The track was previously only available as a bonus track on the Watching Movies With the Sound Off 10th Anniversary Edition vinyl
It’s Eternal Sunshine season. Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this week. Now, for the first time, Mac Miller‘s deep cut “The Quest,” which samples the score Jon Brion crafted for the film, is widely available on streaming services.
“The Quest” was previously only shared as a bonus track on the 10th anniversary edition vinyl for Watching Movies With the Sound Off, released by the late musician’s estate in 2023. It features the instrumental “Phone Call” from the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind official soundtrack.
Miller and Brion shared their first official collaboration together with Swimming, his fifth album. The record features eight songs that were either co-written or co-produced by Brion. The producer and composer later brought Miller’s sixth and final studio album Circles (2020) across the finish line, completing production on the project following the rapper’s death in September 2018.
“I have this memory of him being really sweet, and he happened to mention that he really liked the music of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Brion told Vulture about Miller in 2020. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. That’s really nice.’ And honestly, it didn’t go a lot further than that.”
“The Quest” is the latest addition to a growing list of musical releases reflecting the lasting influence of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which Miller often cited as being one of his favorite films.
Ariana Grande, who once shared a close relationship with the rapper, recently released her sixth studio album, aptly titled Eternal Sunshine. The record arrived with an emotional music video for “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love),” which recreates the memory erasing procedure from the film. The film, including its dialogue and score, have also seeped into the music of Halsey, Jhené Aiko, Kelly Clarkson, and more.
