Raja's New Albums

Possibility of IR music for a biopic on nadigaiyar thilagam :
http://pirapalam.com/tamil-cinema-news/6297/

சாவித்திரி வாழ்க்கை வரலாற்று படத்தின் திரைக்கதையை முடித்துவிட்டதாகவும், நித்யாமேனனை தவிர மற்ற நடிகை, நடிகர்களின் தேர்வு நடைபெற்று வருவதாகவும் விரைவில் இந்த படத்தின் அதிகாரபூர்வ அறிவிப்பு வெளிவரும் என்றும் நாக் அஸ்வின் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இந்த படத்திற்கு இசைஞானி இளையராஜா இசையமைப்பார் என்று கூறப்படுகிறது.

album with expectations, possibly in a month

The quirky real life inspired drama under Prakash Raj's own production house, Mana Oori Ramayanam is going to hit the screens in November, according to latest buzz.

struggling to release?

மணிகண்டன் இயக்கத்தில் விதார்த் நடிப்பில் உருவாகி இருக்கும் 'குற்றமே தண்டனை' திரைப்படம் செப்டம்பர் 2ம் தேதி வெளியாகும் என அறிவிப்பு

'காக்கா முட்டை' படத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து மணிகண்டன் இயக்கத்தில் உருவான படம் 'குற்றமே தண்டனை'. விதார்த், ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷ், பூஜா, ரகுமான் உள்ளிட்ட பலர் நடித்திருக்கும் இப்படத்துக்கு இளையராஜா இசையமைத்திருக்கிறார்.

dafedar

Not sure if this news is authentic

If so, at least one MF album in the reckoning.

trouble coming

இன்னொரு தேவர் மகன் 

தெற்குத்தெச சிங்கமடா பசும்பொன் தங்கமடா

Looks like all lyrics are by PA - that way, ignoring the quoted stuff, we may probably get some nice lines that sync well with the melody.

kutRamE thaNdanai - director speaks about the movie, musical experience...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4F8LuC4GEM

Another youtube about kutRamE thaNdanai :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3EZ26N4pJU&feature=youtu.be

previous post... idhil director solrar... padathil oru idathil.. gap irundhadhu.. Raja sir kaetar.. inga enna endru... vaarthai podanam sir.. neenga
music seidhu kudunga. naan apparam pottukaren endru.. 

anal Raja solli irukar.. vaarthai enna endru theriyaranam.. apo dhan   naan seiya mudiyum endru............  

 indha Rajavai enna seivadhu.......... ithanai varudam ana pinbum. romba porumai.. idhu dhanae perfection mind...... Great One......

One positive review for KT

Ilayaraja’s score for the title credits is an inspired piece of work and the Maestro reminds us once again that he is indeed the master of re-recording.

As Manikandan had pointed out in pre-release interviews, “Kuttrame Thandanai” is for a serious audience which can invest its time and attention on an absorbing crime drama. The film fulfils the promise with its technical finesse and strong performances. Do watch.

Director's interview to the above reviewer

About having Isaignani Ilayaraja on board

My film will always decide the cast and crew working on it. It isn't a dream as such, but I always wanted to work with him. No one can escape his music and songs in our state and it was a part of my growing up years too. This film needed Raja sir, no one else could have done justice to it. He has sealed the film with his music from the start to end. It is a very seamless score, with apt use of silence.

He is very inquisitive and particular about the shots and has great memory. The 3 mins title score will actually convey the film's pace and mood. If you like that segment, you'll like the film too. This is not his best work but it is like a small poem penned by him.

Raja sir's inspiring work ethic

Despite having worked on 1000+ films, he has great timing sense and is efficient without a fault. He doesn't indulge in any needless talks and sincerely respects the director and works for him. That's something that I took back from this working experience with him.

Another +ve review of BGM

Ilaiyaraja is undoubtedly one of the biggest strengths of the movie. The Maestro bowls us over with his chilling background score. Isaignani proves that can still give everyone a run for their money when it comes to his work.

This is not his best work but it is like a small poem penned by him.

இந்த மாதிரி யாரவது சொன்னாலே புடிக்க மாட்டேங்குது. அப்புறம் எதுக்குய்யா அவர் கிட்ட போறீங்க. உங்களுக்கு  வாயில்லையா அவர் கிட்ட சொல்றதுக்கு. அவர் முன்னாடி சும்மா பல்ல இளிச்சிக்கிட்டு நிக்க வேண்டியது, அப்பறம் பின்னாடி வந்து இந்த மாதிரி குத்த வேண்டியது. இவர்களுக்கும் அவர் பாவம் சின்சியாரா மியூசிக் பண்றார் பாருங்க, அவரைச் சொல்லணும்.

V_S wrote:

This is not his best work but it is like a small poem penned by him.

இந்த மாதிரி யாரவது சொன்னாலே புடிக்க மாட்டேங்குது. அப்புறம் எதுக்குய்யா அவர் கிட்ட போறீங்க. உங்களுக்கு  வாயில்லையா அவர் கிட்ட சொல்றதுக்கு. அவர் முன்னாடி சும்மா பல்ல இளிச்சிக்கிட்டு நிக்க வேண்டியது, அப்பறம் பின்னாடி வந்து இந்த மாதிரி குத்த வேண்டியது. இவர்களுக்கும் அவர் பாவம் சின்சியாரா மியூசிக் பண்றார் பாருங்க, அவரைச் சொல்லணும்.

I think something is lost in translation  This guy had been consistent in telling that he asked and got what he wanted.

He might have meant, like "IR had done a lot of great movies with much more grandeur BGM...this may not be IR's best but a relatively small project" (in the sense, please don't compare with NEPV / Rudhramadevi and stuff like that)...

Understood, but whatever, as I told many times, telling "I didn't like the music" Vs. "he didn't give his best" is eons apart. The second one, you can never tell  that (and you don't have any right to issue that statement) unless you are his boss and watch him in his every move (just like a manager of a company who sees his employees output). Even assuming a director is a boss to a music director (at that time) who extracts what he wants, but one has every opportunity to tell Raja (even if he agrees or not) if he did like the music or not. But to give some suggestions or tell whether he gave his best or not, one also need to equally understand music (just like you understand your requirements of a project as a manager). Here that also is ruled out. So as an ART which is hugely subjective, one can only tell if they like it or not, they can never tell if he gave his best or not and it is not their right/job, or they are competent enough to tell that.

The reason for that outburst was also with Suresh ji mentioning about Sathyan Anthikkad some time back about his resignation with Raja citing some lame reasons. Telling "Raja is busy and he didn't concentrate" is also equivalent to "he didn't give his best" right? If you see Raja is busy and you feel he didn't concentrate enough for your film, why don't you right away tell to him, rather than back stab to some unknown alien (media), much to their delight and pleasure? Or why didn't you move to some other director that time itself as you saw him busy? When you had guts to insist 25 different tunes for your first film (out of which you selected 5) and Raja never denied and he kept on composing, why would he shudder doing the same for your every film? Is the mistake with Raja or with you?  And I saw the film, I didn't like a moment in the film, yet what songs and score for that film? maarippeelikkaatte, raajagOpuram and sindhoora pottum are three gorgeous numbers, which I listen frequently. You only selected them right? Why you are concerned if he is busy or not until you get your requirements right? On the other hand, you ditched him for no reason and top of it, blaming him in front of media? On top of it, telling that the film did not run because of Raja and not because the film didn't have anything at all. This is not at all right sir.

V_S wrote:

This is not his best work but it is like a small poem penned by him.

இந்த மாதிரி யாரவது சொன்னாலே புடிக்க மாட்டேங்குது. அப்புறம் எதுக்குய்யா அவர் கிட்ட போறீங்க. உங்களுக்கு  வாயில்லையா அவர் கிட்ட சொல்றதுக்கு. அவர் முன்னாடி சும்மா பல்ல இளிச்சிக்கிட்டு நிக்க வேண்டியது, அப்பறம் பின்னாடி வந்து இந்த மாதிரி குத்த வேண்டியது. இவர்களுக்கும் அவர் பாவம் சின்சியாரா மியூசிக் பண்றார் பாருங்க, அவரைச் சொல்லணும்.

Well if he says this is his best work someone will question him why do you say it is best work. Is it better than OA or anjali or muthal mariyathai
Atleast i can take this but read mr. rangan review very insulting. he says score is over dramatic and he wishes to see the movie with MUTE to know true expression of director.
simply put he thinks manikandan's vision about movie is different and raja's score spoils so he want MUTE !!! pathetic review
also he compares with english movie "rear window" and he beleives that is more authentic and something is missing in this movie

இன்னும் நீங்கெல்லாம் அவரோட ரெவ்வியூ லாம் மதிச்சு படிக்கிறீங்களா?  I shut my doors on him (his blog) during NEPV Gautam Menon interview itself. According to me, he does not have any clue either on movies or on music.

V_S wrote:இன்னும் நீங்கெல்லாம் அவரோட ரெவ்வியூ லாம் மதிச்சு படிக்கிறீங்களா?  I shut my doors on him (his blog) during NEPV Gautam Menon interview itself. According to me, he does not have any clue either on movies or on music.

ஏதோ ஓநாயும் ஆட்டுக்குட்டியும் தான் அவருக்கு புரியலை. that was philosophical movie (not thriller, but concealed as thriller). he wrote music doesnt match the movie despite being classical to emphasize தத்துவம் . Now for thriller he has done the same gave a thrilling bgm + classical where required. Now he writes it is philosophical movie not thriller why score scream thriller..

to me this just proves me without any iota of doubt he is part of kumbals.

Just to save himself from wrath of raja fans he writes "it is is beautiful ilayaraja wrote guitar notes" then adds a twist it belongs to different movie because guitar was abundant in kakkai muttai.

Manikandan clearly says in interview this is not kakka muttai..and he writes this is not like kakka muttai and says rear window is better.

i was about to comment "The Hindu is missing a good reviewer" never mind just ignored. He should stop watching tamil movies and write reviews only for non-indian movies.

Can be this negative thrashing , comparing other movie with this and downgrading things when most reviews highlight the editing and music as major role to emphasise what movie is portraying.

If music is not to bring out emotions of characters what else bgm is needed for. have no clue.

I haven't watched the film but I just went through the review.  I had a similar problem with Onaayum Aatukuttiyum, where the BGM sounded great as standalone WCM pieces but didn't mesh so well with the film (for me).  It felt too rich for a film that was shot in a more stark, low key tone. The curious reaction on this forum was that Myskkin could not make a film up to Raja's composing standards.  Ahem, because OAK is low quality compared to Pongi Varum Kaveri, but that apart, the film is the director's baby and the background score absolutely has to reflect what is conveyed in the film.  Now if Raja wants to indulge himself and his fans and go on a musical odyssey, fair enough and I have no objection to that.  But I am not going to rule out such a possibility.  Raja is great, amazing, etc etc but he is not infallible either. The director's veiled comment also suggests something of the sort.  Whether he is right to say it in the manner he did is another matter but that he did, suggests that maybe BR is not completely off the mark. 

To be honest, I don't think thrillers need too much music.  People always say Psycho, but that was more of a scare movie.  If you watch French Connection or Day of the Jackal, background score is used very sparingly.  So, yes, I do think if the director sets out to make that kind of slow burning thriller (as opposed to a more high octane, commercial Untouchables), he should not work with Raja because there's precious little for Raja to do in a good thriller.  A good thriller works on keeping things suspenseful; the suspense doesn't need to be amplified (or worse, spoilt) by background music.

kutramae thandanai apt bgm for slow pot boiler.
Title card...unable to distinguish if it is grand violin or chorus of violins mixed with some hollow sound..something totally new..suits the art work of title roll
Guitars comes and goes everywhere perfectly to match the slow development of mixed emotions, undecided nature of human emotion from characters
Violins (almost inspired from onayaum aatukutiyum sad score for all sad portrayal of characters , may be violins heavily used in OA makes me think like that)
Some mix of hollow, creepy fitting the scenes where required
and that beautiful bird sounds puts you in middle of balcony
and yes lots of silence where required as movie requires that silence to observe what is happening in front of our eyes (without dialogues or bgm)

The movie itself moves slowly showing things happening minus dialogues so bgm simply follows exactly that to suit the mood (not much fast paced bgm)

Perfectly tailored for the slow moving philosophical thriller (abstract bgm, he calls)

crimson king wrote:I haven't watched the film but I just went through the review.  I had a similar problem with Onaayum Aatukuttiyum, where the BGM sounded great as standalone WCM pieces but didn't mesh so well with the film (for me).  It felt too rich for a film that was shot in a more stark, low key tone. The curious reaction on this forum was that Myskkin could not make a film up to Raja's composing standards.  Ahem, because OAK is low quality compared to Pongi Varum Kaveri, but that apart, the film is the director's baby and the background score absolutely has to reflect what is conveyed in the film.  Now if Raja wants to indulge himself and his fans and go on a musical odyssey, fair enough and I have no objection to that.  But I am not going to rule out such a possibility.  Raja is great, amazing, etc etc but he is not infallible either. The director's veiled comment also suggests something of the sort.  Whether he is right to say it in the manner he did is another matter but that he did, suggests that maybe BR is not completely off the mark. 

To be honest, I don't think thrillers need too much music.  People always say Psycho, but that was more of a scare movie.  If you watch French Connection or Day of the Jackal, background score is used very sparingly.  So, yes, I do think if the director sets out to make that kind of slow burning thriller (as opposed to a more high octane, commercial Untouchables), he should not work with Raja because there's precious little for Raja to do in a good thriller.  A good thriller works on keeping things suspenseful; the suspense doesn't need to be amplified (or worse, spoilt) by background music.

crimson.. for this one raja has left silent in so many places, especially the ones where scenes are unfolding and also during dialogues.
Not much complex or fast paced stuff we heard in OA (as you mentioned doesnt mesh with film). Here yes there are guitars but those go along with emotions going through characters, violins of similar type in OA for all sad portrayals. Thats all being a slow film the instruments play like that as well.
He has used those hollow creepy sounds where required ..the typical hollow surroundness..

irfan123 wrote:

crimson king wrote:I haven't watched the film but I just went through the review.  I had a similar problem with Onaayum Aatukuttiyum, where the BGM sounded great as standalone WCM pieces but didn't mesh so well with the film (for me).  It felt too rich for a film that was shot in a more stark, low key tone. The curious reaction on this forum was that Myskkin could not make a film up to Raja's composing standards.  Ahem, because OAK is low quality compared to Pongi Varum Kaveri, but that apart, the film is the director's baby and the background score absolutely has to reflect what is conveyed in the film.  Now if Raja wants to indulge himself and his fans and go on a musical odyssey, fair enough and I have no objection to that.  But I am not going to rule out such a possibility.  Raja is great, amazing, etc etc but he is not infallible either. The director's veiled comment also suggests something of the sort.  Whether he is right to say it in the manner he did is another matter but that he did, suggests that maybe BR is not completely off the mark. 

To be honest, I don't think thrillers need too much music.  People always say Psycho, but that was more of a scare movie.  If you watch French Connection or Day of the Jackal, background score is used very sparingly.  So, yes, I do think if the director sets out to make that kind of slow burning thriller (as opposed to a more high octane, commercial Untouchables), he should not work with Raja because there's precious little for Raja to do in a good thriller.  A good thriller works on keeping things suspenseful; the suspense doesn't need to be amplified (or worse, spoilt) by background music.

crimson.. for this one raja has left silent in so many places, especially the ones where scenes are unfolding and also during dialogues.
Not much complex or fast paced stuff we heard in OA (as you mentioned doesnt mesh with film). Here yes there are guitars but those go along with emotions going through characters, violins of similar type in OA for all sad portrayals. Thats all being a slow film the instruments play like that as well.
He has used those hollow creepy sounds where required ..the typical hollow surroundness..

Fair enough, I will see if and when I get to see the film and judge.  But it wasn't only about the fast passages in OAK score.  There is a harmonised piano section going on in the scene when the wolf narrates his story.  I found things like those distracting.  I don't want so much emotion in the music in a film that is ambivalent and not taking sides.  Whether that has happened here or not I can't say without watching the film, but just making the point that there is a precedence for it and at the time too most IR fans were unwilling to take the criticism on board (eh, in any case the criticism is directed towards Ilayaraja's work and not us).  But when you mention hollow creepy sounds it's not so promising.  

Also found it curious that according to the director, Raja noted that the film was more abstract rather than regular and then asked if he wanted the score to be abstract or regular.  Is this normal practice for Raja or does this show that he felt uncertain about how to approach the film?  Because according to Mani, if you wanted a certain effect or style of music for a scene, you needed to guide Raja about what kind of effect you were conveying in the scene (he cited that Karthik intro scene in Mouna Raagam) as he was watching the scene, else the music would be written and recorded in a jiffy and it would be too late!  I don't remember Nasser mentioning either that Raja asked him what kind of score he wanted when he did Avatharam.  I just hope it's not a case of Raja listening to the complaints about him being inaccessible and over-correcting.

"There is a harmonised piano section going on in the scene when the wolf narrates his story.  I found things like those distracting."
Agreed it was overpowering narration.
and in this one, there are lot of WCM pieces for sad portrayals. atleast for those bgm alone i would call it as onayum aatukutiyum sequel:)
I think raja simply switched to OA mode when he was presented with those portrayals.
Ravi had a good writeup on OA about those violin pieces so this one has a lot of them + more guitar

"But when you mention hollow creepy sounds it's not so promising."
well. to me those sounds are just to highlight the situation, not distracting. those weird sounds not sure what instruments are used
for those curious/undecided situations the instruments just comes and goes.
Manikandan mentioned about title card bgm yes it does setsup the movie tone with dark tone bgm.(something like trent reznor)

remember the song "vetta veli potallilea natta nadu raavinilea" (white saree ghost)or "vaazvea maayamaa verum kathaiya"(gayathiri)
those are creepy but on different style.

Anyways all these stuff he has done in past and only thing he keeps experimenting.

take prabhu/karthik faceoff..those thunder sounds it just emphasizes the friction between them
hollow big bell sound.for rajini in thalapathi/mamooty/arvindsamy scenes..
naan kadvaul when arya enters his house..that hollow enveloping sound
natural bird sounds in thalaimuraigal..minimal bird sounds in appa..
running violins when karthik runs before dying in mouna raagam.

having said all i still cant take it when Rangan wrote rather he would watch movie on MUTE
anyways that is his opinion not sure too much negativety/bad publicity/being sarcastic
he seems to like only the guitar pieces, but to me there are other interesting stuff in this movie not just guitar

I think you may perhaps be taking that last line too personally.  BRangan is not saying he finds the score so bad he would rather mute it.  He is saying it is a manipulative score meant for, in his words, a nail biting murder mystery, whereas the movie has a more matter of fact tone and that the best way to experience the director's vision would be to mute the score.  I can only decide whether I agree with him on that after watching but I did have the same problem in OAK.  I don't understand this....I haven't watched Appa but just listening to the BGM, it was so contemporary I was totally blown away. But the trailer of Kuttrame Thandanai has very familiar riffs, didn't really evoke Trent Reznor for me (and by the way, I think Reznor is overrated, works well for Fincher films only because they are the ultimate in zaniness).  The best score for a low key slow burning thriller is basically no score.  I remember the famous staccato violin signature of Pyscho like just about everybody who has watched it would, but I don't remember a single riff out of Rear Window.  And that's a good thing.  You can't give away the mood, the pulse in a slow burning thriller, you have to let the audience decide (which is what makes it even more spine chilling because all the silence becomes very disquieting after a while).

I do also put some of the blame at the doorstep of these young Raja-fan directors.  They are eager to collaborate with Raja and I like that.  But Raja's scores tend to be poetic and you remember the signatures for a long time after the film's release.  Not every film needs a score that evocative.  So they should work with a music director whose style better aligns with their directorial vision.  From Mysskin's munanni isai styling itself, it was clear he knew what kind of score Raja would give for OAK.  But that is not the score OAK needed and Mysskin only willingly or otherwise compromised it by getting all fanboy.

"works well for Fincher films only"

Agreed. Infact Trent's work' with ross i like them for those mystery movies "only" but again if you have seen gone girl it became monotonous.
So same way if excessive WCM ( munnani isai, myskin called for that reason may be to be fanboy) i do see that OA left over impact in kutramae thandanai. Also i think trailer is intended to misguide audience (atleast for bgm looks fast paced in trailer except ending piece but it is not like that in the movie itself) same as how nerupuda trailer guides kabali but movie itself had different agenda. Fincher type of movie score is abundant in this movie. Normally raja's score always have a theme score and carries throughout the movie. To me the "title score" sets that dark tone and it comes and goes throughout the movie + those bird sounds are the ones i would call the repeated theme of movie. (minus) the guitars and OA violins.

Anyways expect think music to release orginal scores. Infact that is mentioned in title score.