Original score from the 2023 horror thriller feature film directed by Jaco Bouwer, starring Michelle Burgers, Sven Ruygrok and Jamie-Lee Money, produced by Kaapland Films and released by XYZ Films (USA).

THE STORY: 1901, South Africa. A wounded general seeks refuge in the small home of a woman and her young daughter. Before long, he’ll learn the real reason why they’ve invited him and how they’ve survived on their own for so long.

THE SCORE: “Breathing In almost entirely takes place within the confines of one room. It is because of this intimate setting that a small instrumentation was decided upon for the score, consisting of a string quartet, harmonium, piano strings, limited percussion, solo violin (but amateur) and limited electronics (treatments of recordings of random objects bowed). The film’s early 20th century setting and its two female protagonists influenced the use of specifically the string instrument, including the playing of the strings of an upright piano. The strings became a sort of metaphor for the women and their [desperate] focus on female traits as n means to survive in this horrific setup; the war-torn environment they find themselves in. The reasoning behind the use of the string quartet was also to evoke a kind of familiar sound world reminiscent of the films of former times, including the important focus on microtonal playing, but always presented as a ‘playing out of tune’ if you will. These ‘false’ notes communicate tones of desire, desperation and maturity.” – Pierre-Henri Wicomb

THE COMPOSER: Pierre-Henri Wicomb is a South African composer working in musical environments encompassing everything from contemporary acoustic/electroacoustic music, theatre/film soundtracks to composition collaborations with [unrehearsed] audience members. Wicomb’s concert music has featured at the Festival D’Automne (Paris), New York City Electronic Music Festival, International Computer Music Conference (Utrecht), Festivalen for Svensk Konstmusik (Stockholm), Forum Wallis contemporary music festival (Leuk, Switzerland) and ISCM World New Music Days, to name a few. Wicomb’s tv/film music include soundtracks for the series Spinners, which was broadcasted by Canal + in France while also being the first South African series to be screened at the Canneseries, and the award winning anthology of Disney, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. He wrote the soundtrack for the widely praised eco horror Gaia, released by MovieScore Media, for which Wicomb won a South African Film and TV Award (SAFTA).

MMS25003 BREATHING IN (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by PIERRE-HENRI WICOMB
Release date: April 25, 2025