THE COLD EQUATIONS Soundtrack Featuring Members of Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, and More Released Today

The soundtrack to an imaginary film The Cold Equations, has been released today on Yeggs Records. Composed by Josh Urist and co-produced by Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness, Antibalas, Arcade Fire, Iron and Wine, TV on the Radio), the album is available on 180g vinyl and digital download via iTunes or Amazon.

From John Leamy on directing the movie trailer: "When it was time to make the trailer for The Cold Equations, we knew we had to find a location that felt somewhat post-apocalyptic and would give us some opportunities to shoot some wider environments - although I had to make a couple. We found an abandoned power plant from the turn of the century on the banks of the Hudson River, and it fit the bill perfectly. It was also crazy cold. The river was choked with ice flowing downstream. Perfect! Josh's brother Gabe agreed to play the part of the "pale rider" character, and he possesses a real gravitas on film that I'm not sure any of us counted on. When it was time to edit, the cinematic quality of the track became even more evident. Truly fun to make, and a beautiful album."

Inspired by a 1954 science fiction short story by Tom Godwin, this story follows a worker drone on a distant planet who hunts down the corrupt officials responsible for the death of his little sister. The music is emotional, evocative, and riveting-the movie, however, is fake. Urist says, "I wanted to try to put my own mark on the fake soundtrack idea and take it as far as I could. We set out to dress the record in all the trappings of a real film soundtrack-the artwork, and the trailer that we shot for the film."

Working with co-producer Stuart Bogie, Urist uses the visual language of film music to conjure moments with visceral impact. A Morricone-esque standoff; a frenetic Quincy Jones-style chase scene; cosmic soul in the vein of Air. While analog synths and drum machines give you the interstellar textures, the acoustic guitars and wind instruments provide the warmth and humor of a human heart beating in the airless vacuum of a distant galaxy.

Urist assembled a crew of close friends to perform, many of them friends from Urist's time as a music student in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Contributors include co-producer Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, Superhuman Happiness, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio); regular Urist collaborator and fellow Masters of Reality performer John Leamy (Masters of Reality, Surgery) drums; Colin Stetson (Ex Eye, Bon Iver) saxophones and french horn; David Cook (Taylor Swift, Lizz Wright, Alan Ferber, Jennifer Hudson) organ and pianos; Adam Roberts, bass; Jeff Plankenhorn, weissenborn guitar; Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre) violin; and Rachel Webster (Bernie Worrell) vocals. Album art and design by John Leamy.