A new film, Keep The Lights On, will be soundtracked by the music of revered Downtown experimentalist Arthur Russell [via Pitchfork].

According to its press release, the film “chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction”. Speaking about his choice of music, director Ira Sachs described Russell’s songs as “the perfect companion to the story I wanted to tell. Messy, melancholy, beautiful, and full of humor, I had a sense that Arthur’s music could become like another character in the film itself.” The film’s plot also has resonances with the life story of Russell, a gay New York resident who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1992.

The soundtrack functions as a succinct primer to the composer’s often intimidatingly broad discography. It features nine Russell songs including tracks from 1986 album World Of Echo, as well as from posthumous compilations including First Thought Best Thought and Love Is Overtaking Me. It will receive a digital release through Audika Records, a label dedicated solely to releasing Russell’s music, on September 4 – tracklist below.

Keep The Lights On will run in selected US cinemas from September 7. There’s no news of a UK release as yet. You can watch a trailer for the film below.

Tracklist:

01. ‘Close My Eyes’
02. ‘Soon-To-Be Innocent Fun / Let’s See’
03. ‘Come to Life’
04. ‘Your Motion Says’
05. ‘”Instrumentals” Volume 2’
06. ‘Being It’
07. ‘Goodbye Old Paint’
08. ‘I Like You!’
09. ‘Our Last Night Together’