Michel Gondry’s 2004 film Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is a beautiful yet heartbreaking story of love (and memories) lost, creating a spellbinding cinematic pull via its strong screenplay, acting, and overall atmosphere. The film’s music may seem like a bit of an afterthought to some, though it plays a notable role, particularly as background in notable scenes.
One such scene includes the background song “Phone CalI,” which plays as the protagonist breaks a barrier of inhibition and self-consciousness, in opening up to someone and allowing for the possibility of love (or heartbreak). The scene resonates with many revere the film, including Italian artist BIAS. His new track “Amsterdam” is a rework of the “Phone Call” song from the film, complemented here by strings and the classic Roland TR-808 drum machine.
The steady build of the late-night synth tones accelerate into an impassioned vocal presence, emitting a sense of anguish and despair, capturing a state of emotion conveyed in the film throughout. In personal relation, the track was created “on his return from a trip to Amsterdam, at a moment of emotional fragility due to the conclusion of a love affair.” The closing line — “I still have myself to count on / I only have myself to count on,” — plays with a somber acknowledgement, though confronting a reality that must be faced. “Amsterdam” is a moving, effective re-interpretation of a highlight from Gondry’s classic film.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of February 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup. The submitter accepted our content-based offer, which included financial compensation for our time writing, editing, and publishing this article.
