Artist Watch: “Flying Free” and “Lady Swordfighter” by Sean Wolcott
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Artist: Sean Wolcott
Feature Titles: Flying Free & Lady Swordfighter
Genres: Soundtrack, Jazz Fusion, Funk
Quick Description: Two new Sean Wolcott projects featuring vintage flavors that while individually unique, each showcase his acute attention to detail and talent for storytelling through instrumental soundtracks.
For Fans of: Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Japanese soundtracks
When you push play on a new Sean Wolcott soundtrack, you might not believe it is indeed new… that it wasn’t plucked from a dusty bin of records found in an auctioned storage container, digitized, and uploaded to the internet. Even to the most casual listener, there is an undeniable air of authenticity, recognizable audio artifacts, and intangibles that make you believe a release like Flying Free was actually recorded in 1971 and not 2024.
Pick any record from the prolific composer, producer, and engineer, and you’ll find yourself not only instantly transported somewhere else, but likely another decade. This is the magic of Sean Wolcott and his incredible Seattle studio, Soundview Analog Recorders.
This past summer, Wolcott released two outstanding records in rapid succession with Flying Free and Lady Swordfighter. And when we say “outstanding” we literally mean that they stand out. Unlike many of our production music composers who tour with their bands, write country hits, or produce pop records, Sean Wolcott’s deep love of library music continues with his own art. As Sean tells us in his Call & Response interview, “My projects generally revolve around music I've been an obsessive fan and digger on for decades.” He goes on to share, “I can take my passion for these genres and create something new that I can enjoy as a fan of them.”
That passion is immediately evident in the opening chords and airy vocals of Flying Free, an almost impressionistic jazz fusion record that takes the listener straight back to the 70s. The vintage keyboards and non-lyrical, swooning vocals can only set the scene, like a palette of colors to paint with. It’s how Wolcott uses them in the songs themselves that conjures the feeling of flight and dreamy freedom. The record floats with jazz explorations that glide into new flight patterns and tracks with a beguiling ease, complete with funky bass lines and tight drums that balance the entire experience. And who can say no to some soaring Moog synthesizers.
From the cool sounds of a 70s jazz club, we enter a historic cinema with chandeliers and draped curtains, elephant statues and popcorn machines for the premiere of Lady Swordfighter.
The record sleeve states that the “psychedelic revenge odyssey” is a “love letter to Japanese soundtracks and cinema.” The descriptions are too good not to quote directly, perfectly evoking the sound of this album: “Journey through a soundscape of soulful ballads, haunting chants, blood-splattered guitars, head-chopping beats, and ominous horns.”
This soundtrack takes no shortcuts when it comes to scoring katana chops and splattering blood, featuring full strings, brass, and an array of traditional Japanese instruments, along with a rhythm section and vintage organs. Top it off with vocal performances that range from chants to beautiful ballads, and Lady Swordfighter might just turn into your favorite movie soundtrack, even if the film doesn’t actually exist.
For more insight from Sean Wolcott on how he scores imaginary films, the magic of Soundview Analog Recorders studio, and his approach to creativity, check out the full interview.
Sean’s projects (and so many more) are available to purchase digitally as well as vinyl pressings via listentoclockwork.com