Austrian artist and music producer, Soap&Skin presents the original score from the film Des Teufels Bad (The Devil’s Bath), directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Anja Plaschg is central to this cinematic project as she also appears in the leading role in this feature film, in the period drama which premieres at Berlinale in February 2024. The Devil’s Bath gives a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; it portrays the harshness of their daily lives defined by religious dogma and taboos which still resonate down the ages. A film based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history. Soap&Skin about the process of writing the music for a period film: « Veronika, Severin and I quickly agreed that we wanted historical timbres, i.e. a sound world that refers to the period, not necessarily to Austria, and also points to the present. For example, I incorporated a historical flute from Armenia called a duduk played by played by Veronika Vitazkova and worked with Matthias Loibner, who is dedicated to this wonderful instrument called hurdy-gurdy. This time I used my own voice spherically for Agnes’ inner voices, for example with a scream that keeps recurring as a protracted tone.» Deep, haunting and disturbing, the music gives flesh and blood to this psychodramatic film.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Mooreiche, Moosige
A2. Schmetterling
A3. Lenz
A4. Rattengift
A5. Schlauch
B1. Depression
B2. Freispruch
B3. Hinrichtung
B4. Gedächtnis