I lost count how many albums In the Nursery has produced already, but it must be way over twenty. Amongst them are various movie soundtracks. In the Optical Music series ITN release new scores for silent films, like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or Man with a Movie Camera. The latest score by the Humberstone brothers is created for A Page of Madness, a Japanese film from 1926, apparently an innovative though obscure milestone in the history of film. But the excellent soundtrack can certainly be enjoyed without having seen this film.

This album sounds quite different than regular ITN albums, like the recent cd’s “Praxis” or “Engel”. “A Page of Madness” sounds very subtle and elegant, compared to the more dramatic and bombastic sound of their non-soundtrack work. The music is quite minimal and mysterious. Many elements are incorporated which give the album a clear oriental feeling. Very nice is the mixture of subtle traditional percussion and modern electronics.

The music of “A Page of Madness” is very harmonic and flowing, it really makes you forget time. Most tracks are very restrained and light, except for the heavier ‘Dancing with chaos’, which I assume accompanies a hectic scene in the film. Most impressive composition is probably the epic 8-minute ‘The other side of reality’.