Claire Rousay is releasing a reimagined score for Slovakian animator Viktor Kubal’s 1980 film The Bloody Lady.
Spanning 11 tracks, the score was produced by Rousay at her home studio over much of 2023, with work on it beginning immediately after she relocated to Los Angeles. It was debuted live, alongside a screening of Kubal’s film, at the Videodroom film festival in Ghent last October, and is now set for a full physical and digital release.
The film itself is based on the folk tale of Elisabeth Bathory and follows the story of a Slovak noblewoman who is accused of murdering hundreds of girls and women. Her motive was allegedly the hope that she would remain eternally young by bathing in their blood.
“The actions surrounding the heart are pivotal in the film and, along with its heartbeat, they formed the initial pulse of the score,” Rousay said in a statement about her soundtrack, which primarily makes use of VST synths, piano, pitched-down violin and field recordings.
You can listen to ‘III’ from the score below.
Viernulvier Records / Thrill Jockey will release The Bloody Lady on November 8, 2024.
