In 2013, acclaimed Australian composer
Ben Frost directed and composed a theatrical adaptation of
The Wasp Factory, an infamous 1984 novel by Scottish author
Iain Banks. The story is told from the point of view of Frank, a psychopathic, misogynistic teenager who lives on a small island. He routinely performs rituals that involve murdering small animals, and he has also killed three children, including his own brother. He often proclaims "My greatest enemies are women and the sea." As manic as Frank seems, his brother Eric is even crazier. An escapee from a mental institution, he kills and eats dogs, and never sleeps. He sporadically telephones Frank, and he often ends up screaming at him.
Frost, a master of dark, apocalyptic sound design, is a perfect match to compose an opera based on such a grim and harrowing tale. The recorded version, released in late 2016 by
Frost's longtime home, Bedroom Community, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the Reykjavik Sinfonia, arranged by
Daníel Bjarnason,
Nico Muhly, Petter Ekman, and
Frost himself. In an intriguing twist, Frank's psychotic thoughts are delivered by three women: Jördis Richter, Lieselot De Wilde, and Mariam Wallentin (of
Wildbirds & Peacedrums). The strings swirl, swell, and sometimes attack, and are matched with occasional well-timed washes of intense feedback. The album isn't nearly as harsh and punishing as
Frost's previous album, the brilliant
A U R O R A, but it's nearly as arresting. For all the violence and carnage, there's an abundance of oddly poignant and tender moments, in between the fits of rage and destruction. Grotesque and shocking,
The Wasp Factory is nevertheless a truly fascinating work. ~ Paul Simpson