Puce Moment's post-modern soundtrack
Probably my all-time favorite song(s), Jonathan Halper's soundtrack for Kenneth Anger's 1949 masterpiece has been bouncing around my head for god-knows-how-long. Added to the film in 1966, the songs "Leaving My Old Life Behind" and "I am a Hermit" are astonishingly post-modern and way ahead of their time. Halper seems to predate entire movements in music, as did Anger in film. Halper's soundtrack contains very spacial tape effects and a cosmic folk-pop sensibility that could only be matched by the late-great Syd Barrett, who in 1966 was just getting started with Pink Floyd. Sadly, these songs also appear to be Halper's (if that's his real name) sole contribution to music. Ah, but what a contribution it is.Here is the film:
Indeed. Beautiful song. I can't find anything else about him, like whether or not he's still alive. If I were to meet Kenneth Anger, this is one of the first questions I'd ask - "Who is/was Jonathan Halper?"
ReplyDeleteFunny, the most information I've found on Halper is on this here blog...I hadn't before been able to find the year the song was made. 1966! Cos '49 seemed waaaay too early for such musical quality. Bummer the dl link is broke!
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