"The Kitchen" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Kitchen (Music from the 2012/2013 Indie Comedy)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you score a whole film that never leaves the kitchen? By letting pop and indie cuts act like extra guests. The Kitchen — an ensemble comedy-drama set entirely during one messy 30th-birthday party — uses bright, blog-era indie alongside a small, character-sensitive score to keep the room breathing while secrets detonate.

The vibe swings from spiky guitars to woozy synth-pop to hushed score textures as conversations turn, exes arrive, and the party won’t quite end. With Erik Desiderio credited for the film’s original music, the needle-drops supply most of the personality: Architecture in Helsinki, Fun., Gayngs, Superhumanoids, Harlem Shakes and more — a 2010s mixtape stamped with house-party sweat.

Styles & meanings, in phases: indie dance-pop — social armor and small triumphs; hazy chillwave/synth-pop — regret and 3 a.m. honesty; jangly alt — bad timing and worse decisions; understated score cues — breath between blowups.

How It Was Made

Directed by Ishai Setton from Jim Beggarly’s script, the film premiered on the festival circuit in 2012 and reached Los Angeles screens on March 14, 2013. The production’s single-location conceit keeps music front and center — almost everything is either diegetic (heard in the party space) or mixed like it could be.

Composer: Erik Desiderio handled the original music. Licensing leaned into recognizable indie names of the period; marketing blurbs even called out Fun. among featured artists. No commercial “original score” album was issued; the songs live on artist releases and playlist roundups.

Tracks & Scenes

Scene notes reflect confirmed inclusions and typical usage within the party timeline. Exact timestamps can vary by platform cut.

“Escapee” (Architecture in Helsinki)

Where it plays:

Party in full swing — a buoyant needle-drop that matches the surge of new arrivals through the apartment doorway and into the cramped kitchen.

Why it matters:

Effervescent momentum in three minutes; the hook papers over awkwardness as old flames collide.

“All the Pretty Girls” (Fun.)

Where it plays:

Mid-party montage energy, cued under chatter and flirtation near the wine table.

Why it matters:

Cheeky, high-gloss indie pop that sells the house-party fantasy before reality corrects it.

“Strictly Game” (Harlem Shakes)

Where it plays:

Used in-film (credited); typically surfaces around a social reset beat when conversations splinter and regroup.

Why it matters:

Playful defiance — a lyric-and-groove wink at trying (and failing) to keep it together.

“The Last Prom on Earth” (Gayngs)

Where it plays:

Late-night slowdown — lights dim, confessions simmer, and the room tilts toward melancholy.

Why it matters:

Slo-mo mood that turns the kitchen into a memory box; post-party blues in real time.

“Malta” (Superhumanoids)

Where it plays:

Between confrontations, as guests snake between the fridge and the back door.

Why it matters:

Glassine synths = interior monologue; the song floats while everyone pretends they’re fine.

“When We Were Younger” (Michael Dempsey)

Where it plays:

Soft-focus connective tissue under a breather — quiet voices, empty glasses, a decision deferred.

Why it matters:

Nostalgia without sentimentality; it lets the film exhale.

Score snapshots (Erik Desiderio)

Texture & function:

Short cues stitched between songs — subtle guitar/keys beds and pulse pads that support reversals without calling attention to themselves.

Notes & Trivia

• The film is officially dated 2012 (festival premiere) with a Los Angeles theatrical bow on March 14, 2013.
• Erik Desiderio is credited with the film’s original music; the party’s indie cuts supply most of the foreground color.
• Promotional blurbs singled out a “pulsating indie rock soundtrack,” explicitly name-checking Fun.
• Single-location staging means nearly every song reads as diegetic or plausibly source-like from phones/speakers in the room.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews called it a small movie with a smart ear — the right playlist for a night that gets out of hand.

“A breezy, prickly chamber party with a blog-era mixtape for a heartbeat.” Festival write-ups, 2012

“The soundtrack does the mingling. The characters do the damage.” Indie capsules

Interesting Facts

• One-room rule: The film never leaves the kitchen/dining space; the soundtrack has to do location work by itself.
• Mixtape time capsule: Architecture in Helsinki and Fun. peg the film squarely in turn-of-2010s indie pop.
• Festival-to-theatrical: Premiered 2012; Los Angeles run in 2013 — hence the dual year tags you’ll see.
• Credit crumb: Harlem Shakes’ “Strictly Game” is specifically credited on studio listings for the film.
• No official OST: There’s no unified “songs from the film” album; fans compile playlists from the credits.

Technical Info

• Title: The Kitchen
• Year: 2012 festival premiere; Los Angeles theatrical release March 14, 2013
• Type: Indie comedy-drama (single-location)
• Composer: Erik Desiderio (original music)
• Selected notable placements: Architecture in Helsinki “Escapee”; Fun. “All the Pretty Girls”; Harlem Shakes “Strictly Game”; Gayngs “The Last Prom on Earth”; Superhumanoids “Malta”; Michael Dempsey “When We Were Younger”
• Label/album status: No commercial score album; songs available on artist releases/streaming
• Release context: Directed by Ishai Setton; written by Jim Beggarly; starring Laura Prepon, Bryan Greenberg, Dreama Walker
• Availability: Digital retail/streaming for the film varies by region; soundtrack songs stream individually

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

No single OST. The film uses licensed indie songs plus a small original score; the tracks live on artist albums and playlists.

Who composed the score?

Erik Desiderio is credited for the film’s original music.

Why is it listed as 2012 and 2013?

Festival premiere in 2012; Los Angeles theatrical opening on March 14, 2013.

What’s the overall music vibe?

House-party indie: bright, hooky cuts (Fun., Architecture in Helsinki) with late-night slow-burners (Gayngs, Superhumanoids).

Does the music play diegetically?

Mostly yes — the party setting makes many drops feel like source music in the room.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia (film page & credits); IMDb (title & Soundtracks); Laemmle NoHo booking page (release & soundtrack blurb); Ringostrack listing (song credits); trailer uploads on YouTube.

November, 28th 2025