OST Uzumaki LP

Release November 29, 2024

LP Edition

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FROM THE ANIME TV SERIES
BY GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING ARTIST COLIN STETSON
FEATURED IN THE NEW SERIES BASED ON JUNJI ITO'S ICONIC HORROR MANGA

THE ALBUM WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON VINYL WITH ORIGINAL NEW ARTWORK ILLUSTRATED BY JUNJI ITO AND PRESSED ON A SPIRAL PICTURE DISC

Milan Records announces the release of UZUMAKI (ANIME SERIES ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) featuring music by GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and composer COLIN STETSON. Now available digitally, the album features an original score written by Stetson for the Adult Swim and Production IG USA animated television series based on Junji Ito's iconic horror manga. In addition to the album's digital release, the soundtrack will be pressed on 180-gram black and white spiral vinyl and housed in a single-pocket jacket with custom artwork illustrated by Junji Ito himself specifically for the release. A highly sought-after collaborator for artists such as Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Bon Iver, and many others, as well as an acclaimed composer with a diverse list of film scores including Hereditary, The Menu, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more, Stetson now makes his first foray into the world of Japanese anime with Uzumaki.

A captivating masterclass in psychological horror and obsession, Uzumaki centers on the residents of a Japanese town as they become increasingly consumed by a strange curse involving spirals. As the story progresses, spirals continue to wreak havoc on the town both physically and mentally, culminating in a terror-filled exploration of the unknown and the power of obsession. Much like the story itself, the spiral was the starting point for composer Colin Stetson when approaching the score, observing the various ways a spiral could translate through a musical lens.

Of an almost kismet nature, an initial obvious parallel for Colin was his own performance style, namely the circular breathing technique he has become synonymous with since the beginning of his career. Throughout the score's 13 tracks, his singular technique manifests in meandering saxophone melodies, its sustained notes looping and repeating to create a hypnotic soundscape that draws viewers further into the on-screen story. Expertly weaving distorted layers of woodwinds and strings (with strings performed by frequent collaborator Matt Combs), the cyclical nature of the score turns in on itself and subverts past cues as it progresses to mirror the town's descent into madness and chaos. The result is a fascinating original soundtrack that deeply resembles the series' theme, from its technique to instrumentation and sonic progression, the music provides a constant companion to the horrors unfolding on screen.

Regarding the score, composer Colin Stetson adds, "I absolutely loved my time making this music and inhabiting the strange, beautiful, horrific, and spectacular spiral world that Ito-Sensei created."

Co-produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, Uzumaki premieres on Adult Swim on Saturday, September 28 at 12:30 AM during the Toonami block, with new episodes available to stream on Max the following day. New episodes will air weekly on Saturdays in Japanese with English subtitles, with English-dubbed encores on Thursdays at 12:30 AM starting October 3.