Hi everyone, it’s your host Faithfulness, the founder of Dulaxi, and today I have with me Ellery Twining from Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Ellery Twining joins us to shed light on his ever-evolving musical journey while diving into his latest project, “Oy!”, an original short film released on March 7, 2026. This release stems from an unusual yet intriguing collaboration, as Ellery shares that he was approached by a student filmmaker under unexpected circumstances and ultimately agreed to create the soundtrack. What began as a spontaneous encounter grew into a deeply intentional artistic process, driven by a shared sensitivity to detail and structure within the film’s narrative. The filmmaker, Ben Bostian, emerges as a compelling figure within the underground film space, making this collaboration even more fascinating.
Welcome, Ellery Twining. Before we begin, here is what you should know about this distinctive artist. Ellery Twining is a thoughtful and exploratory musician whose work often blurs the line between composition and improvisation. As the songwriter behind Delta of Venus, a Mystic-based ensemble reimagined in 2025, Ellery crafts guitar-driven soundscapes that resonate with emotional depth and textural nuance. His connection with Ben Bostian reveals an unexpected artistic overlap, rooted in shared circles and creative curiosity. From recounting memorable performances, including a standout show at the Savannah College of Art & Design, to rediscovering familiar spaces like a dormitory repurposed from a Ramada Inn, their interaction is marked by a sense of synchronicity that feels almost destined.
“Oy!” is not just a short film; it is an experiment in indeterminate music. Each piece within the project was created by improvising over the previous track, allowing the music to evolve organically while extracting mood with minimal interference. This method results in a fluid, almost living body of work that reflects both spontaneity and intention. As listeners step into this project, they are invited to experience not just sound, but process. What does it mean to create without rigid structure? And how does unpredictability shape artistic truth? Let’s find out.
Having this brief Introduction, I’m sure new and current fans must be excited about our Interview today.
INTERVIEW
Faithfulness: Your work often carries a sense of place and atmosphere. How has growing up and working in Mystic, Connecticut shaped your artistic identity?
Ellery Twining:
Mystic is a state of mind.
There is no actual “Town” of Mystic; it is part of two municipalities: on one side of the river, you are in the Town of Groton. On the other side of the river, you would find yourself in the Town of Stoninington.
Faithfulness: You’ve been involved in projects like Delta of Venus. How do collaborative environments influence your personal creative voice?
Ellery Twining:
At this point, I have to admit less and less, and less. The first band that I joined was in 1985, when I was 16 years old. I have experienced every nuance of collaboration and do not need to repeat those treadworn patterns.
Faithfulness: Looking back at your journey, what moments or experiences do you feel truly defined you as an artist?
Ellery Twining: the moment Ben told me he was a student at Savannah College of Art & Design, I texted him “SCAD was the site of the second greatest gig of my life!” My band was on a four week tour, mostly colleges and prep schools: it was quite difficult to book club gigs before the internet. However, the band belonged to a national showcase conference that afforded us these gigs.
When 17 Relics pulled up to the venue, it was a Ramada Inne hotel. The band looked at each other as if we were walking into a Spinal Tap moment. The school had actually repurposed the property into dormitories. After soundcheck, 250 kids arrived via elevator to our show at the simple “club” repurposed from the first floor exhibition hall.
Faithfulness: Your music feels deeply intuitive yet intentional. How would you describe your creative philosophy in your own words?
Ellery Twining: in the earliest stages of my efforts to make music, I was a Rock Drummer. I was possessed by finding the correct “drum beat” behind a specific song. At some point, the recognition of the role the drums played exposed the other elements of the structure of songwriting. It was a simple transfer of awareness.
Faithfulness: There’s a strong sense of artistic continuity in your career. What has kept you consistently driven to create over time?
Ellery Twining: I was quite lucky to have older people in my life, in my teens, and early twenties, who were Spirit Guides in the flesh. And I was fortunate enough to be able to recognize their coherent influence in real time. My “boss” at my first job as a teenager saw the Grateful Dead twenty times at the Fillmore East while he was a student at Princeton in the late Sixties., The owner of the record store I have worked at for 30 years, Mystic Disc, was in the fifth row at Woodstock~ his experience there defines the intention of his store.
Faithfulness: You mentioned being approached by student filmmaker Ben Bostian to write the soundtrack for his short film “Oy!” under unusual conditions. What exactly happened in that moment, and what made you decide to take on the project?
Ellery Twining:
The reason I decided to work with Ben was his concise consistency, in the work he shared with me on the YT. It was completely obvious.
Faithfulness: The attention to detail in “Oy!” drew you in. What specific elements of the film stood out to you and sparked your creative response?
Ellery Twining:
The filter / color change element and the pace
Faithfulness: Your collaboration with Ben Bostian feels rooted in a unique synchronicity. How did that connection evolve creatively throughout the project?
Ellery Twining: Ben had the choice of millions (?) of composers….
How he decided to work with me I may never understand. But Delta of Venus is a factor…
Faithfulness: The soundtrack for “Oy!” was built around the concept of indeterminate music. How do you define that concept in the context of this project?
Ellery Twining: Indeterminate Music supposes that the concept of control within a musical sphere is not predetermined.
Faithfulness: You approached each track by improvising over the previous one to extract mood with minimal interference. What challenges and surprises came with working that way?
Ellery Twining:
I would imagine the cultural concept of improvisation is that it is “unmitigated.” Within the framework of vulnerability, improvisation is a revelation.
Faithfulness: How did the narrative or emotional tone of “Oy!” guide the moods you extracted through your compositions?
Ellery Twining: I wrote the entire score without watching the film.
Faithfulness: There’s an interesting overlap between your work and Ben’s influences. How did that shared artistic space shape the final sound of the soundtrack?
Ellery Twining:
I wanted to prove a metaphysical point.
Faithfulness: When you listen back to the full soundtrack of “Oy!”, what moment or passage feels the most true to the spirit of the film?
Ellery Twining: The moment when the black and white film shifts to the filtered vision, the subtle stop of the snowboarder…
Faithfulness: What do you hope audiences feel or take away after experiencing both “Oy!” and your soundtrack together?
Ellery Twining: that they could make a soundtrack, or a film
Faithfulness: Looking ahead, has working on “Oy!” shifted the way you think about collaboration or composing for visual storytelling?
Ellery Twining: Great Question!
I have completely reimagined my third solo album within the framework of the freedom “Oy!” that was revealed as possible
CHECK OUT THE RELEASE OF ‘Oy!’
HAVING LISTENED TO ‘Oy!’, HERE ARE MY HONEST THOUGHTS
“Oy!”, directed by Ben Bostian, feels less like something to watch and more like something to sit with. I found myself drawn into its quiet rhythm, where nothing is forced and everything simply exists as it is, especially through its vast, almost meditative setting in Mystic, Connecticut. The absence of a clear narrative didn’t feel empty to me; instead, it created space to reflect, to notice the small details in movement, stillness, and repetition. Moments like the slow walks across the mountains or the bursts of motion in the skiing scenes lingered in a way that felt oddly personal, as if the film was inviting me to project my own meaning onto it. What stayed with me most was how naturally your music blended into this experience, never overpowering but quietly guiding the emotional tone. By the end, it didn’t feel like the film was trying to say something definitive, but rather offering a shared space for thought, which I found both calming and unexpectedly affecting.
~ Faithfulness (Dulaxi Team)
Finally to our audience, I urge to listen to “Oy!“, add it to your playlist and be Inspired by it and on behalf of Dulaxi I like to appreciate you all by saying thank you everyone, See you on our next interview.
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