Part 4 of the soundtrack series is the soundtrack for Monster's Ball, composed by Asche & Spencer. There's a two things that make this record interesting. The first is, of course, the music. The tracks are quiet, but striking. A consistent theme, figuratively and literally, stretches across the work, but each "song" has it's own melody, its own contribution to the whole. It's a great listen for a quiet summer afternoon, as a thunderstorm approaches and you're considering where you might have left your flashlight.

The second interesting thing is that this record was recorded buy what amounts to an advertising agency. Asche & Spencer is a Minneapolis based agency that composes music for number of different mediums, from film to television commercials to software. Their approach is collaborative, and despite what their name seems to say, there's way more than 2 people working on the music. In face, Mark Asche, the Asche of Asche & Spencer, is no longer part of the company. It's a really interesting way of working, and somehow they find a way of avoiding compromise until there's no point of view in a collaborative environment. These guys aren't just making cute ad jingles, they're producing first-rate art. Really nice stuff, highly recommended.

This interview and short video give nice insight into how Asche & Spencer works.