CHUCK DARROW/Courier-Post Marlton residents Frank Sonsini (left) and George Martindell are the faces and the talent behind Science Friction.

Sunday, October 24, 2004

While many South Jersey musicians make it a point to play on the public stage as much as possible, the Marlton-based twosome of Frank Sonsini and George Martindell have taken a different route.

Working under the name of Science Friction, multi-instrumentalist Sonsini, 40, and drummer Martindell, 41 - high school buddies who've been musical teammates since they played together in the band Nasty Canasta in the 1990s - work exclusively in the studio, composing and recording scores and soundtracks.

Their resume includes creating the music for the Turner Network Television documentary Faces of Evil, the independent short film Me and Pollyanna and the independent feature-length horror flicks John Johnson's Skeleton Key and The Terrible Old Man. The latter is based on the H.P. Lovecraft novel of the same name.

The team has also worked with NFL Films in Mount Laurel and provides the music for The Perils of . . . DR. SHROUD . . . Vampire Killer, an ongoing series of flash animation episodes that can be viewed at http://www.drshroud.com/.

QUESTION: How did Science Friction come to be?

ANSWER: Said Sonsini. "We both wanted to continue (after the break-up of Nasty Canasta), but we found we were both tired of dealing with the personalities (in a band setting) and relying on them to get ahead. We both enjoy horror movies. That's what got us started."

Q: Is there any significance to the name you selected, Science Friction?

A: "It sounded quirky and strange. (Frank) and I are so much alike, but at the same time, we bring to the table two different sides to our music. There's a friction there," said Martindell.

Q: What is Faces of Evil?

A: "Faces of Evil is a documentary based on the evils of human history. What evil is, what evil could be," said Sonsini.

Q: How do you compose for something like that?

A: Added Martindell, "It was more like we just started making this weird stuff and we said, "This music will . . . fit and a little bulb went off."

Q: So far, your work has been in the realm of the scary and macabre. Is that the niche you're hoping to fill?

A: "We don't want to be . . . this dark force in music. We want to branch out into other things like children's (programs)," explained Martindell. ON THE WEB

 

http://www.scifrimusic.com/ - Science Friction Web site

- Chuck Darrow