand” trilogy in Liquid Lady.
Ticking Sands (LL Version) has a sort of other worldly warped vibration to it. It felt like the natural successor to Bastet almost its counterpart musically. The piece originated through the guitar as most of everything musically in the film, however it is the other sound additions that really create the atmosphere. The guitar was more of the metronome of the piece, if you will that “ticking, and the rest are elongated notes to allow a lot of space to breathe in the piece. The sound of the song just feels like the Sun to me; a Sun that feels like it will never set.
It matches up with the “glamor shot” of the film as Miguel and Aaron are taking the long walk across the Dunes. The LL version of the song is slowed down and “reverbed” quite a bit as well as reversing the actual song after it plays out; as if you can’t escape the song, i.e. escape the desert. The song in the film is slightly different; The overlaid dialogue is put in a different place and added SFX such as water boiling and of course Tara’s ghostly voice are heard.
Turning Sand
Turning Sand is the most, dare I say it, optimistic song in the Desert. It has a running feeling, certainly a faster tempo than anything else heard in the Desert up to this point. There is a rain stick that consistently swirls in the background. It is quite a sparkling track with multiple guitars overlayed. I ended up revisiting the track after it was already set in place and decided to add some lead electric guitars to the original acoustic piece. It added a feeling of “adventure” that I felt was needed to the Desert. Thematically Aaron is about to reach his checkpoint after just getting through the intensity that was the Cacti Heat.
Melting Sands (LL Version)
This is a dark piece. I was going for full depression tinged with a bit of fantasy. I wanted to hear the notes between the notes. I mean this one is SLOWED DOWN a lot. There are insects such as Locust and Snakes overlaid as well as the scream of the Hawk. The song started out as just a minute of guitar improvisation. It always felt like an incomplete experiment, but once integrated into the film it seemed to fit perfectly.
Dream World
Dream World is a spiritual successor to Ticking Sands. I believe they were written within a day of each other. I was using the same vocal patches in these songs. There is a sort of birth of nature sound going on with the switch up in the middle. Probably the prettiest of the songs in the Desert. At this point color has come back to Aaron and Andrea, “The Shaman”, “Mother Nature”, “Life” has entered.
Trails to Nowhere
This was on the last songs written, deep into the editing process. The entire song was just reversed. I couldn’t even tell you what the original sounds like at this point. It has a revolving door feeling to it. It reminds me of some of the stuff Radiohead was doing on “Amnesiac”, particularly “Like Spinning Plates”. Snippets of the song are used sporadically in the Desert, and anytime we see Tara’s ghostly vision on screen. I guess you could call it Tara’s theme in the second half of the film.
Woman of Sand
Woman of Sand is an entirely acoustic piece with just two guitars used which is opposed to the multilayered approach heard in the rest of the film. The moment we get with alone with Aaron and Tara felt perfectly fitted to the song. Sound wise it’s a bit foreshadowing of the Desert/Spanish vibes of the sound of the guitar we get in the second half, but it in a way also connects the two halves; Tara and Aaron being two halves, two broken souls, two people intertwined for the time being. There’s a sort of nostalgia and longing in the song and perhaps a certain romantic yearning as well. Most of the guitar noodling is improvised as much of a relationship can be.
The Ceremony/Reverse Time Gate
Two songs in one. They originated as their own pieces but were put together as the climax of the film changes and builds culminating into the final Methuselah Tree sequence. The original Ceremony recording itself was performed and recorded improvisationally in the Tipi. Miguel’s thematic “Am+Em” chords are being utilized and simply built up through intensity in performance. Andrea improvised some vocals and that became the basis for the song and the scene.
We ended up re-recording the track in Post as it felt the trip sequence itself needed to be longer. This was the first time I felt like I was acting as the “orchestrater” of music for the film. Firstly the song was performed and written almost entirely by Romario and Andrea. There were probably 30-35 layers of instruments and sounds used. Andrea completely made this song what it is with her voice. Her voice is essentially a chant of resolve and a tool for Aaron’s exorcism. She also performs the flute and adds some amazing backing vocals; Making sounds of mosquitos, whispers, screams, prayers, chaotic laughs, tongue rolls, etc. Romario gave full long take performances and then layered some improvised guitar solos. Alejandro, Andrea, and I played some rhythm on a bongo and egg shakers in the background. We just had fun seeing how many things we could throw in there.
Once Andrea’s symbolically birth’s Aaron with the final scream the song changes into the warped ambient atmosphere that seemed to define the Desert musically, bringing it home if you will. “Time Gate” was a track I wrote way before Production of Liquid Lady. I simply reversed and slowed it down. Then through SFX I felt there needed to be a sort of “Ascension” and beauty in the moodiness. Sounds of harps are sprinkled throughout and culminate in the final embrace. Alejandro and I had the discussion of what a tree would sound like if it could speak to us. I ended up adding sounds of Whales which are of course some of the most ancient beings on earth juxtaposed with the Methuselahs which are the oldest trees on earth. The Methuselah and Aaron are having a dialogue as he finally lets go. It’s all musical and visual so it was important to try to indicate that feeling as Aaron finally arrives at the Oasis.
The Fable
“The Fable” is a last minute addition to the score although it is not actually in the film itself. It serves as a sort of Epilogue to the Score.
It’s ironic in the fact that Alejandro and myself wrote “The Fable” as one of the starting points in the writing process of Liquid Lady. We had the idea of Tara telling a bedtime story to Aaron and Nora. The story was a symbolic representation of the stories that Tara, Aaron, and Nora were about to experience in their own lives. Unfortunately, the Fable didn’t work in the cut as the stories of these characters changed quite a bit from the writing to the editing process. Nora escapes the bad scene at home early on and the story becomes more about Aaron and Tara’s dynamic.
The song itself was simply an improvisational technique to get everyone prepared for the Ceremony. Romario, Andrea, Alejandro, and I all picked up an instrument in the Tipi where we were filming and riffed off each other for close to 25 minutes. The crickets join in as well.
The 4 minute 11 second snippet was my favorite portion of the improvisation we created. It serves as a reminder the beginning and ending are connected in more ways than one. It’s a raw track with hardly any editing done to the sound itself. Just a beautiful piece about the actors, the filmmakers, and the story. An homage to ourselves and to the journey it took us on. The Fable is our fable. It’s Liquid Lady’s fable.
-JIM WADKINS