Benjamin Powers has been an influential centerpiece to the experimental realms of music for more than a decade under the pseudonym Blanck Mass and as one-half of acclaimed noise duo, Fuck Buttons.
Since 2011, Powers has been amassing a catalogue that morphs cinematic soundscapes and power electronics. His work has gained a devout following that has transpired into mainstream recognition, from his film score work to sound tracking the Summer Olympics stage in 2012.
Powers’ fifth album, In Ferneaux, was released Friday by Sacred Bones Records. The project follows a foundation laid down by Powers’ use of field recordings from various tours over a decade. Since the onset of the pandemic, Powers used isolation as a time to craft these different scenes into a synchronized story filled with captivating emotion.
Below, Powers shares a guide of select films and TV series that helped him get through last year.
I have been trying to catch up on a lot of movies that have been on my watchlist during this lockdown. There was (and still is) a great deal of Korean cinema on that list. My favourite Korean film I caught this past year was The Wailing. It’s bleak, terrifying, complex and funny in places. It absolutely blew me away. I thoroughly recommend anyone who has not seen this yet to do so immediately.
Barry Lyndon by Stanley Kubrick
I somehow managed to completely avoid Barry Lyndon my whole life up until this lockdown. How that happened I really can’t say. Perhaps it’s because I’m not usually drawn towards period pieces, but I have a feeling it might become my favorite Kubrick film. That scene close to the end in the barn with his step-son is incredible. Love it!
By now we all know the whole story of Trump. We’ve lived through it for fuck’s sake. There are countless documentaries about the subject with varying levels of execution, but by far the best documentary series on the subject I have seen on the matter is The Trump Show on the BBC iPlayer. The narrative form, storytelling, suspense and drama are amazing here. It’s a story we all know, but at not one point does this series become a chore. It was extremely well handled, and the music is fucking great.
Killing of a Sacred Deer by Yorgos Lanthimos
I’ve been meaning to watch this for a long time because one of the leads (Barry Keoghan) also stars in Calm With Horses, which I scored. I have spent many hours in the studio scoring scenes with him in them. I’m also a huge fan of Lanthimos and loved The Lobster. Killing of a Sacred Deer is perhaps my favorite of his. It’s incredibly stark and odd.
Yep, I watched Society again for the 25th time or something. I’m currently living in a country which is run by a Tory government so why the fuck not. It’s just like watching the news basically. In many ways, watching Society is less surprising.
This may be my favourite movie that I’ve seen in lockdown for various reasons. It’s weird, grotesque, unsettling, tranquil and extremely beautiful. Pretty much everything I look for in a movie. That perfect combination between beautiful and grotesque (which I’ve strived for my whole musical career). This one somehow manages to cross through genres of fantasy, love-story, crime thriller and drama seamlessly without feeling clunky or jumbled. I highly recommend it. The music when they are running through the forest is also beautiful and somehow reminds me of Limahl’s theme music from The Neverending Story and other ‘80s fantasy music. If anyone reading this has any idea where I can find and buy the music from that scene please let me know as I’ve tried to find it and simply cannot. Please help.
Only managed to catch this incredible piece of queer cinema during lockdown. Don’t know how this one slipped me by either but I absolutely love this. It’s Al Pacino’s greatest role. The soundtrack is also killer with the Germs on it and stuff. This is one that I tell myself I am gonna watch a lot in the coming years.
Last year is no different to any other in the fact that I am still watching an unhealthy amount of Drag race. The latest season of Drag Race UK is the best season I think I have seen since seasons 4 and 5 of Drag Race USA. I want Bimini Bon Boulash to win. Shanty, you stay.