Evil Does Not Exist is the soundtrack album to the 2023 film Evil Does Not Exist, written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. It is composed by Eiko Ishibashi, and was released on 28 June 2024 through Drag City. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Contents
Background
Eiko Ishibashi composed the score for Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 2021 film, Drive My Car. After that, Ishibashi asked Hamaguchi if he would create visuals to accompany her live performance. Hamaguchi originally set out to create a short film, but eventually expanded it into a feature film, Evil Does Not Exist.
The album is mixed and mastered by Jim O'Rourke. It was released on 28 June 2024 through Drag City.
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Evil Does Not Exist received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.
Sam Goldner of Pitchfork commented that "The cloudier nature of Ishibashi's score leaves it feeling less like a standalone piece than the soft, jazzy pop of her Drive My Car soundtrack." He added, "But as a mirror to Hamaguchi's tale of creeping environmental anxiety, Ishibashi's ghostly music makes a rich companion." Tom Pinnock of Uncut wrote, "the mood is darker and eerier than her feted Drive My Car, but it's the stronger album nonetheless." Levi Dayan of The Quietus called the album "both tense and remarkably open, always maintaining a sense of mystery in its melancholy."
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Eiko Ishibashi
Jim O'Rourke – guitar, mixing, mastering
Mio.O – violin
Kirin Uchida – cello
Tatsuhisa Yamamoto – drums
Izumi Matsuno – recording