From film to sound: David Lynch’s latest creative enigma with Chrystabell

David Lynch’s recent announcement generated considerable excitement among fans. Not long ago, Lynch hinted at an upcoming release with the intriguing message, "Something is coming along for you to see and hear! And it will be coming along on June 5," in a social media video.

While many hoped for a new installment of Twin Peaks or a fresh cinematic venture, the actual revelation was quite different. On the promised date, Lynch unveiled a new album, Cellophane Memories, set to debut on August 2 through the Sacred Bones label. This project is a collaboration with Chrystabell, known for her role as Agent Tammy Preston in Twin Peaks: The Return.

The album’s ambient first single, "Sublime Eternal Love," was released shprtly after the announcement, accompanied by a music video directed by Lynch himself.

The video complements Lynch’s signature dreamy and surreal aesthetic perfectly, though not quite as unconventional as Eraserhead. The backstory of their collaboration is described in a manner that fits Lynch’s enigmatic style, which embraced unconventional or perhaps nonexistent meaning. It is definitely a Lynchian explanation...

David Lynch had a stroll through the woods...

According to the press release, Cellophane Memories emerged from a vision Lynch had during a nighttime stroll through a forest. He saw a bright light above the trees, which he felt transformed into Chrystabell’s voice, revealing a secret to him. This imagery of light and sound, mingling with the natural world, inspired their ongoing creative partnership (which admittedly sounds like a fairy tale story).

Crystabell noted on her website: "Before I was introduced to David by someone who suggested we collaborate musically, I had no idea that he was a composer or musician. Indeed he approaches creating music from a different angle than most. From my perspective, David sees the music as a path to the feeling. The feeling emerges during recorded improvisational sessions in his recording studio he calls experiments'."

David Lynch the musician

David Lynch is not only a renowned filmmaker but also an accomplished musician — meaning, yes, he does play musical instruments, and no doubt also has an ear for sound design. His musical ventures include contributions to the soundtrack of Inland Empire, where he first collaborated with Chrystabell (previously, Lynch's main musical partner seemed to be Angelo Badalamenti). Their collaboration continued with her 2011 album This Train and the 2016 EP Somewhere In The Nowhere.

Though not everyone's a fan of his style, Lynch’s work as a musician is well-regarded by some for its ability to evoke the same atmospheric and unconventional qualities found in his films. The press release for Cellophane Memories reflects the album’s thematic focus, stating, it "returns us to a central question: what is a mystery? Alas, the riddle remains unanswered."

It goes on to explore the essence of mystery through various elements such as the interplay of light and dark, the passage of time, and the interaction between silence and music, and other happenings. The album promises to delve into these themes with the same depth and complexity that characterize Lynch's body of work. Will Lynch's concept album be as popular as The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Probably not, but sometimes it's about the art, man!

Lynch is also known for the classic soundtrack to Lost Highway, including artists like David Bowie and