American-Canadian saxophonist, Colin Stetson, recently released a harrowing new track “Awake You Sleepy Hearts” the latest release from the National Geographic television series, Barkskins. Stetson wrote the score for the series Barkskins based on the 2016 novel by Annie Proulx, of the same name. According to Consequence of Sound, “The track happens to feature a familiar voice in David Thewlis, best known as Professor R.J. Lupin from the Harry Potter franchise and star of Barkskins.”

The ominous dark tone to Stetson’s “Awake You Sleepy Hearts” is felt from the outset of the track. The foreboding sounds that make up a great deal of the track are loud and the instrumentation lingers like something lethal is lurking in the shadows. Stetson’s score is something that sounds straight out of a horror film and in fact it happens to be a genre Stetson has recently been well versed in. Stetson has scored a couple of horror films as of late, 2018’s Ari Aster directed Hereditary starring Toni Collette and Richard Stanley directed Color Out of Space starring Nicolas Cage, released earlier this year.

What completes the track’s sinister vibe is the almost spoken word recitations provided by Thewlis. According to the aforementioned Consequence of Sound article, “Barkskins takes place over 300 years, following a series of related characters amidst the deforestation of North America. Thewlis’ plays Claude Trepagny, a land speculator with some poetical words in Stetson’s new song: ‘Awake you sleepy hearts/ The birds sing in the trees!’ Does that sound uplifting? Not while Stetson’s haunting score plays underneath.” To listen to “Awake You Sleepy Hearts” stream below, via YouTube.

As previously reported here on mxdwn, Stetson’s track “Contact” from the Color Out of Space soundtrack “…starts off with an eerie violin, automatically creating a high-pitched sound. The track switches from music to silence, creating an atmosphere of what one would of expect from a horror movie. Throughout the song, low pitch synths are heard, to add contract to the high-pitched violin. Alien-like beats are added, making the song shift to what would almost sound futuristic.”

Barkskins National Geographic Original Series Soundtrack is slated for a June 5 release date, via Milan Records.

Barkskins (National Geographic Original Series Soundtrack) Tracklist:
01. Forest Fire
02. Company Man
03. The Tree
04. Renardette
05. True Warrior
06. English Scum
07. Lie Down
08. The Company Way
09. Marth Burns
10. Father Clape
11. A Proposal
12. Aftermath
13. With Death Upon You
14. First and Last Meals
15. The Letter
16. Retrieving the Dead
17. Punishment
18. Alive
19. Awake You Sleepy Hearts [ft. David Thewlis]

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado