Montreal – About 13 groundbreaking Norman McLaren compositions have been brought together for the first time in Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren, released by Phantom Limb (UK/EU) and We Are Busy Bodies (US/Canada/world), in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
Now available on vinyl, compact disc and streaming, Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren represents an essential overview of the pioneering musical compositions of this legendary figure in animation, who has been called “the first electronic musician.”
Along with his genius visual storytelling, NFB animation founder McLaren was also a trailblazer in graphical or drawn sound. He ingeniously created synthetic sound and music by drawing, etching and photographing patterns directly onto the film soundtrack, becoming a pioneer of electronic music long before the invention of the synthesizer. These audio treasures formed the soundscapes for many of his most legendary films—while others were preserved in the NFB’s vaults, unheard, until now.