Jim Guthrie: Sword & Sworcery LP: The Ballad of the Space Babies (4/5/11)
Jim Guthrie: “Dark Flute”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Jim_Guthrie_Dark_Flute.mp3|titles=Jim Guthrie: “Dark Flute”]With a list of accomplishments that includes a solo career, band collaborations, and the co-founding of Three Gut Records, Jim Guthrie is more than a notable name in Toronto’s music scene. He has recorded as part of Islands, Royal City, and Human Highway and has worked with Arcade Fire, but his newest project transcends the realm of reality to explore a magical/digital world.
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is a successful cross-platform game / music project for the iPad and iPhone. Guthrie delivered a great score for it, and as of April, the music has been available to purchase on its own.
From the open, The Ballad of the Space Babies is sort of a Legend of Zelda-meets-Goblin blend of space jams. The songs here vary considerably, and as a piece, they flow together nicely, stringing together motifs and constructing moods as it goes. Although it is evocative and unfolds slowly, the music does not feel like it’s “missing” anything, thankfully avoiding the purpose-based monotony that plagues a lot of scores.