5大唱片

跟著鏡頭飛遠，模擬鳥的視野，
降落在神木之島的豐饒與神秘，
那裡巨木撞到月亮，樂音穿梭永恆。

《神木之島》記錄「找樹的人」團隊深入山林，遍訪台灣巨木的過程；為了接近一棵樹，研究者闢路探勘，用浪漫的速度徒步前往未知。

電影配樂聯繫起科學理性與探索的憧憬。對Cicada而言，身體感是創作靈感的基礎：為了親睹巨木，主創江致潔跋涉四天，先登上3400公尺的桃山，再陡下1400公尺，循著「找樹的人」橘色路標，一次次在泥濘山徑滑倒，抵達位於深谷的桃山神木。

巨木雖高，卻不是都市中驕傲的摩天大樓，而是森林裡的社群中心，大樹小樹相依、蟲鳴鳥叫圍繞，生命各安其位。

在樹腳下仰望79.1公尺桃山神木，肉眼僅能及全貌的五分之一。人類沒有附生植物的攀附本能，也無法如鳥般飛翔俯瞰；幸好音樂擴張有限感官，延伸想像力，微小的眼光被拉遠、再更遠。

19首配樂，繪製「找樹的人」的勞動與心境。〈台灣杉頌〉弦樂合奏，表現團隊成功架設相機、拍攝巨木等身照的興奮；〈測量樹高〉、〈攀上最高樹〉以弦樂撥奏、斷奏，重複的鋼琴樂句，模擬攀樹攻擊手一蹬一拉、阻抗地心，奮力往上爬的輕快；〈前往未知〉的合成器與大提琴，彷彿前往倚天劍神木途中的困難與懸疑；〈我們的森林〉以低音豎笛渾厚低音，共鳴台灣杉的粗樸與厚實紋理；〈霧林帶〉鋼琴流倘被濕氣覆蓋的朦朧林間，孕育巨木的氣候。

於是跟著鏡頭飛遠，模擬鳥的視野，或者降落在神木之島的豐饒與神秘，那裡巨木撞到月亮，樂音穿梭永恆。

“The Island and the Trees” follows the team known as “Taiwan Champion Trees” as they venture into Taiwan`s mountains to search for giant trees. To reach a single tree, researchers cut paths through dense forest in remote terrain and wandered toward the unknown.

The score brings together scientific observation and the excitement of exploration. For Cicada, physical experience has always been the starting point of composition. To visit one of these giants in person, composer Jesy Chiang spent four days in the mountains, hiking to the 3,400-meter summit of Taoshan before descending 1,400 meters to a steep and muddy valley. Following the orange trail markers left by the research team, she finally arrived at the Tao Tree.

The soundtrack`s nineteen pieces trace both the work and the inner journey of the tree researchers. “Taiwania” uses a string ensemble to capture the team`s excitement after successfully setting up cameras and photographing a giant tree at full scale. In “Measuring the Tree Height” and “Climbing the Tallest Tree,” plucked and detached strings, together with repeating piano patterns, echo the steady rhythm of a climber pushing upward against gravity, one step and one pull at a time. The synthesizer and cello in “Bound for the Unknown” reflect the uncertainty and challenge of the journey to the Yitianjian Sacred Tree. In “Our Forest,” the deep voice of the bass clarinet mirrors the solid presence and rugged texture of the Taiwan cedar. “Cloud Forest” surrounds flowing piano lines with a veil of mist, evoking the cool, humid forests where giant trees have flourished for centuries.

The music invites us to soar with the camera, to see the forest through the eyes of a bird, then descend once more into the richness and mystery of the Island of Sacred Trees, where giant trees seem to touch the moon and every note moves through time without end.