EL ÚLTIMO FIN DE SEMANA (OST)

Nicklas Barker is a musician best known for his tenure with well-regarded prog band Anekdoten and psych-rockers My Brother The Wind, but as with most of the musicians in this scene that I respect, his musical vision extends beyond that of collaboration with a few select individuals. Not only is he releasing solo material now, but this so-called debut record 'El Ultimo Fin De Semana' is also a cinematic score, for a Spanish film of the same name. Translated into 'Our Last Weekend', 'El Ultimo Fin De Semana' is a dramatic horror film, and in this music, Barker seeks to mirror the eerie vibe of horror cinema, mostly relying on a number of keyboard instruments. Although staying fairly simple and ambient, Barker's soundtrack to 'El Ultimo Fin De Semana' is a deeply atmospheric adventure, and manages to perfectly emulate the feeling of fear that the film seeks to exploit.

Nicklas Barker is no stranger to the world of horror film music; he had participated in the recording of an album called 'Symphonic Holocaust', which took the themes of classic cult horror films like Rosemary's Baby, and giving them a new twist. With that precedent, it should not come as any surprise that Nicklas Barker is able to make a soundtrack that is filled with archetypes of a soundtrack to any classic scary movie. Barring the haunting mellotron that Barker uses profusely throughout the album, the most notable aspect of the music is the use of the theremin, an electronic instrument that not many can name, but most have likely heard, providing they have watched one or two classic sci-fi movies in their time. It has an incredibly eerie sound to it, and is performed beautifully; although the mellotrons are enough to create a sombre atmosphere, it is the leading theremin that rings most profoundly in my mind after the album is over.

Most of these songs are ambient in nature, which is perfect for the sake of a film, but I can see this heavy focus on atmosphere and texture turning some off to it. Make no mistake; this is music that would likely sound much better in its cinematic context than out, but if a listener is able to take it for what it is, it is a very effective piece of music. Expect no classic themes here of a similar calibre to The Godfather, or even fellow progger Mike Oldfield's theme for The Exorcist, but while no ideas lunge out at the listener, the feeling that the music gives resonates quite a while after the record is over. On that note, 'Grand Finale' does latch onto a very promising melody, but it would have had to have been a little more developed throughout this piece in order to leave a bigger mark on me.

Of course, a film soundtrack is different than a regular album, and for that, its goals and merits are usually quite a bit different. Taking that into consideration, 'El Ultimo Fin De Semana' is a strong work. While I have not seen the film for which this music was made, I can effortlessly picture this music in the context of a film, heightening the atmosphere and enhancing the experience for everyone watching. Barring its context, it is a very good ambient album from Nicklas Barker, and it would be great to hear more of his solo material in the future.

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