OPETH's MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Releases Soundtrack From NETFLIX Series 'Clark'

Milan Records has announced the release of "Clark (Soundtrack From The Netflix Series)" by OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt.

"Clark" is a brand-new six-part Netflix series released on May 5 and features a dramatic and mesmeric soundtrack by the acclaimed Swedish musician, leading rock guitarist and songwriter. In addition to today's digital release, the album is set to be made available in both CD and vinyl formats in 2022 by InsideOut Music. The jewelcase CD and the two-LP heavyweight gatefold set including liner notes from Åkerfeldt and director Jonas Åkerlund are set to arrive on July 22.

This eagerly anticipated Swedish-language series in the thriller/crime genre with comedic caper elements is directed by internationally renowned director Jonas Åkerlund from scripts by Frederik Agetoft, Peter Arrhenius and Jonas Åkerlund and is based on a book of his life by the protagonist Clark Olofsson. It features Bill Skarsgård ("Deadpool", "It", "The Northman"),Alicia Agneson and Vilhelm Blomgren ("Midsommar") and is produced by Börje Hansson and Julia Stannard.

Says Åkerlund of the new series: "It's about his whole life and what made him who he is, the truth and lies of his incredible career..."

Åkerfeldt's atmospheric soundscape deftly captures the sound and feel of the times in music, ranging freely from swinging '60s style sounds to 1970s progressive rock and psychedelia via heavy metal, tango, funk, jazz, Arabic melodies and indie pop and chill. All of these vibrant layers and textures are skillfully combined to effortlessly underpin the high-octane dramatic content of the series and also to place it perfectly within the context of the times in which the drama plays out. Clearly, in his element here, of the 34 tracks presented, four have a distinctive key vocal component provided by Åkerfeldt himself.

On writing the soundtrack to "Clark", Åkerfeldt notes: "Writing the music for 'Clark' is probably one of the most rewarding things I've done musically. It was so fun. Challenging but fun. I wanted to do a good job, of course, and provide music that would fit with the rather bizarre tale of Clark Olofsson. I had to conjure up a sound for him. His sound. It's all in my head, I guess, but it felt like I was on to something after having finished the first track. The immediate feedback from Jonas Åkerlund was almost overly positive. So I just took it from there.

"During the pandemic, I wrote so much music for this project, but I like to think I didn't stray too much from the 'original sound of Clark.' The finished soundtrack record is a downright wish-mash of musical styles. Some sounds I'm familiar with. Other sounds were brand new to me. Or old, depending on how you see it. Brand 'old'?

"The album doesn't really make musical sense at all, and that's pretty much the purpose. Writing music to portray the multi-faceted story of a man like Clark Olofsson was bound to generate some type of musical insanity. It (the music) is just all over the place. Oddly enough, so is my own personal taste in music.

"Even if many would deem Clark 'a man insane,' it really helped me in my work. No boundaries (let's cross them). No rules (let's break them). Anything goes…"

"Clark (Soundtrack From The Netflix Film)" track listing:

0. Libertine Theme
1. Tango Bizarre
2. Druglord Panic
3. Rockefellers
4. Vintage Modern
5. Wish You Were There
6. The Weak Heart
7. Happiness
8. Ode To Confusion In A Minor
9. La Shay' Jadid Taht Alshams
10. The Real Me
11. Here's That Sunny Day
12. Perfect Horizon
13. Sea Slumber
14. Then
15. The Hunted Are In The Clear
16. Northern Hemispheres
17. Ordinary Folks
18. Distant Spring
19. Funky Chicken
20. Code To The Vault
21. Two Mermaids
22. Rags to Riches
23. Sunrise
24. Red & White
25. Headfirst Into The Storm
26. Ballad Of The Libertine in G Minor
27. Lost In San Marino *
28. Rhodes Rat
29. Måndag I Stockholm *
30. Mother Of One
31. Vielleicht Später *
32. Battle For Love *
33. Night Life

* vocals

Åkerfeldt is famous as the frontman for progressive metal band OPETH, where he is the lead vocalist, guitarist and the band's main songwriter. Åkerfeldt won a Swedish Grammis award in 2003 for "Best Hard Rock Album" for OPETH's "Damnation" album. He was also the guitarist in STEEL and vocalist/songwriter for death metal band BLOODBATH. He previously collaborated with Steven Wilson on OPETH's "Blackwater Park" album and their side-project STORM CORROSION. He is an avid vinyl collector, walking music encyclopedia, heavily influenced by progressive rock and was ranked No. 42 in Guitar World magazine's list of "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists Of All Time".

Photo credit: Jonas Åkerlund