If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That’s the concept at the core of Tate Taylor’s upcoming psychological horror film Ma, starring Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. The film’s composer Gregory Tripi is a master of using electronic instruments and creative soundscapes to convey the unhinged nature of the story and its main character. Today, Vehlinggo premieres a beautifully unsettling track from the film’s score, which is releasing digitally May 24 from Back Lot Music. (MONDO/Death Waltz will release the vinyl later this summer)
On “I Was Just a Kid,” Tripi uses crystalline synths, pristine soundscapes, and beautifully calming electronic piano colors to create a deceptive sense of calm that explodes into a heart-shattering blast of searing psychosis.
No one should be surprised by Tripi’s talent. He spent several years on Cliff Martinez’s powerhouse composing team on films such as Drive, The Neon Demon, and Hotel Artemis. Tripi’s crafted a host of compelling scores in his own right, including ABC TV series The Fix and Peter Dinklage-starring Rememory.
On Ma, which opens in theatres May 31, Tripi created a pallet of unexpected sounds.
“There were a lot of glassy instruments in the score, as well as a number of analog synthesizers, a metal Halo drum and a few things that contrasted: a live cello, a voice in a few cues, then basically tearing it all apart at the end,” Tripi said in a statement. “I also used pitched wine glasses — ones that when you rub them make long glassy tones. It’s a good organic vibe to have without feeling too recognizable. I also bought a ukulele in Hawaii that’s made from a used Japanese Bento box. You’d never recognize it as such because it sounds so big and textured.”
You can pre-order the score today. It’s releasing digitally on May 24 via Back Lot Music. A CD release on Intrada Records and vinyl release on MONDO/Death Waltz will be coming this summer. See the film in theaters May 31.
Ma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tracklist
1. I Was Just a Kid
2. You Can Beat It Ma
3. Pretty Cool, Huh?
4. Nobody’s Here but You and Me
5. Mercedes Stakeout
6. Modern Babes in a Modern World
7. It’s Five O’clock Somewhere
8. You Don’t Look So Well
9. Not Saying Shit
10. Hey Ma, Loser
11. Pow
12. Cool It with the Pics
13. Go Feed the Animals
14. You’re Making Your Business My Business
15. This Is Your One Warning
16. All in Boxes
17. Sue Ann Flashback
18. Maybe I Should Cut It Of
19. You’re Missing Out
20. That Much Diazepem
21. Those Big Doe Eyes
22. This Ought to Shut You Up
23. We Have History
24. Who’s in the House?
25. Set the Picture
26. I Am Not My Mother
27. Up in Flames
About Ma
Here’s what the film is about, according to a press release: Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a teenager new to town (Diana Silvers, Glass), to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own.
She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don’t curse. Never go upstairs. And call her “Ma.” But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth.
The film is distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Wyolah Films.
