OOR Avant Garde - Review Mt. Mundane

Even if you don't know Stephen Emmer, you know his music. Especially from television: he created the theme tunes for the NOS-Journaal, RTL Boulevard, and many more. Emmer has been around for a while; he even played in the ultimate Ultra band Minny Pops and in the British bands The Associates and Lotus Eaters. And now, Mt. Mundane, an album on the fringes of what we normally encounter in this column. But those are often the best records, right? Exactly. The idiom here is quite classical: piano, orchestra, and choir.

Cinematic Adagios

Emmer himself calls it Cinematic Adagios, cleverly linking that classical style to his work for the screen. This music cannot be separated from Emmer's personal struggles, as we learn from the accompanying notes. And especially from the perpetual ringing that tinnitus places in his ears – and those of many OOR readers, I dare bet, including this writer.

Touching the heart

Should we all just turn to these kinds of delicate, classical sounds, then? Not necessarily, not at all, but Emmer's music does stick with you more and more with each listen. It sometimes becomes a bit too silky and repetitive, but his melodies and arrangements certainly manage to touch the heart. This truly does not look out of place alongside the ringing in the ears.

[OOR - Jacob Haagsma]

Listen to Mt Mundane on your favourite music platform here

Buy the Mt Mundane album on CD here