Gonzo Jones emerged this year and dropped his cohesive and stylish debut EP Misty Dreams on us, sounding like an abridged soundtrack to a gritty crime flick set among desert sands, palm trees, dirty clubs and dirtier characters.
Owing to this cinematic flair, we were keen to dig that intriguing brain of his and hear about some of the movie soundtracks that have influenced him as an artist, and led him towards the aesthetic found in the video for ‘Misty Dreams’ – which was shot entirely on film.
Misty Dreams is out now through Good Manners Records, and can be streamed or purchased here. He’ll also be launching the EP at Hugs & Kisses on Saturday July 9, supported by Zone Out and Dannika. We’re expecting one hell of a show.
Boogie Nights
Not only was this a real eye opening movie for a 14-year-old me to watch, but it was a great introduction to the world of disco. Such feel good music with a backdrop of sex and destruction really encapsulates many people’s approach to life. Trying myself to figure out how the good times can last forever. Songs like Boney M’s ‘Sunny’, The Chakachas’ ‘Jungle Fever’, and Roger Webb’s ‘Flying Objects’ set this up so perfectly.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Hunter Thompson is definitely one of my biggest influences with his unapologetic approach to life. He embraced being a freak and yet he was no cliché – a proud, patriotic, gun-loving freak who ran for Sheriff of Aspen, and yet believed so much in the counter culture of the ’60s. So what better than a story about he and his attorney on a drug-fuelled bender in the city of lights? My favourite songs include Ray Cooper’s ‘A Drug Score’ and Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’.
Love
Probably one of my favourite films; if there is anything you watch from this list, this is a must. The director Gaspar Noé is a fucking genius. Anything I try and say here will not do it justice. Sonically, it’s a match made in heaven. Funkadelic’s ‘Maggot Brain’ features on this one and is probably one of the wildest guitar pieces I have heard – ascending to heaven material – and Erik Satie’s ‘Gymnopedie No.1’ is so perfect in every way.
Natural Born Killers
Such a head fuck of a movie, almost shot like a horror in some parts. It’s a classic Bonnie and Clyde / American Dream gone wrong. Visually stimulating with over sexualised violence, it’s Oliver Stone at his best. The soundtrack is very Americana, with favourites like Cowboy Junkies’ ‘If You Were The Woman And I Was The Man’ and The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’.
24 Hour Party People
This film brilliantly runs the viewer through Manchester’s Factory Records and the Hacienda nightclub, part comedy and part drama. This was the birth of Ecstasy Wave including Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses. Favourites off the soundtrack include 808 State’s ‘Pacific State’ and Happy Mondays’ ‘Kinky Afro’.
