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20 Matches is an innovatively directed short film by Mark Tapio Kines. Starring Nina Rausch, the horror movie tells the story of a Viennese serial killer. Rausch’s character tells the story by matchlight, going through twenty of them in the chilling recounting.
Chris Wirsig’s score is as claustrophobic and unsettling as the film itself. His masterful use of electronics blended with a small chamber string ensemble creates a wonderfully unnerving atmosphere that fits the project perfectly.
Director Kines says, “I wanted a score that could feel both menacing and modern, with a dense texture and a sort of rhythm to it, while being sparse and claustrophobic at the same time,” and Wirsig’s tension-filled accompaniment completes those difficult requirements with aplomb.
Wirsig is an accomplished producer as well as composer, and has experience as a bandleader (he started an Electro Noire band named no:carrier in the 90s) and as a music magazine editor. He also composed the soundtrack to a top ten iPad game named “Alien Tribe 2.”
These diverse experiences surely impact his musicality, as the soundtrack to 20 Matches is beautifully creepy, tastefully restrained, and does what all good soundtracks should do: make me excited to watch the movie.
Score: 5/5
Track Listing:
1. 20 Matches
2. 20 Matches (Credits)
3. 20 Matches (Diversion)