Super Deluxe is the soundtrack to the 2019 Tamil-language film of the same name, co-written, co-produced and directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja. The album featured 18 instrumental pieces, composed, arranged, produced and programmed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, eventually marking his second collaboration with Kumararaja after Aaranya Kaandam (2011).[citation needed] Unlike, his first film which had no songs, Kumararaja demanded to include a soundtrack having lyrical songs, but later abandoned. This film, eventually marked Yuvan's third musical which did not contain any songs (after Adhu and Aaranya Kaandam). The team, however reused licensed compositions from yesteryear films.[1][2]
| Super Deluxe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Film score by | ||||
| Released | 27 May 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2019 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, pop, retro style, jazz music, contemporary classical, Indian classical, avant-garde, experimental | |||
| Length | 27:13 | |||
| Label | U1 Records | |||
| Producer | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |||
| Yuvan Shankar Raja chronology | ||||
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Yuvan, however worked on the film's background score, which was critically acclaimed and fetched him the award for Best Music Director at the 13th edition of Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards (also for Peranbu). On 27 May 2020, Yuvan's own music label, U1 Records, released the album through music streaming platforms, that consisted of instrumental pieces, used in the background; particularly due to the demand for releasing the film score into a separate album.[3] The extended version of the original score were released through non-fungible tokens (NFT).[4]
Background
editIn an interview with S. Srivatsan of The Hindu, Kumararaja expressed his interest on producing a soundtrack for Super Deluxe and constantly been in touch with Yuvan Shankar Raja for the songs. His previous, as well as debut directorial, Aaranya Kaandam also featured music by Yuvan, did not feature any songs due to S. P. Charan's decision.[5] Kumararaja had a brief influence on film music and songs, that insisted for a film soundtrack. The originally planned album features a mishmash of genres — which includes retro-styled themes, jazz and contemporary classical music.[6][7] This decision was however taken aback, and instead reused compositions from yesteryear films, including the likes of Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan, Deva and Bappi Lahiri.[8][9]
Yuvan Shankar Raja released a sneak peek in September 2018, saying that the work on the film's background score is in progress.[10][11] Tapas Nayak worked on the sound design while the re-recording and mixing of the film score was handled by the duo Arun–Seenu. Speaking about the sound design, the duo said that "the director emphasized on delivering a realistic sound design and gave higher importance to sound over music. He encouraged us to use a lot of reverberating-effect in the film, a tool normally deployed in cinema to create pathos-evoking background score."[12]
Themes and analysis
editThiagarajan Kumararaja spoke about the inclusion of pop culture references, including film music, songs and scenes that infuse in the writing.[13][14] The title track of Disco Dancer (1982), was included in one of the scenes as, according to Kumararaja, he liked the film and its songs; its influence made him to include this song in that particular scene. He stated that "While writing a story or think of a scene, I always played some song in the background. Sometimes when I don’t add a song at the writing stage, I do it while editing the film."[13][15] The use of retro music and old songs in the background was raved by critics and cinephiles. The News Minute-based critic Anjana Shekhar praised the "background score brims with nostalgia-inducing music that has now sent us scrambling to rediscover the old songs, especially Ilaiyaraaja's divine music".[16] The use of old Tamil songs in the film was noted by Neeraja Ramesh, who wrote a blog about this in the column: Tracking Indian Communities, Dravidian, Roots & Wings for The Times of India.[17] Nalini Kathiravan, a teacher who watched the film twice, commented about the use of retro songs and mentioned one from the film, in particular, saying:[17]
I was stunned when the opening scene began with "Paniyum Neeye" from Panimalar (1981). A long lost song that stirred my memory with romantic moments from the past. I was remembering my college days when we only had the radio. We used to consider ourselves lucky if our favourite song was played.
Critical response
editM. Suganth of The Times of India rated the musical score 4 stars out of 5.[18] Firstpost-based critic Sreedhar Pillai praised the background score and sound design, saying "the score is in sync with the narration".[19] Writing for the American-based news magazine, The Week, editor Sarath Ramesh Kuniyl commented that the background music is "thrilling" and further said "The background score is the film's constant companion, manoeuvring it through the ebb and flow. Even noise has a melody in the film, in the hands of Raja and Kumararaja."[20] In the review for Huffington Post, Ranjani Krishnakumar said that "Yuvan Shankar Raja does a rousing job with the background score, elevating every scene a notch, sometimes with sounds, sometimes with silence. The ambient sounds are as much a character as any of the human ones. But a mere ‘thank you’ card for Ilaiyaraaja won't suffice for the role his music has played in this film, each important scene playing out against the background of an immaculately chosen ‘situation-song’. It adds a touch of magic to every actor's performance."[21]
Prem Udayabhanu of Manorama Online, stated that the score is "sublime as well as savage as the situation demands".[22] Film Companion-based critic-journalist Baradwaj Rangan stated about "the bravery in the songlessness, in how Yuvan Shankar Raja calls attention to a situation about infidelity by reusing his father’s classic song about infidelity. A less-secure composer might have fought harder to impose himself on the score, which is marvellously minimalistic."[23] Joe Leydon of Variety, praised Yuvan Shankar Raja's work, saying that "the background score ups the ammo of the film".[24] Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle praised the score as "brilliant" and "also lets silence speak in some of the crucial scenes".[24]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards | 11 January 2020 | Best Music Director | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Won | [25] [26] |
Track listing
editYuvan decided to release the instrumental tracks used in the background as a separate album, after being constantly demanded by fans. A year after the film's release, the original soundtrack was unveiled by U1 Records on 27 May 2020.[3] It features 18 tracks, spanning a runtime of 27 minutes, and various instruments being used in the score.[2][27]
All music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vaembu Of Super Deluxe" | Govind Vasantha (Violin) | 0:26 |
| 2. | "Moodman78@Hotmail" | Babu (Trumpet), Maxwell (Trombone, Brass) | 0:27 |
| 3. | "The Arrival" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 1:38 |
| 4. | "When Dimitri Spoke Tamizh" | Thirumoorthy (Nadaswaram) | 0:39 |
| 5. | "Instinct" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 2:05 |
| 6. | "The Big Sheep" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 1:20 |
| 7. | "Inner-Workings" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 0:45 |
| 8. | "The Call" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 0:47 |
| 9. | "Final Flight of Ex" | Thirumoorthy (Nadaswaram), Kaviraj (Thavil) | 0:19 |
| 10. | "Hello Kitty" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 0:53 |
| 11. | "Mother" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 1:58 |
| 12. | "Eclipse" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 1:43 |
| 13. | "Ek Gaon Mein" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 1:10 |
| 14. | "Adhu Verum Kal-lu Dhaan Saami" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 3:34 |
| 15. | "When Dimitri Spoke Tamizh with Piano" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 0:39 |
| 16. | "Berlin Loves You" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 2:03 |
| 17. | "Happy Ending" | Babu (Trumpet), Maxwell (Trombone) | 1:14 |
| 18. | "Vaazhvin Ragasiyam" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 5:23 |
Additional music
editA promotional video teaser titled "Ding Dong" was released on 25 March 2019, days prior to the film's release.[28] The teaser featured voice-overs of the lead artists, Sethupathi, Faasil and Samantha.[29] The extended version of the soundtrack, including the three additional themes ("Raasukutty", "Shilpa's Theme" and the audio-version of the film's trailer) were released through non-fungible tokens (NFT).[30][31] The price of the audio tracks were levied at 60 ethereum (₹1.83 crore), and biddings for the tracks began on 7 June 2021.[32] It is also reported that the amount earned from the proceedings will be donated to COVID-19 frontline workers in collaboration with Tamil Nadu government.[32][4]
All music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ding Dong" | Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Fahadh Faasil | 1:45 |
| 2. | "Raasukutty" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 2:30 |
| 3. | "Shilpa's Theme" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 2:04 |
| 4. | "Super Deluxe Trailer Theme" | Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vijay Sethupathi | 2:01 |
References
edit- ^ "Three Writers, A Director And Their Baby: The Writing Of Super Deluxe". Film Companion. 7 March 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b Krishnan, Hariharan (21 May 2019). "With 'Super Deluxe', Is Thiagarajan Kumararaja Today's Angry Valmiki Trying To Imagine 'What Would Happen If Rama Comes Back Home, After Exile'?". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Original Soundtrack from Super Deluxe releases". Behindwoods. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b "The big NFT revolution: From artists, musicians, fashion designers, to filmmakers - creative heads are minting tokens". www.indulgexpress.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Charan elated with new looks". The Times of India. 29 September 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Lazarus, Susanna Myrtle (9 March 2019). "Vijay Sethupathi's charity made 'Super Deluxe' possible: Thiagarajan Kumararaja". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ S, Srivatsan (13 October 2018). "'Super Deluxe' defies genre, says director Thiagarajan Kumararaja". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Ten Years of Aaranya Kaandam: Dads, depth, desire". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Ilaiyaraaja should be thankful to young composers". The Indian Express. 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Sneak peek of Yuvan scoring music for 'Super Deluxe'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ FC, Team (5 February 2019). "Yuvan Shankar Raja On The Difference Between The Working Styles Of Selvaraghavan And Ram". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Seenu of sound effects duo Arun Seenu of Super Deluxe ft Vijay Sethupathi Thiagarajan Kumararaja". Behindwoods. 4 April 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b "'I start my stories at the climax': Super Deluxe director Thiagarajan Kumararaja". The Indian Express. 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini. "'The film behaves like its title': The weird and wacky world of 'Super Deluxe'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Nathan, Archana. "Nostalgia king: How Tamil filmmakers are keeping Ilaiyaraaja's musical legacy alive". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Addicted to old songs that appeared in 'Super Deluxe'? Here's your playlist". The News Minute. 6 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Yesterday once more in Kollywood". Times of India Blog. 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ S, Srivatsan (29 March 2019). "'Super Deluxe' review: an unusual film with an assortment of quirky characters". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ "Super Deluxe movie review: Vijay Sethupathi shines in film powered by honest writing, technical finesse". Firstpost. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Super Deluxe review: Hats off to Thiagarajan Kumararaja, Vijay Sethupathi!". The Week. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "'Super Deluxe' Review: This Delightfully Layered Movie Is A Treat For All Your Senses". HuffPost. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "Super Deluxe: A profoundly emotive reel saga". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Super Deluxe a lip-smacking combination of "high" and "low" art". Film Companion. 28 March 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b Leydon, Joe (29 March 2019). "Film Review: 'Super Deluxe'". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "Vikatan Awards 2019: Taapsee Pannu wins 'Best Actor' for Game Over, shares surreal moment with Dhanush and Vetrimaaran". The Statesman. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards 2019". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "Super Deluxe (Original Soundtrack)". music.apple.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Super Deluxe new promo out: Yuvan Shankar Raja and editor Sathyaraj gift a unique teaser". India Today. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Still mystified by 'Super Deluxe' trailer? Watch the new 'Ding Dong' promo". The News Minute. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (16 July 2021). "NFT Music: the gatekeepers are changing". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Adlakha, Nidhi (27 August 2021). "Minting Tamil culture on the blockchain?: from the NFT chatroom for Madras Week". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ a b "NFT takes art world by storm, music industry hopes to cash in on the digital goldrush". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.