While the words “Scottish soundtrack” might illicit the sound of bagpipes on the Royal Mile for some, others amongst cinephile communities may look more favourably upon the often-funky tunes of Scottish films. In honour of the twenty-year anniversary of Trainspotting, I thought I would examine some of the high-notes of the Scottish canon.
Set amongst the ports of Leith before brief relocations to the highlands and the streets of London, Boyle’s use of music in Trainspotting (1996) underscores the trials and tribulations of heroin addiction with the iconic rock-punk of Iggy Pop, Elastica and New Order. Boyle’s masterpiece is never at odds, with endless unsettling hits of Pop’s crooning Nightclubbing melting into Lou Reed’s sober lyrics on ‘Perfect Day’. While strong, the rest of the film’s chorusing cast pales in comparison to the highlight of Scottish soundtrack history with Born Slippy (Nuxx) by Underworld: a cerebral dance-ballad to the mess of the afterparty, the end of the night and what the new dawn’s pounding headache will bring.
In companionship with Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor’s Shallow Grave (1994) also highlights the strengths of the Scottish soundtrack. Featuring mass amounts of Leftfield like its sister feature, Nina Simone’s ‘My Baby Just Cares for Me’ also chimes into the score to enhance the paranoia of the main trio, concerned with hiding their roommate’s body after an apparent overdose, spiraling into chaos.
Both soundtracks exemplify the grunge edge of 1990s Scottish cinema, featuring tough-luck plotlines where the slice of life is more of a harsh reality than the dreams of the escapist mind. However, not all Scottish films feature this set of cast and plots, Gregory’s Girl (1981) is a prime example of the rural, romantic side of the country’s dramas. Featuring an original soundtrack composed by the Scottish musician Colin Tully, the meandering jazz of the film hazes over a gauzy, high school romance encased in early morning mist.
A lesser-known stand-out that I want to leave as a recommendation to the reader is the soundtrack of the movie Morven Callar (2002). Aphex Twin’s ‘Goon Gumpas’ and ‘Nannou’ both feature, David James’ work forever perfect amongst the likes of Ween, Boards of Canada and Stereolab, cementing the movie firmly in 2002. The Velvet Underground and Nancy Sinatra’s half of the soundtrack changes this tune while Morven’s disjointed and tragic life plays out, tales of love and loss merging perfectly until the movie’s final closing track: a handmade tape of ‘Dedicated to the One I Love’ performed by The Mamas & the Papas.
While there are so many more soundtracks across Scottish cinema to choose from, Trainspotting has my heart as the best of them. To see more Scottish cinema, consider choosing an independent movie theatre like the Dominion or The Hippodrome in Edinburgh to enjoy a movie while noting the greatness of these soundtracks.
Illustration by Katy CF for The Student
