The music and songs of INXS will get fresh air with a new streaming film and soundtrack project.
Next Friday (July 16) sees the debut of Original Sin – The 7 Sins, a short film directed by Amy Tinkham, and inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.
Starring Autumn Miller and Trevor Jackson, the film is intertwined with the music of INXS, in the form of reimagined cuts by a starry lineup of artists.
Accompanying the visual is a 13-song soundtrack, said to be the first-ever INXS-specific project between Petrol Records and UMe.
Original Sin takes its name from the Australian new wave band’s 1984 song, produced by Nile Rodgers, and is the final project from the late Chris “CM” Murphy, INXS’s longtime executive producer and champion.
Murphy managed the rockers from 1979 until 1995 and again in the 2000s, and oversaw a string of successful campaigns that breathed new life into their profile and catalog. He passed away Jan. 16 at the age of 66.
Original Sin – The 7 Sins was presented to the world’s press with a webinar featuring the film’s cast, crew and INXS founding member Kirk Pengilly.
“This has been a labor of love in every way that one can call something a labor of love,” says Tinkham, “because have done something I think that is really special and it is also in a way my thank you and my love letter to Chris Murphy, and to INXS.”
Seeing INXS’s music worked into dance, movement and art on screen “just drew so many emotions up,” Pengilly enthused. “There’s not a lot of things that I’ve seen recently that make me feel emotional. It’s just so good.”
The film is exclusively available for a 48-hour window from next Friday via Veeps.
On the same day, Murphy’s Petrol Records and Universal Music Group will release the soundtrack featuring late frontman Michael Hutchence’s cover of Eric Burdon & War’s 1970 collaborative effort “Spill The Wine,” and reinterpreted songs contributed by the likes of George Alice and Tricky.
Tinkham’s “artistic vision using our music within the film is refreshing and truly inspired,” notes INXS’ Tim Farriss in a statement, “the global and diverse artists who brought their imagination through their interpretations of our songs really complement the film while still respecting our original music.” He continues, “It’s such an honor to have these incredible artists cover our music. I’m humbled by their passion and in awe of their talent.”
Producer, composer and arranger Giles Martin and Tinkham worked together to develop the Original Sin concept, while Academy Award-winning sound engineer Chris Jenkins mixed the 5.1 audio.
Martin has worked across several INXS releases, including a greatest hits compilation and a Dolby Atmos mix of the classic Kick album for its 30th anniversary reissue in 2017. He officially joined the INXS team in 2018 to take creative duties on all audio projects as executive music director.
Originally formed in 1977 in Perth, INXS’ body of work has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and included six U.K. top 10 albums (Welcome To Wherever You Are went to No. 1 in 1992) and five U.S. top 20 albums. At the peak of their powers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the group was often in the conversation on the “biggest band on the planet.” Their superstar status was confirmed in 2001 with induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Tickets for Original Sin – The 7 Sins are available at originalsininxs.veeps.com.
“Original Sin: The Seven Sins” Tracklist
1. Drum Opera – performed by Jon Farriss (INXS)
2. Let it Ride – performed by INXS
3. Kill The Pain – performed by Ida Redig
4. Never Tear Us Apart – performed by Global Network & Sophia Amato
5. Mediate – performed by Tricky & INXS
6. Suicide Blonde – performed by George Alice
7. Mystify – performed by Loane & INXS
8. What You Need – performed by Wyatt Stromer & Eric Stromer
9. Spill The Wine – performed by Michael Hutchence
10. Taste It – performed by Ida Redig
11. Don’t Change – performed by Vimala & Aden Jaron
12. Need You Tonight – performed by Trevor Jackson & Wyatt Stromer
13. New Sensation – performed by Alterboy
