Circle - Six Day Run

Artist: Circle

Album: Six Day Run

Label: Ektro Records

Genre: Instrumental

Released: May 28th, 2013

Six Day Run by Circle is the soundtrack to Mika Taanila's short film. The movie was shot during the Self-Transcendence Six Day Race in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, New York City between April 22-28, 2012.

The Six Day Race is one of the most extreme individual endurance sports. The competitors run with minimal sleep, all the while trying to accumulate as many miles as possible on a one-mile paved loop in a park. The focus of the film is the how running in the same loop for days on end brings the runners into a trance-like state.

To put this trance-like state of mind to music, Finnish experimental rock band Circle was recruited for the soundtrack. Ektro Records describes Circle as a band who “have constantly reinvented themselves, weaving hypnotic mantras out of exacting Krautrock beats, heavy riffs, spacious noise, and dark psychedelia. Hard, chilly repetition has served as the lone unifying theme throughout 15 years of experiments.”

With dark, chilly repetition as a main ingredient for their music, Circle are a great fit for composing the soundtrack to Six Day Run. Their music loops around tirelessly, pushed forward by the incessant drums.

By layering their music in five-minute-long loops, it's hard to define the middle of these tracks- and they reflect the experience of the runners on their track, on and on.

Each track, or “day” on Six Day Run has a distinct feeling to it. “Day one” is as repetitive as chanting mantras and sets the tone for this instrumental labyrinth. “Day 2” has a 60s and 70s vibe to it, and passes by unnoticeable. “Day 3” refers to a runner trying to catch his breath. Finally, “Day Six” bring a surprising difference and more electronica.

Overall, Six Day Run might be an interesting concept, but not something that sticks enough to actually pop it into the CD player and give it a thorough listen. As background music is suits fine, and as a soundtrack I assume it suits the purpose very well – but not for listening only.

Buy Circle – Six Day Run