Forward
I first came across David Lynch’s work years ago. I remember watching Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive late at night and I did not understand them, and I liked that.

I have not watched all of Twin Peaks, but the first few episodes lingered. It felt less like watching a show and more like being dropped into a strange town and left there for a while, with no clear instructions on what to pay attention to.

The Twin Peaks Soundtrack feels different from most film music. A lot of soundtracks are designed to tell you exactly how to feel. I never liked that. My film lecturer back in the day used to call it dovetailing, music that pushes emotion simply because it is expected.

Think sweeping orchestras or heavy-handed drama, the kind you hear in scores by Hans Zimmer or romantic European film music. This soundtrack does the opposite, this one builds worlds.

When I listen to this without images, the music becomes even stranger and more intimate. “Falling,” with vocals by Julee Cruise, was the track that pulled me in. I have always been drawn to voices like that, hazy and distant, similar to Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins.

That quiet, slightly uneasy stillness is exactly why I chose this soundtrack for Softerfields.