Treasure Fleet Release Ambitious Sci-Fi Film, Soundtrack Project This Week
By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 11, 2015 7:00PM
Treasure Fleet/Photo credit: Katie Hovland
It's hard to believe Chicago's Treasure Fleet haven't been on the scene longer. The four-piece's ambitious pace has produced two full length albums (released within six months of each other) and now a film—which the band members wrote, directed, starred in and soundtracked. Don't ever accuse them of not being resourceful.
The Sun Machine started as a passion project of singer Isaac Thotz and guitarist Preston Bryant, sparked by their deep love of synthesizer sounds. Interestingly, the eight-track soundtrack was in the works well before the movie's plot line was constructed. In fact, the OST stands alone as a solid listen, one that was eventually rounded out with help from fellow band members Mike Oberlin and Neil Hennessy (who you might recognize from his many years behind the kit for The Lawrence Arms). Treasure Fleet pumps out the same robust rock in these new songs but this time with more of the ambient textures they've flirted with in the past.
It should come as no surprise after watching it that the plot for the 37-minute sci-fi film came to Thotz while watching The Twilight Zone. He went to work on a 50-page novella that was converted into the final screenplay.
Filmed on a $300 mini-DV camcorder, The Sun Machine has the cinematic look of many classic science fiction and monster films from the 1970s. And while the soundtrack can exist on its own, the songs are integral to informing the movie's dialogue-less storyline.
The Sun Machine premiered last September at the Raindance film festival in London and is out this week on vinyl through Recess Records or as an instant download on Bandcamp. Rent or buy the film on Vimeo. Chicagoist is also told that a public Chicago debut of the film is in the works!
Like to try before you buy? Entertainment Weekly is currently streaming the film, and you can stream the full soundtrack below.