GATA breaks down the musical foundations of David Lynch’s avant-garde classic—Eraserhead.

Portrait of David Lynch, photo: Josh Telles, courtesy of Sperone Westwater.

David Lynch’s first feature film, Eraserhead, made its cinematic debut in the United States in 1977. Drawing heavily from 1920s German cinema, especially classics like Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (directed by Robert Wiene, 1920) and Metropolis (directed by Fritz Lang, 1927), Lynch’s debut feature can be seen as a tribute to that era.

The narrative centres around the protagonist Henry Spencer (portrayed by Jack Nance), a typographer on vacation, who finds himself in a seriously bizarre reality, experiencing a disconcerting series of events within the confines of his dystopian reality. With its surreal style and creepy atmosphere, Eraserhead doesn't just entertain; it delves into themes like isolation and paranoia, leaving audiences hooked. It's no wonder it's hailed as a major milestone in independent and experimental cinema today.

This particular experience is accentuated by the movie’s soundtrack, an essential component that plays a crucial role in creating the surreal atmosphere that permeates the entire film. While most people immediately think of Angelo Badalamenti when discussing music in Lynch’s works, David Lynch’s own role as a sound designer in Eraserhead is often overlooked or underestimated.

Lynch, in fact, is not only a director but also a gifted musician and composer. He has released four albums (the last one, Thought Gang, was released as a joint album with Angelo Badalamenti), and his passion for experimentalism is evident in both his cinematic and musical careers, as shown in records such as Blue Boop (2001), Crazy Clown (2011) and The Big Dream (2013).

The musical material featured in the soundtrack was composed and performed by Peter Ivers, a talented new wave musician, under the supervision of David Lynch and Alan Splet. Tragically, Ivers was later found murdered in 1983, beaten to death with a hammer in a case that remains unsolved.

The soundtrack was crafted to intensify the surrealism and paranoia depicted in the film’s visuals: to achieve this, Ivers employed unconventional techniques and instruments, including the industrial sounds that he was experimenting with in his musical career. It seems quite evident that Lynch and Ivers drew significant inspiration from Futurism, an avant-garde movement that emerged in Italy in the early 20th century with aims to revolutionize all aspects of art, including music. While today Futurism is primarily recognised for its contributions to art history, one of its most famous painters, Luigi Russolo, was also a composer. In 1913, in fact, he wrote the manifesto L’arte dei rumori (The Art of Noises).

David Lynch and Alan Splet taking a break during the shoot of *Eraserhead*

In this manifesto—which originally was a letter sent to the composer and friend Francesco Balilla Pratella—Russolo theorized that the human ear was evolving to accommodate the speed, energy, and noise of the new urban industrial soundscape, suggesting that music had to find a way to reproduce and incorporate these sounds.

To realise this vision, Russolo began experimenting with new musical instruments known as Intonarumori. These instruments were later divided into different groups, referred to as the "six families of noise", which ranged from thunderous roars and explosions to sounds produced by striking metals.

Luigi Russolo and Ugo Piatti in their Milanese *intonarumori* workshop, ca. 1916

In Eraserhead, industrial sounds and undefined noises frequently alternate with extended periods of silence, which are also integral to the soundtrack. These moments of silence serve to accentuate the visual narrative on the screen. It’s crucial to remember that the primary purpose of a soundtrack is not to showcase the composer’s skills, but rather to enrich the cinematic experience by elevating the emotions and themes depicted in the film.

David Lynch, acting as the sound designer, prioritised this purpose above everything else; that’s why, in this movie, traditional music only accounts for little over one minute of the entire soundtrack. Specifically, this amount of time is in reference to the song In Heaven (also known as Lady in the Radiator Song), a piece of music that accompanies one of the most iconic moments of the film, when the imaginary character of the Lady in the Radiator appears in the protagonist’s dreams.

To complement the surreal and hypnotic dreams depicted on screen, and to underscore the profound anxiety and fears experienced by Andy, the music was composed with a distorted melody and innocent lyrics (written by David Lynch). This deliberate contrast creates a sinister atmosphere that aligns perfectly with the film’s themes and narrative.

Throughout the film, Lynch masterfully evokes intense emotion through his visuals, but it’s the music that really facilitates a full immersion. When compared to soundtracks from Lynch’s other films, one might initially believe that in Eraserhead, music doesn’t play a significant role. However, it’s precisely through its use of noise, undeveloped melodies, and musical phrases—that begin and never conclude—that the music of Eraserhead assumes a crucial role. It perfectly complements the imagery, becoming an essential tool in conveying the film’s themes and enhancing the overall viewing (and listening) experience.