The magic realism of Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki is both grounded by the failings of humanity and the hope within it. In animated films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle, we see ourselves reflected in breath-taking fantasy — it's what makes them so gripping, so moving. The beautifully wistful soundtracks, too, take on their own lives outside the films. Under the name Ghosting, it's what inspired Melbourne producer Andrei Eremin to reinvent Studio Ghibli movies as an instrumental beat tape.
"The mixtape started as a lightbulb moment to sample Spirited Away, one of my all-time favourite films," Eremin writes on Bandcamp. "I took out my keyboard on a whim, cut up the intro to the film and within four hours I'd finished the best track I'd ever made. It was a sign. From there the decision made itself — I had to sample every other Miyazaki film."
Eremin has produced tracks for the likes of Ta-ku, and mastered records for Haitus Kaiyote and Chet Faker. Here he takes Joe Hisaishi's score for Spirited Away, loops cascading piano and throws down a beat and synth that shades the original with darker hues that manage to retain its wide-eyed wonder. The accompanying video takes pulsing scenes from the film to Ghosting's glitched syncopation.
Reimagining Miyazaki Mixtape comes out May 12 on .
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