Recorded at 13 different National Parks across Canada, the soundtrack to this set of thirteen short films by acclaimed Canadian filmmakers celebrates Parks Canada’s Centennial and features 39 of Canada’s most diverse and cutting-edge musicians, including Sarah Harmer, Shad, John K Samson, Old Man Luedecke, Tanya Tagaq, Tony Dekker, Kathleen Edwards, Sebastien Grainger, Cadence Weapon, Sam Roberts, Jennifer Castle and Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene. A 20-track CD and 26-song double vinyl record will see their digital and physical releases on May 3rd and May 24th respectively. Proceeds from the sales of all releases will benefit the Nature Conservancy of Canada, an organization dedicated to protecting ecologically significant land.
In addition to the National Parks Project Soundtrack and in conjunction with the 13 short films and doc episodes, 7 digital EPs have been made available as well, a total of 49 additional songs. These can be purchased on iTunes or streamed via the NPP website. To experience the full project visit http://www.nationalparksproject.ca/
See tracklisting and complete list of participating artists below.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT
In the tradition of the Group of Seven, Margaret Atwood’s Survival and other touchstones of Canadian culture, the NPP aims to explore the ways in which the wilderness shapes our cultural imagination. From May to October 2010, the NPP sent groups comprised of one filmmaker and three musicians to a national park in each province and territory, to capture their experience in a short film and soundtrack. Each quartet was chosen with the aim of putting together people that had never worked together before. Musicians and filmmakers from across the artistic spectrum were selected – arena rockers are represented beside avant-garde experimentalists, and directors range from 30-year veterans to young, up-and-coming filmmakers. Out of these collaborations, true artistic expressions were created, including 13 short films combined into one feature that translates Canada’s rugged wilderness into cinematic form.
A documentary series chronicling this extraordinary exploration of the creative process, narrated by The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie, is currently airing on Discovery World HD. The 13 episodes offer an intimate and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the musical collaborations and filmmaking process behind the creation of the 13 independent short films, each with its own style and voice.
The films themselves are available for purchase at the NPP Store and iTunes, and for online streaming at www.nationalparksproject.ca – where users can also find stunning and sometimes surprising postscripts to each episode in the series.
The National Parks Project is created by Joel McConvey, Geoff Morrison and Ryan Noth, and produced by FilmCAN and Primitive Entertainment, with Parks Canada, Discovery Canada, the Rogers Cable Network Fund and the Canada Media Fund.
DIGITAL/CD TRACKLISTING (double vinyl LP contains 6 bonus tracks)
1. Long Time Before This (Gwaii Haanas)
Jim Guthrie, Sarah Harmer, Bry Webb
2. Height of Land (Prince Albert)
Mathieu Charbonneau, Andrew Ethier, Rebecca Foon
3. Welcome to the Dark (Cape Breton Highlands)
Old Man Luedecke, Tony Dekker, Daniela Gesundheit
4. The Humble Fawn (Waterton Lakes)
Laura Barrett, Cadence Weapon, Mark Hamilton
5. The Iceberg Cometh (Sirmilik)
Dean Stone, Tanya Tagaq, Andrew Whiteman
6. Sunblood (Nahanni)
Olga Goreas, Shadrach Kabango, Jace Lasek
7. Mystic Morning (Kouchibouguac)
Ohad Benchetrit, Don Kerr, Casey Mecija
8. Listen and Profit (Cape Breton Highlands)
Old Man Luedecke, Tony Dekker, Daniela Gusendheit
9. Ohkoomi (Waterton Lakes)
Laura Barret, Cadence Weapon, Mark Hamilton
10. Marr Lake (Bruce Peninsula)
Christine Fellows
11. Komatik Kowboys (edit) (Sirmilik)
Andrew Whiteman
12. Grotto (Mingan)
Jennifer Castle, Sebastien Grainger, Dan Werb
13. Mountaintop (Gros Morne)
Melissa Auf der Maur, Jamie Fleming, Sam Shalabi
14. Simple Things (Prince Edward Island)
Dale Morningstar, Chad Ross, Sophie Trudeau
15. Wapusk (Wapusk)
Kathleen Edwards, Matt Mays, Sam Roberts
16. Longhouse (edit) (Gwaii Haanas)
Jim Guthrie, Sarah Harmer, Bry Webb
17. Mishka solo on Icefields (Kluane)
Mishka Stein
18. Kathleen Lake (Kluane)
Ian D’sa, Mishka Stein, Graham Van Pelt
19. Bruce Beckons (Bruce Peninsula)
Christine Fellows, Sandro Perri, John K Samson
20. Sunset and the Rainbow (Prince Albert)
Mathieu Charbonneau, Andrew Ethier, Rebecca Foon
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