Uzumaki Music By Colin Stetson

An inexplicable tale of dread and darkness, Uzumaki follows the residents of the Japanese village of Kurozu-Cho as their lives are consumed by an enigmatic curse in the form of a spiral. Born from the unparalleled mind and perspective of mangaka Junji Ito, this beloved horror story has been captivating audiences since it came out in 1998. Now a prestige anime series produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, with author Junji Ito’s blessing, this highly anticipated anime adaptation of Uzumaki drags a new generation of fans into a nightmare from which there is no escape.

Much like the story itself, the spiral was the starting point for GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer Colin Stetson as he approached the score, looking at the various ways a spiral could be translated through a musical lens. Both a highly coveted collaborator to the likes of Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Bon Iver and countless others, as well as an acclaimed composer with a diverse scoring roster including Hereditary, The Menu, Red Dead Redemption 2 and more, Stetson now makes his first foray into the world of Japanese anime with Uzumaki.

Almost kismet in nature, an obvious initial parallel for Stetson was his performance style itself, namely the circular breathing technique he has become synonymous with since the start of his career. On full display throughout the score’s 13 tracks, his singular technique manifests itself in loping, serpentine saxophone melodies, his sustained notes repeating and looping to create a hypnotic soundbed that draws viewers further into the onscreen story. He expertly intertwines distorted layers of woodwinds and strings throughout (with strings performed by frequent collaborator Matt Combs), the cyclic nature of the score turning in on itself and subverting past cues as it progresses to mirror the town’s descent into madness and chaos. The result is a mesmerizing original score that deeply parallels the thematics of the series – from his technique to the instrumentation and sonic progression – the music provides a constant companion to the horrors unfolding onscreen.

Of the score, Stetson adds, “I absolutely adored my time making this music and inhabiting the strange, gorgeous, horrifying, and spectacular spiral world that Ito-Sensei created.” 

Co-produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, Uzumaki premieres on Adult Swim on Saturday, September 28 at 12:30 AM during the Toonami block, with new episodes available for streaming on Max the day after. New episodes will air weekly on Saturdays in Japanese with English subtitles, with English dub encores on Thursdays at 12:30 AM beginning October 3.