Milan Records has announced the release of the Uzumaki (Anime Series Original Soundtrack), featuring music by GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Colin Stetson.
The album, available digitally now, includes an original score composed by Stetson for Adult Swim and Production IG USA’s anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s iconic horror manga Uzumaki.
Stetson, known for his collaborations with artists like Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem, The National, and Bon Iver, as well as for his film scores for Hereditary, The Menu, and Red Dead Redemption 2, makes his debut in Japanese anime with this project.
Uzumaki tells the story of a Japanese town whose residents become increasingly obsessed with spirals, which bring about both physical and psychological havoc. As the spirals’ influence grows, the town falls deeper into chaos, leading to a dark exploration of obsession and the unknown.
For Stetson, the spiral theme served as inspiration for his score, shaping his musical approach to mirror the story’s eerie progression.
Stetson’s distinctive circular breathing technique, for which he is well known, became a key element of the score. His 13-track composition features looping, hypnotic saxophone melodies and layered woodwinds and strings, creating a sound that reflects the spiraling madness of the town.
Frequent collaborator Matt Combs contributed to the string sections, with the score evolving in a way that mirrors the story’s descent into chaos. The result is a haunting soundtrack that complements the themes of the anime, aligning with the spirals both musically and thematically.
Speaking about the score, Stetson said, “I absolutely adored my time making this music and inhabiting the strange, gorgeous, horrifying, and spectacular spiral world that Ito-Sensei created.”
Uzumaki is co-produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA and premieres on Adult Swim on Saturday, September 28, at 12:30 AM during the Toonami block.
New episodes will be available for streaming on Max the day after airing. The series will air weekly on Saturdays in Japanese with English subtitles, with English dub encores on Thursdays at 12:30 AM starting on October 3.
ABOUT UZUMAKI
Kirie tries to escape from her town Kurouzu-cho, where the residents get obsessed with spirals due to an unexplained curse.
TITLE
TRACKLISTING
1. Uzumaki
2. Join me in the spiral
3. The eye follows the pattern
4. Obsession
5. For a split second, the drifting smoke
6. Kirie and Shuichi
7. Ruins Alive
8. The Labyrinth
9. Eerily in the dark
10. Hey! Are you trying to escape?!
11. The Eternal Spiral
12. Twisted souls
13. Medusa
ABOUT COLIN STETSON
Colin Stetson has made a name for himself through his many recordings and collaborations with artists like Laurie Anderson, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Chemical Brothers, Bon Iver, and Bill Laswell.
He is known for being an exceptional musician, with a strong dedication to his craft and a commitment to pushing musical boundaries.
Stetson is best known for his powerful performances on the saxophone, especially the bass and alto, but also plays soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophones.
His playing style is partly influenced by his experience as a wrestler, a sport known for its physical demands, and his love for bands like Pixies and Fugazi.
In addition to the saxophone, he is skilled at playing the clarinet, flute, French horn, and cornet, making him a versatile musician across many genres.
Stetson’s journey began in university, where he played regularly and explored the saxophone’s potential with the group Transmission (later called Transmission Trio). After graduation, he moved to San Francisco and later to Brooklyn, contributing to other artists’ work, including Tom Waits.
He also quietly released his own music. However, his breakthrough came in 2007 with the release of New History Warfare Vol. 1, which coincided with his joining Arcade Fire. He stayed with the band until 2010, when he moved to Montreal to be with his now ex-wife, Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire.
