iPhone Murdered!/The Lost Thing Soundtrack Review

There will be no updates about the book for a while since my tools of photography committed suicide tonight. (I should probably record this to make sure I can say this in store tomorrow). I sat down on the couch and was about to look up something on the Internet (I think it was something on Blackboard), when I noticed my phone had limited mobile reception, and had no wi-fi connection. Whatever, I figured I'd just leave it and check to see if the Internet was being screwy. It was not, I figured the phone just had PMS or something. Then my phone prompts me to restore it, leaving a message that it needs to be formatted, then turns itself off. What a mofo!

I linked it up to the computer and it cooed and reassured me that it would be all alright if I restored it. Okay, so after I saved all of the photos when Calcifer was a puppy, I gave permission to wipe all the files on my phone out and download this ridiculously large file that was the most up-to-date software. It took about 40 minutes, then I wiped the phone's memory and then I went to install the new software. It then was like "hahaha just kidding, your SIM card isn't working". So I take it out and clean it, and the phone claims that I don't have my IMEB number (?), but when I plug it back in, the SIM message was replaced with a slightly 'in-your-face' apology. Something like "Sorry!" which pissed me off since it's not like the computer did this to me...


...OR DID IT?


Probably not. Anyway, so I looked up the serial and it says its still valid for tech support. Cool stuff. I put it back into its little packaging and I'm taking it to the store tomorrow.

A whole 9 minutes of material!

I also had the pleasure of seeing the animated short of Shaun Tan's 'The Lost Thing' on TV this week. I missed the first five minutes, but the last 15 minutes or so were just really wonderful. I know the book from Drama in Grade 12 when we read it, and it's wonderful to note that Tan's illustrations flow beautifully and aren't compromised or cheapened by the adaptation to the short. It's charming and whimsical, with the quirky characters and objects perfectly illustrated to provoke the imagination. I hope I can find it in JB soon!

The music compliments the movie perfectly. I've not heard of Michael Yezerski before, but he's composed several projects including 'The Black Balloon' (which I was planning to watch tomorrow, but damn this iPhone...). His score for 'The Lost Thing' is regretably, almost criminally, too short. But then again, that's quite fitting for the nature of the movie. It's regrettable, because it just emphasises the whimsy and charm of the movie. The longest track, 'Utopia', is a fusion of a gorgeous strings, acoustic guitars, and electronic wefts (which I'm sure are all computer generated). The masterful blend provokes such a strong sense of nostalgia, and its playful nature is so uplifting - I just adore this track.

The rest of the album consists of little tracks which span for about 1 minute (give or take around 5 seconds either way). The entire soundtrack clocks in a whopping 9 minutes. Each track employs the same quirky and playful nature of the others. All in all, it's a delight to listen to. The soundtrack is a real gem, even if it provides the same amount of airplay time as a comerical break on TV. On a side note, it sounds a lot like David Megarrity's work with 'Sonic Loom'. Really wonderful work.

Anyway, that's all from me at the moment. Goodbye until tomorrow.

On a side note, you can listen to 'Utopia' by Michael Yezerski in all its glory here. The entire album can be purchased for just $2.99 on his site, or for $4.99 on iTunes.