Mark Jenkin's Quietus Guest Playlist on Film Sounds

Source: thequietus.com

TL;DR

The story at a glance

The Quietus publishes a subscriber-exclusive guest playlist and interview where Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin, guided by Luke Turner, discusses 20 tracks inspiring his film soundtracks and scoring. Jenkin covers his DIY approach to sound design, akin to hand-processing 16mm film, and influences from Derek Jarman to dub. This appears now to coincide with the cinema release of his new film Rose of Nevada on 24 April 2026.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Key points

Details and context

The article highlights Jenkin's control over his films' soundworlds, rejecting loose collaboration to ensure precise outcomes, much like his hands-on Bolex camera work. His playlist draws uncompromising sources: euphoric Jarman scores, nuclear power station dispersal imagery, sunbaked Ride tracks, Radio On's ‘Ohm Sweet Ohm’, and dub's recording mechanics.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Full content including complete tracklist is paywalled for Subscriber Plus members, with streaming access via Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz; a companion public Spotify playlist "Mark Jenkin's Sonic Inspirations" by thequietus lists 21 tracks starting with those visible ones.[[2]](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kBOJiew5hT6AssAUrqs6G)

Jenkin traces personal revelations, like Kerouac's Cornish roots tying America back to home, and Performance nods via Big Audio Dynamite and Mick Jagger.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Key quotes

"I like there to not be a difference between my music and my sound design, which is why the first track on this list is Simon Fisher Turner’s score for The Garden. It’s just the most incredible sonic collage, and that’s the high bar that I’m aiming for – to create something as visceral and as visual as Simon’s score." – Mark Jenkin[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

"I fell into making music because Gwenno suggested a particular synthesiser, but also because I just love tape in the same way I love film – much more mechanical." – Mark Jenkin[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Why it matters

Jenkin's playlist reveals how experimental music and sound design shape distinctive Cornish cinema, bridging film materiality with sonic collages. Fans and filmmakers gain insight into blending influences like Jarman and dub into controlled, evocative scores, especially for Rose of Nevada's release. Watch for the Invada soundtrack drop and any live score performances, alongside BFI home release this summer.

FAQ

Q: What inspires Mark Jenkin's film sound design?

A: He draws from sonic collages like Simon Fisher Turner's The Garden score, dub mechanics, tape loops, and Eno, aiming to merge music seamlessly with sound for visceral effect. Influences span Jarman, Suede, Kerouac, and Performance, often tied to personal escapes from Cornwall. He uses mechanical tape like film stock, prompted by Gwenno's synthesiser suggestion.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Q: How does Rose of Nevada use 1990s music cues?

A: The film sets a boat crew in the early 1990s with pub jukebox tracks from New Fast Automatic Daffodils, a Stone Roses t-shirt on an extra, and Jenkin's cassettes in a bedroom. These subtle references evoke time displacement amid fishing decline themes from Bait. The score releases on Invada alongside the 24 April cinema debut.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Q: What tracks are visible from Jenkin's playlist?

A: The partial list includes John and Vangelis – ‘The Friends Of Mr Cairo’, Pink Floyd – ‘High Hopes’, William Basinski – ‘The Disintegration Loops’, Big Audio Dynamite – ‘E=MC2’, and Mick Jagger – ‘Memo From Turner’. The full 20-track version is subscriber-exclusive on streaming platforms. A public Spotify companion lists 21 items starting with these.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)

Q: Why is Derek Jarman's The Garden key for Jenkin?

A: Jenkin recorded it off Channel 4, drawn to its addictive unease like childhood football terror; he bought the score cheaply and carried the tape as a totem. It links to Suede/Smiths via "cum-splattered nuclear breeders" imagery, fueling his nuclear fascination and outsider feelings. The soundtrack played at parties for its euphoria.[[1]](https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)