Starred Up Reworked: Track Premiere

Listen to 'Credit', the closing track from the reworked soundtrack to David Mackenzie's BAFTA Scotland-winning film Starred Up, due for a vinyl release this November

Feature by News Team | 15 Sep 2015

A new, expanded version of the soundtrack to BAFTA Scotland-winning prison drama Starred Up has been unveiled, featuring contributions from Belle and Sebastian's Chris Geddes and Trainspotting star Ewen Bremner.

The original soundtrack for the film was created by director David Mackenzie in collaboration with producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Broken Records), with Mackenzie keen for the score "to sit almost imperceptibly in the film as a bed of sound which merged into the prison atmospheres."

Of the project, due for a vinyl release on 6 Nov, Mackenzie says: "For the album, we wanted to expand from this to create something that held onto those flavours but that had a life of its own and this is the result. I think it has a strong sense of drama and sometimes is even quite scary, but is also very dreamy and evocative."

Starred Up was named best feature film at the 2014 BAFTA Scotland awards, also winning awards for best writing and direction. The film follows a violent young offender, portrayed by Jack O'Connell (Skins, '71), who has been 'starred up' to an adult jail and finds himself incarcerated alongside his estranged dad, played by Ben Mendelsohn.  

Credit is the closing track on the new record, with contributions from Geddes and Doogan. Mackenzie explains the process behind the track: "We wanted a track that would allow some real power and emotion at the end of the film but we didn’t want something sentimental. This was the result.

"It started as some doodles I did on my iPad to get some of the basic melodies. Then Chris and Tony took it away and built it into what it is. After the tension and locked down emotion of the sonic palette over the film, this track allows the feelings to emerge. I can’t help thinking we should try to do a version of the track with some soaring vocals. Maybe that’s something for the future.” Listen to 'Credit' in the player below.

Starred Up Film Music Reworked is released on 6 Nov via Good Grace.


"A bruising, hugely impressive drama" – Read our review of Starred Up from Glasgow Film Festival 2014

David Mackenzie on Starred Up: "It was important for me to try and make something that was authentic.”

http://sigmafilms.com/starred-up