7. Zdeněk LiškaMalá Mořská Víla OST
This is the soundtrack to the Czech film version of The Little Mermaid. Back in the 70s, on a Saturday morning, sometimes there would be a subtitled film on television. It might be a translated fairy tale from Eastern Europe. Andy was wanting to release the soundtrack to this film and he was watching it in the background and I realised I remembered it from seeing it on TV as a child. I immediately recognised the characters and the music.
The amazing thing about this record is it is very orchestral, has Disney Snow White ethereal vocals, but it also has a lot of electronic moments. This record marries up of lots of musical concepts and makes me think about the things I really like. I performed some of this at Festival No. 6 with Joe Duddell and I could barely sing as I was so emotional. Apparently I had grown men in the audience in tears. I had the power!
I find it very haunting, even though it is a foreign-language record. I think it is a really important record and I am so glad that Finders Keepers were able to reissue the album. This album is another production inspiration as well. Many of the records I have chosen are a lot to do with production values, which sounds really nerdy. I love the mix of strings, electronics and choral vocals on this record – which are three of my favourite things. And, because it is the soundtrack to a fairy tale, the album has a narrative, which I love.
It’s still mesmerising in the way things could be when you were a child. I have tried to rip off this album loads of times. I did a soundtrack project a few years ago and I really wanted it to sound like something by Liška.
