The genesis of Absolute Zero began within Hornsby’s work as a film composer for writer-director Spike Lee. Hornsby started collaborating with Lee in 1992; ultimately, in 2008, he began scoring for Lee. What began to intrigue him were scoring components known as “cues,” those comparatively brief passages of music used in films to heighten certain narrative visuals and/or spoken developments. Additionally, Hornsby’s interest in literary fiction, specifically the work of Don DeLillo and the late David Foster Wallace, inspired his songwriting. Hornsby’s songs, both in spirit and memory, function collectively as an homage to fiction writing that, while often poetic, takes no prisoners. The multi-faceted album is another example of Hornsby’s constant musical evolution and how he’s able to combine disparate elements into an accessible soundscape. Predominantly produced by Hornsby, the 10-track album includes added production from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Andrew Bird, Public Image Ltd.) and Brad Cook (Sharon Van Etten, Hiss Golden Messenger). Absolute Zero also includes musical contributions from yMusic, The Staves, Blake Mills, Jack DeJohnette, Sean Carey, The Orchestra Of St. Hanks (Frost School/University of Miami), Hornsby’s longtime band The Noisemakers and more. The track “Cast-Off” was co-written with Vernon who also duets with Hornsby on the song while “Take You There (Misty)” was co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.Absolute Zero Track List1. Absolute Zero (featuring Jack DeJohnette)2. Fractals3. Cast Off (featuring Justin Vernon and Sean Carey)4. Meds (featuring Justin Vernon, Blake Mills and Rob Moose)5. Never In This House (featuring yMusic and The Staves)6. Voyager One (featuring yMusic)7. Echolocation8. The Blinding Light Of Dreams (featuring yMusic)10. Take You There (Misty) (featuring yMusic)
