Lock the Door, Swallow the Key draws its inspiration from the films of Stanley Kubrick– in particular his 1980 masterpiece, The Shining. The cinematography (including the beautiful, groundbreaking Steadicam work) and iconic images have always simultaneously attracted and horrified me. The Overlook Hotel, hedge maze, room 237, the Gold Room, the Red Room, the significance of the number 12, even the
patterns on the carpets and wallpaper informed the musical and structural content of the piece.
While composing the work I also came upon the 2008 documentary Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes, a fascinating look at the Kubrick’s massive personal collection of memorabilia spanning his entire career. Director Jon Ronson personally sifts through the boxes (nearly 1000 of them), meticulously preserved and indexed by Kubrick, that
had been remained unopened for decades. Ronson uncovers an unseen history of minutiae revealing the obsessive perfectionist that was Kubrick. By the end of his exploration Ronson admits to having found the ultimate quintessence of the auteur: the boxes themselves. He notes how well constructed the boxes are, perfectly aligned and
aesthetically pleasing, and it is revealed that the boxes were designed by Kubrick. Kubrick was so unsatisfied with those available on the market – with their restrictive dimensions and glitches – that he instructed a company of box manufacturers to build them according to his precise specifications. The boxes (in keeping with Kubrick’s obsessive, fastidious nature) are a compartmentalized reflection of the director’s meticulous modus operandi. The clean lines, geometry, patterns and structures of Kubrick’s films appeared in every aspect of Kubrick’s life. The austerity of the box system and the borderline insanity it took to implement their use had a kind of beauty. It was his own little Overlook Hotel.
Nicole Lizée
Montréal, 2011
credits
released May 7, 2014
Thierry Champs, Frédéric Demers: Trompettes / Trumpets
Laurence Latreille-Gagné: Cor / Horn
Simon Jolicoeur-Côté: Trombone
Samuel Lalande-Markon: Tuba
Frédéric Lapointe: Batterie / Drum
Steve Raegele: Guitare électrique / Electric Guitar
Enregistré au Studio 270 le 7 mai 2014
Recorded at Sudio 270 on May 7th, 2014
Robert Langlois: Captation et mixage / Recording and mixing
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