ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW O.S.T.

Directed by Miranda July

Score by Michael Andrews

Label: Everloving Records

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Miranda July´s film seems to be made up of a string of perfect little short moments. The soundtrack proceeds in a very similar way. Michael Andrews tracks are “little wonders”, difficult to call songs for they lack of structure and developement.

The soundtrack has been criticized for having a one-trick-pony sound. Indeed. The tracks share a quiet similar style: an orchestra of cheap lo-fi synthezisers and drum machines is used to deliver a sort of basic, naïve sound. One has the impression of listening to a series of variations of the same piece. Nevertheless, the way the original tracks composed by Andrews are inserted in the film creates a remarkable pace and tone, allowing the music to accomplish not only an additive function, but to achieve a narrative function as well.

Music will accompany the ceremonies, little performances through which July´s characters are fleshed out. It will disappear momentaneously to give way to a character´s opinion only to reappear right after (check the scene where the shoe salesman expose his theory about if things were reversed, how adults will be sent to their room by their children and told not to come out until they have really thought about what they have done. The music here, or the abscence of music, sets the mood to this revelation, and the whole effect is reinforced when the actor looks directly at the camera and says What have we done?).

Leitmotif pieces will accompany “shocking” scenes creating a contrast between its raw character and the playfulness of the music: the two teenager girls kissing while flirting with their grown up neighbor; the prelude for the blow job competition or the internet chat between the boy and the art curator that could have led to a child molestation.

The composer´s (or his Wikipedia version) tell us about the deep levels of communication between music and story within the film:

“She [Miranda July] tries to break things down to very basic, simple shapes—the simplest shapes possible, and that totally influenced me in my music".

Andrews achieves some beautiful melodies through a very synthethic sound - Goldfish, What´s that sound, Socks on ears -, and he even succeeds bringing acoustic instruments into his digital lo-fi scene - Me and you shoes, Peter and Sylvie -.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/artist/Michael+Andrews/18563?src=5 (Listen to the soundtrack at Grooveshark)

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/cyrus/#/Videos-1 (Link to Cyrus, a film featuring a soundtrack scored by Michael Andrews)

http://mirandajuly.com (Link to Miranda July´s webpage)