Milan Records has released the UZUMAKI (ANIME SERIES ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK), featuring music by GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Colin Stetson.
The album, available digitally, includes Stetson’s original score for Adult Swim and Production IG USA’s animated TV series, based on Junji Ito’s famous horror manga Uzumaki.
Following the digital release, Milan Records also announced a special vinyl edition: a 180-gram black and white spiral picture disc, packaged in a single-pocket jacket featuring custom artwork by Junji Ito, now available for preorder.
Uzumaki Anime(Credits: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC)
Uzumaki tells the story of a small Japanese town where the residents fall victim to a mysterious curse involving spirals.
As the curse grows stronger, it physically and mentally devastates the town, discovering themes of psychological horror and obsession.
For the score, Colin Stetson used the concept of spirals as inspiration, translating it into music.
Known for collaborating with artists like Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem, The National, and Bon Iver, as well as composing for films such as Hereditary, The Menu, and Red Dead Redemption 2, Stetson ventures into Japanese anime for the first time with Uzumaki.
Uzumaki Anime(Credits: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC)
Colin Stetson’s Hypnotic Score Amplifies the Horror in Uzumaki’s Spiral Descent
Stetson’s distinctive circular breathing technique plays a central role in the score. His looping, serpentine saxophone melodies create an immersive soundscape, pulling listeners deeper into the story.
Along with woodwinds and strings (performed by frequent collaborator Matt Combs), Stetson weaves a hypnotic, cyclical score that mirrors the town’s descent into madness.
The music becomes a vital part of the unfolding horror on screen, following the eerie progression of the story.
Uzumaki Anime(Credits: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC)
Stetson expressed his love for the project, saying, “I absolutely adored my time making this music and inhabiting the strange, gorgeous, horrifying, and spectacular spiral world that Ito-Sensei created.”
Co-produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, Uzumaki premiered on Adult Swim on Saturday, September 28 at 12:30 AM during the Toonami block.
New episodes are available for streaming on Max the next day. The series airs weekly on Saturdays in Japanese with English subtitles, and English dub versions air on Thursdays at 12:30 AM, starting October 3.
About Uzumaki
Kirie, a resident of Kurouzu-cho, tries to escape from her town as the people there become obsessed with spirals, due to an inexplicable curse.
About Colin Stetson
Colin Stetson is known for his prolific output of music, both in his own work and in his collaborations with artists like Laurie Anderson, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Chemical Brothers, Bon Iver, and Bill Laswell.
Since the early 2000s, he has earned a reputation as an exceptional musician, praised for his dedication to his craft and his constant drive to innovate.
Uzumaki Anime(Credits: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC)
Stetson is particularly recognized for his powerful performances on the saxophone, especially the bass and alto saxophones, though he also plays soprano, tenor, and baritone.
His years as a wrestler, with its intense physical demands, shaped his performance style, along with his love for bands like Pixies and Fugazi.
He’s equally comfortable playing other instruments like clarinet, flute, French horn, and cornet, making him a versatile musician in any musical setting.
The anime adaptation of Uoto’s manga Chi Chikyu no Undo ni Tsuite (also known as Orb: On the Movements of the Earth) is set to air for 25 episodes, spanning two consecutive cours, or six months.
The series will begin airing on October 5, 2024, on NHK General, with the first two episodes premiering together. Following its broadcast, the episodes will be available for streaming on both Netflix worldwide and ABEMA.
The anime is directed by Kenichi Shimizu, with the studio Madhouse producing the series, and features an impressive cast that includes Maaya Sakamoto, Kenjirō Tsuda, and Shō Hayami, among others.
The anime features a strong creative team with Shingo Irie overseeing the series scripts and Masanori Shino handling character designs. Kensuke Ushio is composing the music, and sound direction is led by Kisuke Koizumi.
The opening theme song Kaiju is performed by sakanaction, while the ending theme song Aporia is performed by yorushika.
These elements are expected to contribute to the atmospheric and historical nature of the story, which revolves around scientific discovery during a dangerous time in human history.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (MADHOUSE)
The story takes place in the fifteenth century, where the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun is considered a dangerous heresy.
It follows Rafal, a child prodigy who, after learning the truth about the world from his mentor, finds himself in danger when the Inquisition seeks to punish those spreading such knowledge.
Armed with only a mysterious pendant and his mentor’s research, Rafal goes on a journey to escape the persecution of the church and help others who also believe in these scientific ideas.
Uoto’s manga, which started in 2020 and concluded in 2022, has been highly praised. It won the Grand Prize at the 26th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, making Uoto the youngest recipient of this prestigious award at just 24 years old.
The manga has been published in an omnibus format by Seven Seas, allowing international readers to enjoy this historically inspired, thought-provoking story about science, truth, and the dangers faced by those who challenge established beliefs during the Inquisition.
