Symmetry: Themes for an Imaginary Film
Johnny Jewel is the frostily pumping heart of Italians Do It Better, a collective of bands with affinities for vintage film music and analog dance-pop. As Symmetry, with label-mate Nat Walker, Jewel recently released the epic, two-hour instrumental album Themes for an Imaginary Film, which mostly does away with disco beats and pop vocals to focus on pure mood, structure, and tone. It nearly perfects Jewel's engineering aesthetic, which has "a little melody and a lot of pace." (Stream the entire thing above.)
We spoke with Jewel about how the Symmetry project came together, the rumors about it being his unused score for the movie Drive, and his ambitious plans for 2012, which include long-awaited new albums from Chromatics and Glass Candy as well as a sequel to the acclaimed 2007 compilation After Dark.