Soundtrax: Episode 2023-7
November/December, 2023
By Randall D. Larson
Feature Interviews:
We might think we are the world’s greatest explorers, but we’re not. INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS follows animals in every landscape as they embark on epic migrations in search of food, shelter, and love. It premiered on Nov. 19 on National Geographic and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. The series, narrated by Oscar®-nominated actor Jeremy Renner, is scored by BMI Award-winner Jake Monaco. “For years, my family has loved watching nature documentaries together, so I jumped when the opportunity to write the score for Incredible Animal Journeys presented itself. For over a year, I developed a sonically unique palette for each of the seven episodes while working closely with over a dozen directors, editors, producers, and showrunners, all of whom poured their love of nature into this series. It has truly been an incredible journey,” said Jake Monaco.
Watch the INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEY’s film’s trailer:
Q: What brought you into scoring films, and what can you tell me about scoring some of your early projects?
Jake Monaco: I started playing guitar when I was young and eventually put it aside because I didn’t want to practice as a kid! In high school, I picked it back up again and did the whole singer/songwriter thing in college; I was in Virginia at the time. Then, a couple of years after graduation, I needed to figure out my next move, and I was recommended to check out the USC Scoring Program in Los Angeles. So I applied and was very fortunate to get into the program, at which point, just before graduation, I got an offer to work with another composer, Christophe Beck, and I was with him for almost eight years. Great mentorship, still a very good friend, and around 2014, I ventured off and started my career with a couple of animated TV shows that came right around the same time. Now, almost ten years later, I am getting to do some amazing projects and am happy about them!
Q: How did you transition from shorts to television to feature films?
Jake Monaco: It was nice to have a lot of real-world experience when I was working with Chris, just in terms of things across the board, and so, working in television, you often get these kinds of long-form television series, and I’m thinking, oh, we can re-use music… it’s nice to settle into a groove… until I learn that you can’t re-use any music, especially when you come to an animated series. So, in the two series that I started with, DYNA TRUCKS and BE COOL, SCOOBY-DOO!, a cue was never re-used. So, every two weeks, a new twenty-two-minute work of music was being put together. It was a lot more work than I had imagined these shows to be. But it’s nice to be able to develop themes for these characters and carry them through over the course of multiple seasons. With shorts, it’s nice with these one-off things where you get to work with a team and generate something, and it is what it is, and then it’s off. With features, I think, again, it’s nice to be able to settle into something, and usually, there’s a little more time with a feature and being able to sit there and develop and experiment a little bit more. There was, too, in this Nat Geo show, and we had over a year to play around with some ideas. They’re all a little bit different.
Q: How did you get involved in Incredible Animal Journeys and the extraordinary migrations some species undertake? What were the filmmakers looking for in music for that series?
Jake Monaco: It’s funny – you know when they’re filming everything, you don’t really know their stories yet. One of the things that set this entire series apart from, say, a BBC Planet Earth or Blue Planet, which are amazing in their own right, is that they wanted it to be a little more narrative in terms of a parent and child going along on their first migration, or maybe it’s just a hatchling that its parent has just abandoned after being born. You’re going along with them on their first migration and all the trials and tribulations and the things they will have to do every year for the rest of their lives. Some of the migrations span generations, such as the monarch butterfly. When I first got the call to come on to this series, I was super excited about it because my son, who’s nine, and I have watched these shows since he was born, and it’s just so much fun to be able to go on these little adventures with him. He would pop into the studio and get sucked into whatever scene I was working on!
They were still formulating what these stories would be when we kicked off; it was July of last year, and it was a long time until they locked in what their story-telling entirely would be. It’s much more focused on the families, so it develops individual themes for the characters while also embracing what kind of sound it will be for each episode. One is based on ocean odysseys, and one is based more in Africa… so it was what can we do that’s different from each one of these, and set them apart.
Q: Your central title theme is a powerful and compelling composition. How did you come up with that music?
Jake Monaco: I went through a lot of experimentation and tried to find something memorable and straightforward. One of the things that I think is distinctive about the main title is, no matter where you’re coming from, leading up to a very specific, identifiable chord, when that melody hits – and typically, it hits on that giant globe shot right before we see the title of the series – but throughout the entire course of the series, any time the narration starts to talk about the migration ahead, what’s coming and their journey, I’m able to listen back to that theme and remind us that this is an ongoing journey that these animals are on.
Q: Starting on that documentary series, how did you map out your thematic architecture for the show?
Jake Monaco: I built a large toolbox at first. I have a lot of toys around the studio! Anything that looks like a guitar or anything I can bang on and make some sound. I did a lot of recording myself and then engaged some solo musicians to give me a lot of source material that I could start to experiment with. It’s a lot of organic sound processing. The production didn’t want it to sound like a big orchestra – they wanted something a little bit different, so what can we figure out that is different but not synth, and where is that middle ground that we can lock into. So, a lot of organic source material, and then I’d go to the piano or the guitar and write an actual theme, and then it’s taking the two pieces and marrying them together for each of these animals’ distinct sonic identity.
Q: You’ve developed unique material for each of the animal species we’re following – I believe there were 20 individual animals the show focused on – how did your score develop across the series’ five episodes, and how did you treat the species whose unique journeys we are following across those episodes?
Jake Monaco: It was nice to find the general area of the world that we’re working in, so, for instance, the first episode, "Ocean Odysseys," has the humpback whales traveling from Hawaii up to Alaska, where the whale plays a traditional part of Hawaiian culture. So I reached out to a native Hawaiian vocalist who lives down there; her name is Pua Perkins, and I found some texts that I was interested in elaborating on. I’d written a theme, and she and I worked to put some of this stuff together. She sang on it, and it just became this beautiful, lyrical, minimal theme. It travels with our mother and son throughout their entire migration. There’s a cool payoff at the end where they all finally gather in Alaska and get to feed. It’s been months, and the mom has lost a third of her body weight. And then, in other instances, in another episode, "Chasing African Rains," I wanted to try and use as few strings as possible in that episode, so what was I able to go to? There are a lot of vocals across the entire series, and I’m trying to milk as much of that as I can, but in different ways, too. There are these little "na-nA-NA-NA-nA-na-na" patterns, or just like some different stuff from solo vocalists to other smaller choral ensembles. There’s another episode based on the polar ice caps, so there are a lot of very shimmery and metallic sounds in that, as well as some electric guitars. I tried to make a distinct sonic palette for each region we were in while we followed our families.
Q: Was it a daunting challenge to create individual music for each of the many animal species the series focuses on?
Jake Monaco: It was a little tricky, just because you get to your thirteenth animal or journey, and it’s like, okay, what am I going to do here?! It was beneficial to hone in on a palette for each episode. Constraints can be helpful because it’s not an entirely open-ended adventure then! Like, okay, I’m going to use these things, and I’m not going to use these. Okay, what can I do with this? So, we have rockhoppers, and what kind of sound does stone make?! There’s a stone marimba called a lithophone [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophone], and there’s these little pieces of stone, and that’s one of the cool things that’s part of them. It’s a little bit jaunty and bouncy, just like they are hopping around on the rocks. So, little things like that, just the inspiration of what the instrument is and what it can do, will also determine how that theme is written.
Q: Where was the score recorded, and by which orchestra?
Jake Monaco: Much of it was recorded along the way, except our strings. So, when I was working with vocalists, I would get stuff along the way. I would engage solo musicians and sometimes give them a sheet of paper with a bunch of scribbles on it. It was like, "Okay, hit something and then give me a blloo-lloe-lleii-lliip!" and then see what I can get and how I can manipulate that and kind of work it in the most musical way possible! Eventually, when we got down to everything being approved, we scheduled some sessions in Budapest and worked with Miklos at the East Connection Music Recording. A small group of strings, we had thirty, and it was great. They are incredibly efficient over there, and the whole process was excellent. Despite being on opposite sides of the globe, we made it work.
Q: Were there any particular animal species that gave you the most fulfillment when scoring their segments?
Jake Monaco: There’s an episode called "Home at the End of the Earth" and a storyline with the wandering albatross. It is a beautiful love story, just in and of itself. These birds mate for life and reunite every year for about a month on the same island. They will find each other after being apart for so long, and the birds we were following in this episode – or this couple, I should say – they’d been together for over ten years. They raise a chick together every two years, and so, finding a beautiful love theme that doesn’t necessarily resolve itself because it is this kind of journey that they’re going on, in terms of their connection, so one of my favorite themes, I think, in the series, is theirs. It’s just this, ascending, beautiful… I don’t know; it just gets me. I love it.
Q: What was most challenging about this show for you?
Jake Monaco: I think the time frame. It was pretty tough! Initially, they had everything spaced out very nicely for us, where they would finish an episode, and we’d lock, and then there’d be about a month in between. By the end of the project and them finally locking in the story-telling aspects and how they would tell the stories and make them cohesive across all the episodes, we got crunched down to some of the episodes being mixed two weeks apart. There were a lot of changes up until the last minute, so it was helpful to have all the themes and the toolbox there, but then writing along the way and having to make it all fit with their final version of the picture and being still conscious and aware of all the narration that is being put in there, and being able to time things in the best way possible still because there’s a little bit more scoring in this series, specifically, versus just setting the tone with the music in the background. So, it got down to crunch time, and there were some long days and weeks and a couple of months at the end there, but it all turned out great!
Q: How did you work your score around Jeremy Renner’s narration?
Jake Monaco: I only heard his narration after we were all done. But it was crazy. All the narration was in the same place as in the temp guide, and one of their production people was handling the narration along the way to give us something to work with, but it was almost exact in terms of where everything was. In some scenes, visually, the pace needs to start right at the head of the scene. Still, the narration leads us into why it’s happening, whatever it might be, and so in the music, I wait and build the tension until after the narration, and then I can break into the pace. It was very conscious regarding where the narration would go and getting to work with production in that respect, too. They nudged some things so that we could make more of a musical impact.
Q: What’s coming up next for you that you can talk about?
Jake Monaco: It’s been great having the last couple of months completely free. It was quite a long stretch with this project! I have a couple of small things that are in the works for next year, but it worked out well with the writers’ strike; I think that was amazing for SAG and the writers, and everything worked out the best that it could be, and now all the productions are going to kick in early next year. It’s going to be great to be able to get back into it.
Hollywood Records has releasedMonaco’s digital score soundtrack to INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS which is available now on all streaming platforms - see Apple Music and Spotify.
Special thanks to Alix Becq-Weinstein and Jana Davidoff of Rhapsody PR for facilitating this interview.
For more information about Jake Monaco, see his website http://jakemonaco.com/about/
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MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE is a semiautobiographical animated musical created by Signe Baumane, who takes a strong feminist look at the ridiculous complexity of the silly human condition we call love. Baumane’s fantastic use of four different styles of animation, paired with an earnest view of societal expectations and pressures placed on women entering into the institution of matrimony, will have you questioning your own affair with marriage.
The film follows Zelma on her 23-year quest for perfect love and lasting marriage set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe. The film, conveyed from a woman’s point of view, blends historical, biological, societal, and emotional arcs with a lively sense of humor and musical numbers. This animated film for adults tackles the issues of love, gender norms, domestic violence, fantasies, and toxic relationships to propel a woman’s journey toward independence and liberation.
Film composer, pianist, flutist, and music producer Kristian Sensini’s credits include Baumane’s award-winning animated feature films MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE and ROCKS IN MY POCKETS, for which he received the Colonne Sonor Award for “Best Soundtrack,” Domiziano Cristopharo’s Hyde’s SECRET NIGHTMARE, for which he received a Global Music Award for “Best Original Score,” Rai 1’s series THE TEACHER, which he composed alongside Pino Donaggio and Paolo Vivaldi; Chi Lee’s mystery/thriller THE FROG IN THE STONE; Andrej Kosak’s DRAMA ALL AGAINST ALL (Vsi Proti Vsem); and many more.
Watch the film’s trailer:
Q: I understand this hand-drawn animated production project took seven years to complete. How did you become involved in the project, and how did you create the music for the film across that lengthy-time period?
Kristian Sensini: I did my first movie for Signe Baumane in 2014. It was called ROCKS IN MY POCKETS, an animated film. When Signe had the opportunity to do a second animated movie, MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE, she called me immediately because we had worked very well together on the first one. We understood each other, and it was precious to collaborate with a director over the years. We’ve kept in contact each year since the first movie, and as soon as she brought me on board for the second movie, I have been involved since the pre-production phase.
The first thing I did for her in this second movie was to write a demo song. In the script, Signe wrote many lyrics intended to be a sort of Greek chorus for the film’s main character, which is Biology. I wrote the first song for Signe as a demo, and she liked it. So, for these seven years, I have written every single song in this movie, which Signe needed in advance because there are characters who sing, and she needed to create the lip-sync for every one in the animation. It was working on the movie without seeing it – just from reading the script and hearing the voice acting from some of the actors. The film is a musical, but not in the Disney style.
These songs’ color palettes range from jazz to rhythm and blues, gospel, and even more chamber-like pieces. The style needed to adapt to the various “incarnations” of the three Mythology Sirens, who are singing characters who serve as a sort of “social” conscience for the protagonist. Since it is a story that unfolds through the growth of the female protagonist, I chose orchestrations that also reflected the girl’s development. Those songs were the first musical layer. We composed and recorded them before the director started animating because she needed them as a reference to create a believable lip sync. The film is a musical, but there are also documentary-like parts in which the protagonist is Biology itself, explaining the reasons for human actions, especially in the field of love, based on scientific explanations. This part required a lot of work because, after many auditions, we couldn’t find the right key to accompany these scenes. The director didn’t want them to sound like “scientific documentary” music. The intuition was to interpret the music not from the point of view of the viewer who is watching Biology explain but from the point of view of Biology itself, which is a primitive being. Signe was very clear that she didn’t want documentary music. We tried lots of things, and when I started to work on the score after the songs were finished, I had a tough time because I did ten or twelve different demos for the Biology character – just for the first Biology cue – and no single one of them was okay for Signe! I was scared that I might have lost the connection with the director or lost my touch, and then we had a discussion, and Signe suggested we use just the percussion for those cues.
That was a strange request; percussion is usually used in movies to express fear or rage, but not something romantic. That was a good experimentation because Signe really has a musical sensibility, but she’s not a musician. She’s nervous regarding the music, so every idea she has is out of the box. When I hear ideas like that, I jump in immediately because writing all those kinds of cues and expressing all these feelings using percussion was challenging. Still, in the end, it was the most original thing about the score, in my opinion. So the choice fell on percussion, and all the scenes dedicated to Biology were scored using only percussion – all kinds from all over the world. The challenge was to avoid being repetitive and to characterize each cue differently. We tried to introduce as many percussion instruments as possible and to solve even very difficult questions, such as how to express concepts such as fear, love, doubt, irony, anger, and attachment, using only percussion. It was an incredible challenge, but we achieved remarkable results.
Q: Would you describe a bit about what this film is about and what, to your understanding, the director’s goals were in creating a film that is so powerfully musically intensive?
Kristian Sensini: Signe’s movies are autobiographical. As with the first movie, MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE was a delicate matter because we’re creating a musical environment for stories but they are not fantasy stories – they are true stories of Signe’s life. That first movie was even more difficult – it was about an account of the depression and suicide of a woman in Signe’s family. The leading voice-over in the first movie was Signe herself, telling the story. In this second movie, the story is not so much about the failure of a marriage, but how we work from a biological point of view… how love works from the perspective of chemistry and biology. The exciting thing was creating an emotional score involving the audience. Still, from a certain point of view, this is also a documentary about the biology of love. It was clear from Signe that she didn’t want documentary music; she didn’t want music without character. She wanted the emotive involvement of the audience in this movie. The mandate was to have two different points of view – the one of the documentary and the one of a more classical score. It was challenging to use the documentary language, but with the stronger emotive configuration, I found an exciting way to write the music.
Q: How would you describe your musical instrumentation for the score?
Kristian Sensini: I have been into chamber music for five or six years. Every composer wants to write for a big orchestra because you’re standing in front of all those amazing musicians, and you have a lot of possibilities with an orchestra. But, it’s to write for an orchestra – not that I am saying this, these are the words of Conrad Pope, the orchestrator for John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Alexandre Desplat, who once said in Vienna “It’s easy to write for an orchestra because we have so many instruments you can use. Having just a few instruments and making them sound bigger is difficult.” So my main goal, for about ten years now, is to write music for small ensembles and find solutions to make them sound more prominent. To sound as if they were double the size of the orchestra.
So, in this movie, I used at most five instruments simultaneously. The goal was to use some orchestration techniques to make them sound larger. The idea was to use sort of jazzy/folk ideas, A lot of cues are from elements that could be extended for a jazz ensemble, but they are not because we’re using the folk elements in the harmony and the melody, but the approach was jazzy. Let’s remember that this is also a musical, so we wanted to do a musical with a jazzy attitude but also with the folk elements. Signe didn’t wish to create a classical musical with all those big band jazz numbers, and she didn’t want a Disney musical; she wanted a musical where the narration is kept minimal by the song. We had a small ensemble for the songs and kept the story and the dancing from distracting the audience. Every single cue is functional for telling the story.
MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE is a film that surprises its audience and is very different from much of the mainstream animation offered on the platforms. It is an animated film but for adults. It is difficult to explain every time because we still live with the prejudice that animation is a genre of film for children and teenagers, while in reality, it is a medium for telling stories. The very last thing I wrote was the final song. For the songs within the film, I relied entirely on the texts composed by the director, without touching a single word and even creating very special songs because the initial texts had in some cases the free form of contemporary poetry. For the end credits, the director asked me for a more pop composition. After reading the song’s first draft, I asked the director to make some changes to the structure because we know that contemporary pop songs require a specific design in their form. In this case, the instrumentation is similar to the songs we can hear on the charts, and the text is powerful, summarizing the film’s central themes in a few words. The song was performed by Storma Large, a great singer who has sung a lot with Pink Martini. A particular note is that in some cases I found myself writing the music literally around the voices of the actors who gave great performances, among them I like to remember Matthew Modine (STRANGER THINGS. FULL METAL JACKET), Dagmara Dominczyk (SUCCESSION), Cameron Monaghan (GOTHAM), Stephen Lang (AVATAR).”
Q: What was most challenging for you about this project and most rewarding?
Kristian Sensini: What’s most challenging is that every movie by Signe is full of voice-over, wall-to-wall! There is the narrator and characters who speak from the start to the end of the movie! It’s often a nightmare for a composer to write under a voice-over. We don’t want to distract the audience; you don’t want to mess with the acting of the voices. In the first movie, we have just one voice, Signe’s, from start to finish. It was easy because when you find the correct frequencies of the voice-over, you can write music under or over those frequencies and use their voice-over as a sort of melody. So when you have just one voice, it’s easy to avoid those frequencies and go on. In this case, we had many actors with many different voices; we had female voices and much deeper male voices, and it was a different kind of work. You had to be influenced by those frequencies, but you’re not allowed to use the same frequencies in every single cue.
I used this voice-over as the main melody that guided and held all the percussion instruments together. The last layer that makes up the film’s music is the score. In this case, we were more traditional and used classical instruments in a chamber music context, especially strings, harp, piano, and a flute. In this way, we obtained a very varied film from a musical point of view. It embraces many styles and many types of orchestration, and for this reason, it tends to surprise. I hope to create a fitting counterpoint to images that are themselves surprising and produced by one of the most brilliant artists of contemporary animation.
The more rewarding thing was to be able to write a lot of songs. I’m usually not a songwriter; I’m mostly a composer, but I also like to write songs occasionally. I never did that for a movie until now, and writing all those little songs was rewarding because they were in many different styles. We have something more in the fantasy style, more jazzy, and more rhythm and blues. There are a couple of little gospel songs, so it was a different score because there are a lot of different styles of music in the score.
Special thanks to Kristian Sensini for taking the time to discuss his work on this film in detail and to Alix Becq-Weinstein and Jana Davidoff with Rhapsody PR for facilitating this interview.
The soundtrack album from MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE is now available from MovieScoreMedia.
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Overviews: Soundtrack Reviews:
AHSOKA/Kevin Kiner with Sean & Deana Kiner/Walt Disney Records - digital
Composer Kevin Kiner, along with Sean and Deane Kiner, has scored the live-action STAR WARS spin-off series, November’s AHSOKA, on Disney+. The Ahsoka character was introduced as the 14-year-old Togruta Jedi, Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, who, after the Clone Wars, helped establish a network of various rebel cells against the Galactic Empire. Introduced in the animated movie STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (2008) before appearing in the subsequent animated television series (2008–2014; 2020) and appearances in both animated and live-action STAR WARS series, including THE MANDALORIAN, where the character’s live-action debut was first performed by Rosario Dawson, who continued to play the role in AHSOKA. The streaming show takes place after the fall of the Galactic Empire, where the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Scoring those first animated STAR WARS films, Kiner had the privilege of defining the music of the STAR WARS animated universe. Among the themes he created for Anakin’s eager Padawan was a haunting motif called “Ahsoka’s Theme,” a powerful flute melody that brought him into the live-action AHSOKA as its composer. Kiner’s journey with Ahsoka from young Padawan in CLONE WARS to the fall of the Galactic Empire has resolved into her seeking the emerging threat of the Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has returned, seeking a Dark Jedi to join his side so that he can restore the Empire. Kevin Kiner notes, “I can’t believe that 17 years after I wrote Ahsoka’s theme for THE CLONE WARS that I’m still getting to progress and expand it. Sean and Deana Kiner worked with me on a lot of this score, and I think their fresh take – especially with regard to the Ronin aspects of the score – helps move our sound forward in the Star Wars universe. This is something we’ve poured a lot of love into and are so proud of what we’ve created for these characters and this show.” On AHSOKA we are introduced to Sabine Wren, Ahsoka’s former Padawan, as she speeds across a highway in Lothal on a speeder while listening to a raucous punk song called “Igyah Kah,” voiced by Sarah Hudzin (of the Illuminati Hotties) to lyrics written by Deana Kiner. “Master and Apprentice” introduces us to Lord Baylan, a fallen-Jedi-now-mercenary, and his apprentice Shin Hati, as they hijack assault a New Republic cruiser to rescue Morgan Elsbeth, one of the last remaining Nightsisters of Dathomir, who is allied with Thrawn, who was held captured by Ahsoka on the cruiser. They are introduced by raging, villainous peals of horns and drums before Kiner opens into a Rachmaninoff-styled heavy piano cadence, a nod from Kevin Kiner to fit John Williams’ use of classical piano techniques in his music. “Assassin Ambush” follows with an even more exhilarating nod to Williams’ STAR WARS styles. The light saber dual between Ahsoka and Baylan in Episode 4 provides an exciting build-up from simple tonalities. The characters study themselves before pulling into full orchestral battle music between two light saber equals. (review continues below)
Listen to the track “Ahsoka and Baylan” via YouTube:
In the following episode, where Ahsoka has fallen into the World Between Worlds and is met by her former master, Anakin Skywalker, we see a young Ahsoka on the battleground of the historic Clone Wars battle with Anakin and flashbacks of “Anakin’s Theme” and “Burying The Dead” from THE CLONE WARS series drift into the music. In an interview with the Kiners about scoring AHSOKA, James Whitbrook of gizmodo.com noted that AHSOKA is a ”soft sequel to REBELS. You’re dealing with these characters you’ve worked with for so long and developed a soundscape for… how did you evolve the new sound for this show, specifically?” Kevin answered: “One of our tendencies is, ‘Oh, it’s Sabine! Let’s play her theme!’ No, that’s not what this needs… We’re such REBELS geeks, and we wrote those themes… we’re very attached to them… Dave had to pull us back from their too enthusiastic.” Added Sean Kiner, “[Dave] refocused us on the energy of the story, rather than the pre-existing legacy themes. That’s what we did in order to evolve the sounds.” [from interview at gizmodo.com, Oct. 3, 2023]. “Ezra’s Recording” offers an intriguing and very gentle sonority for violin, guitar, flute, harp, piano, and voice, heard when Sabine listens to a recorded message Ezra has left for her during his absence. (review continues below)
Listen to the track “Ezra’s Recording” via YouTube:
When we are introduced to the Dathomiri Nightsisters (in episode 6), who are allied with Thrawn, the score provides some dark music for choir and percussion. Sabine, then a captive, arrives on Peridia, and we hear the cue “Witch Runs,” a deliciously haunting and worrisome musical characterization of these witches. In the same episode, the Kiners provide a growing and eerie sonority as the Thawn’s immense star destroyer arrives above the Peridian temple, and the music is deliciously wicked, threatening, and penetrating. There are a few delicious moments where snippets of John Williams’ STAR WARS music are heard – the Imperial March is heard briefly at the end of episode 4’s “Something Familiar,” the Force Theme is wistfully heard in “I Can Feel It” in episode 5; during the Clone Wars sequence when Annakin shows up; in episode 7, when C-3PO arrives at General Hera Syndula (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) disciplinary hearing, forcing the court to absolve Syndulla, and we hear a very few snippets from the original STAR WARS theme and a touch of Leia’s theme; and a few other spots that add some pleasing Williams-esque authenticity to the series (via gizmodo.com, Sept 28, 2023; zanobardreviews.com, Oct 16, 2023). “Out of five hours on the soundtrack, there’s probably a minute and a half of John Williams’ themes,” said Kiner. “But it speaks to how powerful those themes are, that you remember at the end of episode four [when Anakin appears], and all of a sudden, part of the Imperial March kicks in.” Added Deana Kiner: “We try to treat it like the strongest spice in our arsenal. We don’t want to put too much of it because otherwise, it will start to lose its potency. It is very similar to cooking, really, where we know how impactful it will be if you just get a small taste of it and it hits you at just the right moment... That’s how we try to approach it, using it as tastefully as we can.”
For more details about Ahsoka Tano’s history in the STAR WARS universe, from THE CLONE WARS to the
AHSOKA series, see https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ahsoka_Tano
Listen to the cue “The new Republic” from AHSOKA:
BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS Expanded Release/James Horner/Intrada CD
The world premiere of the complete James Horner early space opera soundtrack! Following Intrada’s expanded release of HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (released last September) is James Horner’s wildly popular early outer space epic BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, scored in 1980 when the young composer’s career was underway. Highlights from the score were released on vinyl then, and that program has appeared numerous times on CD. Now Intrada is proud to finally present the entire score, newly expanded and remastered from the actual 2” 24-track recording session masters for the first time! Details in the recording come through with stunning clarity and power previously unavailable. In addition to the familiar cues, this new edition offers many previously unreleased cues, including the powerful early cues for the “Hammerhead” and the “Sniper’s, Fire!” sequences. Other exciting new pieces include “Dr. Hephaestus’s Station,” “The Destruction Of Umateal,” “Kidnapped!” and many others, all in splendid stereo sound. The performance on the original release was less than perfect. Still, with current state-of-the-art technology, engineers Douglass Fake and Chris Malone meticulously addressed some of the errant notes, particularly in the high trumpet parts. The complete score runs over an hour on CD 1. Intrada will be releasing it digitally as well. For fans of the famous original 1980 program, they have also included that album, newly remastered on CD 2. And vinyl collectors can enjoy this expanded edition from the Shout! Factory label. Jimmy T. Murakami & Roger Corman directed this outer space fantasy in the wake of the exploding popularity of Star Wars and the many imitations that followed. Drawing inspiration from the famous Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven feature films, the script from John Sayles now set the action in outer space, with Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, Sybil Danning starring and George Peppard grabbing the spotlight as “Cowboy.” Another asset: the special effects feature the imaginative early work of James Cameron. Initially released through Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, the movie was a modest box office hit. Trivia of interest: Bill Paxton then worked as a carpenter on the set. Horner’s energetic score was literally a launch pad for his later Star Trek II and Krull scores. David Newman conducts the orchestra, and James Horner composes. The Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set is available while quantities and interest remain!
BLOOD SIMPLE Deluxe Edition/Carter Burwell/Varese Sarabande CD
Initially released in 1987 as a two-movie soundtrack, with ten tracks from RAISING ARIZONA and seven from BLOOD SIMPLE, both from the Coen Brothers’ first two films in 1984 and 1987, respectively, and the former being composer Carter Burwell’s first movie score (reissued in Japan in May 1998), the label now offers a fuller rendition of the BLOOD SIMPLE score, with 13 tracks all to its own. Unlike Burwell’s wildly schizophrenic RAISING ARIZONA score, his quiet, darkly humorous, and profoundly noirish synth and piano score is eagerly welcome. Despite its brooding tension, dappled by a recurring piano groove, the music is intriguing, engaging, and persistently insecure to the viewer/listener’s attention. The perfect match for the Coen’s examination of a seedy small-town Texas bar owner who discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife, resulting in a chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief that ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered. Daniel Schweiger provides thorough and intriguing liner notes about the movie’s genesis and score, with eleven pages rich in detail and plenty of comments from composer and directors alike. Much of Burwell’s stripped-down sonic material enveloped the stark Texas landscape where the story takes place, with a piano melody contrasting “with the score’s horror-centric electronics,” as Schweiger describes it. “The piano’s shifts in mode had an interesting ambiguity in going from major to minor, questioning if what you were hearing was hopeful or hopeless,” said Burwell. “It wasn’t obvious why a piano would go with a thriller about a murder, but the Coens came to like the warmth that piano loop gave to Fran’s character… the viewer sees everything, but the characters don’t. It’s a theme that suggests how they’re unable to escape.” Elsewhere, the composer created darker tones using electric bass and sampled noises, which were almost primitive. “The score puts you in an altered state,” Burwell said. Of particular interest are the six tracks that weren’t included in the 1987 soundtrack, which offer a new dimension to the score when heard on the CD within the film’s context: what might be echoing thunder but becomes muffled gunshots interspersed by reverberating gongs exhumed in “Looking at Pictures;” the grainy, almost roaring thunder patterns set against harsh piano hits of “Noise Burn;” the eerie tonalities set amidst distant pounding patterns in “Abby Scampers,” opening into increasingly raucous drum patterns; reprised in a kind of syncopated, clockwork pattern amidst the piano motif in “Empty Bar,” the brief tonal electronic wave of “If I See Him,” and the final, bonus track “Chariots,” a droll bar-room rendition based on Vangelis’ “Chariots of the Gods” theme.
Listen to the track “The March” from BLOOD SIMPLE:
THE DEEPEST BREATH/Nainita Desai/Lakeshore Records - digital
A champion and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another. Despite different paths, they meet at the pinnacle of the freediving world, experiencing the thrilling rewards and inescapable risks of chasing dreams through the ocean’s depths. Desai captures the sport’s beauty, thrill, and danger with music that weaves strings, keys, and vocalizations into an enthralling mix. Descending to remarkable depths below the sea in one single breath, Alessia Zecchini enters what she describes as the last quiet place on Earth. The Italian champion is determined to set a new world record in freediving, a dangerous extreme sport where competitors attempt to reach the most incredible depth without scuba gear. Freedivers are often subject to blackouts upon ascent, necessitating the help of safety divers like Stephen Keenan, a free-spirited Irish adventurer who fell in love with the sport in Dahab, Egypt. Having formed a special bond on the freediving circuit, Alessia and Stephen train together to attempt Dahab’s legendary Blue Hole and its challenging 85-foot-long tunnel 184 feet below the Red Sea, their fates inextricably bound together. Weaving the parallel stories of Alessia and Stephen, Desai captures the warmth of their romance, the thrilling danger of the extreme sport, the immersiveness of the meditative nature of freediving, and the breathtaking peril of the deep. For Alessia, the composer used the act of breathing as a central key to the film’s focus, highlighted in the track “Alessia The Prodigy,” merging voice, piano, and soft percussive rhythms, growing in strength over a rhythmic cadence, with the vocals sung in a very breathy manner, befitting the lowly depths to which Alessia dives. For Stephen, a minimal chamber design is created using a cello and strings. “Stephen is searching for himself, and so I inject a lot of energy, wonder, and drive,” said the composer. “The cello and voice eventually intertwine and finally come together in the form of their theme “Stephen Trains Alessia,” with a call and response between the instruments.” But the score holds much more than these themes in its 37 tracks. In contrast, the themes remain integral to the divers and their connection. Desai provides an ongoing sonic palette that musically captures the aquatic feel of being underwater – far more profound than many would feel comfortable! – while maintaining the connection between the two divers as they enjoy the peril of the depths while viewers may admire their courage and ability. While watching the film, viewers may unintentionally hold their breaths! (review continues below):
Watch the film’s trailer here:
“Desai’s all-enveloping score sings the body aquatic with a similar grace of beauty and danger,” writes Daniel Schweiger in his introduction to a thorough interview with Desai about this score. “Female voices befitting the sirens of the deep swim with neo-classical melody, enveloping electronic production values, and ticking clock danger that merges with the moments of quiet where only heartbeats and waves are heard. It’s music that not only captures the depths and the determination to go to the physical limit of endurance but, perhaps most importantly, to hear two people in a lyrical, high-pressure dance with the most unexplored areas on Earth – creating a score that’s lyrically transcendent as it plunges downwards to the limit of endurance.”
The film is streaming now on Netflix. Purchase/Stream the digital soundtrack here.
Listen to Desai’s opening theme, here:
GODZILLA MINUS ONE/Naoki Sato/Rambling Records, Japan/CD
The soundtrack for the roaringly successful GODZILLA MINUS ONE (aka ???-1.0) is an unusual, intriguing, and highly effective score by Naoki Sato (the SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO film, RUROUNI KENSHIN, THE ETERNAL ZERO, and PARASYTE live-action film series. Produced by Toho Studios and Robot Communications and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., GODZILLA MINUS ONE is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, Toho’s 33rd Godzilla film, and the fifth film in the franchise’s Reiwa era. The film is a period piece, taking place in 1945, just at the end of World War II. Thus, the film arrives during a time of much discussion about Japan’s military future. Governments, bureaucracies, and military institutions that have blundered their way through many a Godzilla adventure are largely unseen, with the emphasis focused on civilians taking collective action in the face of seemingly inevitable obliteration, which gives it both a new historical perspective and reality but allows the film to proceed within the boundaries of that history perhaps more than any previous Godzilla film has done. Naoki Sato’s score for GODZILLA MINUS ONE is unusual in that it’s a reasonably subdued score from Sato’s perspective, which occupies 14 tracks, examining the events from the hopelessness and desperation of the Japanese people as they are inflicted by Godzilla’s roaring rampage across their countryside; with more droning or murmuring in its sonic tension. That approach is a relatively unusual musical treatment from the perspective of previous GODZILLA film scores, saving Akira Ifukube’s “Requiem,” his lament for the Japanese people who have suffered from the attack(s) of Godzilla; this intensely sorrowful motif which denotes the emotions of the human characters. Sato chooses to evoke that tonal pathos and emotional evocation quite subtly throughout his score, examining the onslaught of Godzilla through the perspective of the Japanese people as their homeland is smashed by the arrival of the gigantic reptile, its footsteps, mighty tail, and roaring breath that causes untold destruction. He introduced his score through Godzilla’s first arrival (“Fear”), which provided a growing mass of rising tonality that suggests the power of the mighty reptile, on through other tracks that signify such patterns in the storyline as “Portent,” “Confusion,” ‘Elegy,” “Hope,” “Pain,” “Last,” “Pray,” with “Resolution” the most potent track with rising orchestra and heady choir. “Godzilla Suites I, II, and III” evoke the familiar Ifukube treatments from his previous GODZILLA films, adding a tremendous ominous presence. At the same time, Sato’s more passive sonic behaviors suggest the perspective of the Japanese people. Both treatments evoke the perspective and personal horror of Godzilla’s rampage through Tokyo. Richard Kuipers writes of the score for Variety: “Naoki Sato’s subtle orchestral score is perfectly in tune with the film’s emotional undercurrents and leaps wonderfully to life when Big G goes on the warpath. It’s always a pleasure to hear Akira Ifukube’s original Godzilla Theme nicely incorporated into the soundscape.”
For more commentary, read Mark Hughes’s detailed review and commentary of GODZILLA Minus One as a potent and seriously excellent movie in Forbes magazine (YES, Forbes magazine!) here
Listen to Naoki Sato’s mid-score track, “Resolution,” from GODZILLA Minus One:
HE NEVER LEFT/Randin Graves/Howlin’ Wolf Records - CD
Howlin’ Wolf’s latest horror film soundtrack is Randin Graves’ HE NEVER LEFT, a deliciously grisly thriller written and directed by James Morris from Witching Season Films (their second feature film). The movie tells the story of Gabriel, a federal fugitive wanted for murder, and his girlfriend Carly, after hearing strange noises coming from an adjoining room, inadvertently become targets of the notorious Pale Face killer, whose legend has consumed and haunted the local community for decades. Composer Graves provides a compelling mix of sonic disturbiana that keeps the viewer on edge throughout the film. “We didn’t want retro 1980s synths a la John Carpenter for this film… so I went with 2020’s synths mixed with orchestra in an effort to tribute this crucial influence on Witching Season Films in a fresh way,” Graves explained in his liner notes. “The score opens with an airy drone, an eerie yet somehow emotional synthesizer pad, and a few simple notes on a slightly distorted, distant-sounding synthesizer sound that resembles, at times, a piano and, at times, a harp. It plays only one note at a time; no harmony. This is the story of lonely, disturbed, and desperate people, and this is their sound.” Grave’s score creeps and burbles in its sonic tension and occasional moments of reflection (“Mirror In The Bathroom,” for example) before reacting to the rising cadences in the second half of the previously calm, nearly six-minute apprehension of “A Worse Set Of Circumstances” and its raging companion track, “This Should Have Been Easy”). “The Gasbari Redemption” offers a moment of poignant solemnity before “The Mother of All Scary Things” raises its 3:51 mountain of grim ferocity, followed by the titles’ tonal reminder that “They’re Gonna Come Back,” after which, at six minutes, the End Title cue reprises the breathy timbre of the somberly fulminating Main Title track with its heavy tension growing more recurrently, dappled by eerie, plucked tones. HE NEVER LEFT makes a very enjoyable listen on its own. A couple of tracks (2, 15, 17), trimmed for their use in the film, are provided in their original lengths as extended album versions, allowing their longer forms to be heard most effectively. Graves’ main title is remarkably potent (track 2), as its length offers an especially rich sonic powerhouse of distinctive propulsion. The album concludes with two of four songs that are heard in the film: the aptly titled You’re Not Alone” by country singer Randy Gravis and “911 (Sadie)” by the band Spin Syndicate, which add an enjoyable and relatively calming tenor to conclude the score’s horrific tensions.
For more details, see Howlin’ Wolf Records.
Watch the film’s trailer:
HORSE CLUB ADVENTURES 2/Winifred Phillips/Wild River Games - digital
Winifred Phillips is a master of digital synthesis and a BAFTA-nominated composer whose credits include titles in seven of the most well-known franchises in gaming: ASSASSIN’S CREED, GOD OF WAR, LINEAGE, LITTLEBIGPLANET, THE SIMS, TOTAL WAR, and WIZARDRY. She recently composed a delightful blend of adventure and pastoral music for THE HORSE CLUB ADVENTURES: Complete Collection was made by Wild River Games in association with Schleich, makers of the popular HORSE CLUB international brand igniting children’s joy of storytelling. Music from one of her latest projects just won two gold Awards in the NYX Game Awards – Best Music for a Nintendo Switch Game and Best Original Game Soundtrack for the music of the Horse Club Adventures franchise. From folk to jazz, the gentle fragrance of bucolic country music to the restful croaking of a happy frog on a misty evening, and much more, her score is a thorough delight, as much to listen to on its own as in the gameplay of the HORSE CLUB ADVENTURES. Through a creative partnership with the Altitude Underscore record label of BMG, the music she composed for HORSE CLUB ADVENTURES is now available in two folk music albums – Joyful Folk and Gentle Folk! Grab the two albums at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBD86RTR and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBD82BYG). To hear the soundtrack as it is heard during gameplay, enjoy twenty-five tracks available to stream here, or listen to a 10-minute highlights video of music samples from the game, including Winifred’s music as it was featured during gameplay. For more information on Winifred, take a gentle visit to her website, http://www.winifredphillips.com/.
KARUSELL (CAROUSEL; aka HALLOWEEN PARK)/Cristian Sandquist/Movie Score Media Digital + CD
KARUSELL is a fun and shuddery Halloween horror film produced by Swedish composer Cristian Sandquist and directed by Simon Sandquist. Sandquist’s score for this 2023 horror feature depicts what happens when an exclusive private Halloween night at Liseberg quickly turns into a true nightmare. Park manager Fiona is tasked with caring for some former friends who won an exclusive private sneak preview of Halloween at Liseberg – a whole night alone in the empty park. But cotton candy, lovely rides, and lots of laughter soon turn into something completely different as they realize they are not alone in the park. Sandquist develops a compelling sound world of his score, encompassing some 32 cues, beginning with a moody and menacing central theme that opens the score with a swath of synth arpeggios, imposing brassy tonalities, and slowly but menacing drums growing in vigor, calming at the midpoint with a series of eerie timbres before resuming with heightened drumming and rising tempi from synths before shattering into floating elements slowly evaporating into nothing. It’s a splendid opening that drives an evocative and spooky foundation for the following score. For the film’s villain, a crazed homicidal maniac, Sandquist establishes a ponderously disturbing three-note motif that is associated with our Halloween executioner, illustrated in “Meeting Horror,” opening with some quivering chimes which soon depart, and we are given a series of dark, wavering sonorities and gathering assemblage of growing tones, closing with the killer’s twinging chimes; elements which will resonate throughout the dark arenas of Halloween Park. “After some consideration, my first priority in the score became the villain,” explained the composer. “I came up with a simple not rooted in major or minor. This freed me up to play the more emotional and big heroic stuff in minor key without it being connected to the crazy murderer. I created a good amount of original Kontakt instruments from my samples (including a vintage Oberheim OB-Xa, Make Noise Strega, a Brazilian-made EMW WCS-1 synth, and my old Ensoniq EPS sampler).” These elements, and others, create the film’s menacing mood while providing opportunities for specific shocks and superlative moments of anxiety and dread. “That’s Not a Knife” is a particularly effective cue, with its very dark intonations. These rapid-fire synth notes gather among various pensive sounds, arpeggiated piano chords, and a growing rise of pure sonic intensity, culminating in gathered, haunting choral sonorities. “Surprise, I’m a Killer” offers some vividly suspenseful dark elements, balanced by heady drumming, chanting voices, groups of synthetic patterns, low, oozing, dark synth eruptions, and various transforming textures. “Balder Meeting” and “The Ascension” are wonderful patterns of sonic arrays as Sandquist’s progression of dynamic synths, drums, choral chanting, and richly textured, thunderous interludes. The score is full of these intense moments of shocks and shudders, providing KARUSELL with a deliciously high volume of musical thrills and unsettling sonic entertainment on its soundtrack as it does in its movie. Suggest proper volume through headphones for maximum enjoyment. This score, in all its frightening sonic treasures, is an excellent musical listening experience and is highly recommended.
Listen to the track “Karusell” and others, via MSM:
LIFE ON OUR PLANET/Lorne Balfe/ Netflix Music, Digital
Netflix Music has released nine digital soundtrack albums for their outstanding documentary series, LIFE ON OUR PLANET, an epic story of life’s epic battle to conquer and survive on planet Earth. Today, there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time – 99% of Earth’s inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The story of what happened to these dynasties – their rise and their fall – is truly remarkable. In partnership with Industrial Light & Magic, the series uses the latest technology and science to bring long-extinct creatures back to life. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and from executive producer Steven Spielberg and the Emmy® Award-winning team behind OUR PLANET, featuring a dynamic score from Grammy-winning composer Lorne Balfe. All albums were recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal National Orchestra and featured Anna Lapwood on the organ, which was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The score is a massive production; Balfe creates a compelling main theme that circulates around the nine episodes, augmented by all manner of motifs and treatments for the creatures, environments, and extraordinary changes our Earth has endured over its 4.54 billion years of existence (of which life has existed, in one form or another, for about 3.7 billion years old. The series is a fascinating historical account aided by science, fossil records, and geological history, aided very much by the composer’s richly flavored score and the soothing narration of Morgan Freeman.
Working on the score, Balfe says: “It has been incredible to be a part of the making of LIFE ON OUR PLANET. Being able to work on a show that reflects the passages of time musically has been an enjoyable challenge. From start to finish, this project has been captivating and humbling, and I’ve found myself on a real journey of understanding life on our planet. All the conversations around the score focused on the emotion. I spent much time researching the earliest musical instruments, such as the bone flutes discovered in ancient caves. By fusing this historical knowledge with modern electronic production techniques, I aimed to create a blend of the past and present, resulting in an auditory and visual experience that occasionally blurs the lines between the two.” A vinyl album is being offered from Digger’s Factory of the first (introductory) episode, intended for release in February 2024; for details, click this link.
Purchase/Stream link here. Listen to Lorne Balfe’s Main Theme for LIFE ON OUR PLANET:
Watch the LIFE ON OUR PLANET trailer:
THE MUSIC OF GÜNTHER (GENE) KAUER/ Günther Kauer/Kronos - CD
This recent collection contains the music of two Science Fiction films from the late Golden Age of Cinema. MONSTROSITY is a 1963 Sci-Fi/Horror film about an aging woman’s plot to have her brain implanted in the body of a sexy young woman. The film is a bit of an oddity but has its charm; the musical score was composed by Günther “Gene” Kauer (1921-1983), who created in MONSTROSITY a slightly eerie-sounding concoction necessitating a very small ensemble mainly using a few winds, a harpsichord, some percussion, and a variety of sounds on hand, from what sounds like scrapped sandpaper, ringing bells, cymbal hits, and an obligatory echoed reverberating motive that keep listeners mildly threatened. He was co-credited in both scores by his musical partner Douglas M. Lackey (1932-2016), who scored dozens of films from the ’60s to the ’80s, perhaps most attributed to scoring the Japanese sci-fi thriller MESSAGE FROM OUTER SPACE but was best known as a music editor from the 60s to the mid-2000s. While its lack of a decent orchestra is noticeable, the composers offer sufficiently effective use to create simple musical attention, which provides a degree of suspense and danger for CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS for its day – a 1960 Sci-Fi/Horror thriller in which the bodies of a couple, killed in an auto accident, are assumed by extraterrestrial beings who intend to use them to sabotage the U. S. space program. Thirty-five tracks are offered for MONSTROSITY and 22 for CANAVERAL MONSTERS, which provides a treatment similar to that of MONSTROSITY. However, they appear to have a slightly larger musical assembly with more energy and verve. They include a prominent orchestra featuring nicely driven brass, a rhythm section, heavier percussion, and even a bit of electricity in the track “Dog Chase.” The score is given a hefty action/sci-fi treatment in the 60s style with mild but effective themes and a solid rhythmic section, which makes for a much more engaging listen. The finale offers the richest assemble of the bunch, ending the film with a more dexterous use of strings and winds to give the film more of a dramatic conclusion, culminating in a pleasing, happy ending. Both scores are enjoyable, despite their mix of limited resources, and are welcome efforts from early 60s sci-fi. The album, limited to 300 copies, is available from Kronos Records here.
NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU/Joseph Trapanse/Hollywood Records. Digital/vinyl
From 20th Century Studios, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU is a captivating sci-fi/psychological thriller introducing Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever), a creative and talented young woman alienated from her community. Lonely but ever hopeful, Brynn finds solace within the home’s walls where she grew up—until she’s awakened one night by strange noises from decidedly unearthly intruders. What follows is an action-packed face-off between Brynn and a host of extraterrestrial beings who threaten her future while forcing her to deal with her past. Written and directed by Brian Duffield, the film features music by composer Joseph Trapanese. The film is an outstanding alien science fiction tale, at first a little alien confrontation thriller, but when it takes you in a few directions you haven’t anticipated, Joseph Trapanese’s score works them out quite well.
Brynn is a seamstress who lives alone in her childhood home in a forest on the outskirts of a small town. She leads a solitary existence and is shunned by the local townspeople. One night, she awakens to discover that a humanoid alien has broken into her home. The score begins with a homespun piano melody, but an eerie synth line beckons something gradually more menacing. “Hiding from her Past” introduces the nature of Brynn’s turmoil and her instability… but then an eerie tension, along with a series of roiling violin threads, harbors the entrance of an alien creature wandering around the farmhouse (“First Contact”) as Brynn does her best to hide from it. Trapanese’s music gathers various sonic elements that increase Brynn’s and the audiences’ growing apprehension as additional aliens come to the fore. Brynn discovers that many townsfolk now appear under the parasites’ control.
“One of the biggest keys to creating tension through music is understanding how little you need to do. When is silence more effective than music? When is one note more effective than ten notes?” Trapanese described in an episode of Hollywood Records’ THE BIG SCORE, reflecting on his music from NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU. In the podcast, he reveals the techniques to craft a unique sonic fingerprint, blending orchestral elements with altered textures that lead us through an exhilarating yet terrifying cinematic nightmare. “One of the most unique things about working on NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU is that there was not a lot of dialogue, and as a composer, that’s a bit of a dream… The music of NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU I would describe as surprisingly organic. We wanted the score to feel a little foreign still, so one of the techniques I would use was prerecord. [We] normally have the orchestra at the end of the film; well, this time, I recorded little fragments of ideas and heavily tweaked [them] so it was still organic but it was either de-tuned or reversed. It didn’t sound like your traditional orchestra, but it still sounded organic… Sonically, the sound of NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU has some classic orchestra elements happening, but then I would do weird things with them, like I would take two oboes and make them play really high. They couldn’t quite play perfectly in tune. There was always something off about it that didn’t feel quite right. The alien theme is more sound than theme. It’s not necessarily a melody, but it’s a grouping of sounds that you’re going to hear when their presence is felt. There’s also a sound that I like to call, like the danger or warning sound, which was trombones and French horns bending their notes. Everyone knows the trombone has a slide, which means the trombone can bend pitch, just like a violin or cello. You know Brynn is in danger when you hear that sound in the film.”
Trapanese also took string glissandos going down, but reversed, so that they evolve over time and get thicker and they become a kind of cloud of sound. The combined effect created a massive feeling of dread. He also created an odd, alien melody by having strings play a melody in reverse, making sounds unnaturally eerie. “The unique thing about the NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU score is its cinematic feel, yet with its highly altered textures,” said Trapanese. The composer’s use of altered textures, reversing, slowing, and pitching the sound down gives the score its unique sonic fingerprint. “There’s something so bizarre about it, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.” The track “On The Bus” harbors a particularly frightening, rolling percussion and deep synth runs, adding eerie metallic sounds that culminate in a recurring sheen of rolling texture that powerfully builds suspense; elsewhere in “Storm Chaser,” he manifests a cobweb of creepy tendrils of sound that build like buzzing insects or scurrying noisy mice beneath powerful dark brass tones. The result is a highly unusual, frightening, drifting mix of sonic texture that gives the film its scary and unsteady atmosphere, keeping Brynn’s predicament and determination constantly at the forefront while encompassing a distinctive journey from start to finish.
In addition to Hollywood Records’ digital soundtrack, Waxwork Records is releasing a vinyl edition that is expected to ship on January 12, 2024.
Listen to the track “The Decision” via youtube:
STAR TREK: THE 1701 COLLECTION Volume 2/La-La Land Records – CD
La-La Land Records and CBS Studios offer a second helping of their limited edition 1701 Collection CD releases, which showcase original scores from the classic sci-fi TV series. Containing music originally from the CD label’s long out-of-print 2012 Original Series Box Set, “these exciting volumes utilize the same restored master as that acclaimed release but feature new packaging by Dan Goldwasser, along with brand new, exclusive liner notes by film music writer and Trek historian, Jeff Bond,” writes the label. “This ground-breaking, iconic music from one of television’s most acclaimed and beloved series is now again available for fans everywhere!” For those who may have missed the original 2012 box set, these new editions are STAR TREK gold, offering a splendid compendium of classic TREK music, from its central theme and unique arrangements thereof through adventure, action, pathos, heroism, danger, occasional humor, and effectively all other kinds of storytelling which have made the classic series (and its subsequent iterations) so beloved, making the best out of its relatively small orchestras and the ingenious minds of its many composers (which, in this volume, focus on Sol Kaplan, Joseph Mullendore, Gerald Fried, Wilbur Hatch, Fred Steiner, and of course multiple statements of Alexander Courage’s central theme). “STAR TREK was a platform for dramatic scoring unprecedented in the history of television – or indeed in film in 1966,” Jeff Bond wrote in his 22-page liner notes. “The palette was the universe – of at least, the galaxy – as composers were given the opportunity to explore strange new worlds along with the crew of the Enterprise week after week. The result was some of the most dynamic and memorable music ever written for television.” Maintaining its powerful and emotive connection with the STAR TREK universe, La-La Land’s latest 2-CD limited edition of 1701 units [hence its numeric title] illustrates how the original TREK series scores not only abound with action (“Distress Signal, - Friday’s Child” – Gerald Fried), adventure (“Standoff [Library Version #1] – City on the Edge of Forever” – Fred Steiner), danger (“The Lascivious Captain – The Enemy Within” – Sol Kaplan), passion (“Lenore – The Conscience of the King” – Joseph Mullendore), trepidation (“Starship/Captain Kirk – Catspaw” – Gerald Fried), and sublime sonority (“Main Title – 2nd Season, Soprano Version” – Alexander Courage). Beyond the necessary music, STAR TREK has always boldly gone to explore new sonic evocations and to seek new musical elements, as the label notes, how the composers have “infused [its stories] with deep emotion and the greatness of the human spirit. Such characteristics have kept these richly orchestrated tracks vital and relevant decades beyond their original recording.” Thus, we have a marvelous set as La-La Land continues to keep the Star Trek musical flags flying proud and high with future volumes of this series. See La-La Land Records here. Also, the 1701 Collection Volume was released in November; see here.
PLANET OF LANA/Takeshi Furukawa/Sony Music via Snowing Music LLC
A young girl and her loyal friend embark on a rescue mission through a colorful world full of cold machines and unfamiliar creatures. PLANET OF LANA is a cinematic puzzle adventure framed by an epic sci-fi saga that stretches across centuries and galaxies. It’s a planetary landscape once a place of undisturbed balance between humans, nature, and animals, which has now become something else entirely. The disharmony that had been in the making for hundreds of years has finally arrived in the form of a faceless army. But this is not a war story; this is a story about a vibrant, beautiful planet –and the journey to keep it that way. PLANET OF LANA is a 2023 puzzle-platform game developed by Wishfully Studios and published by Thunderful Publishing for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. In the game, the player assumes control of a teenage girl named Lana and her cat companion Mui as they explore a fictional planet invaded by hostile alien machines. The game was inspired by cinematic platformers such as INSIDE, while films from Studio Ghibli inspired its visuals. Composer Takeshi Furukawa, who previously worked on THE LAST GUARDIAN, reached out to Wishfully and offered to work on the game’s soundtracks after looking at its artwork. Ericksson added that the game’s music plays a “pretty integral part of the story.”
PLANET OF LANA is “a peaceful linear puzzle game. And that’s no crime,” notes Toby Anderson in his review of the game online. “But just don’t expect an intricate map, hub areas, quests, items, etc. It’s as simple as it can be, concentrating instead on the journey and the traversal puzzles… At 5 hours runtime, it’s a lovely distraction, and it was beautiful to watch [but] the puzzles are too simple.” That may not attract players seeking a heavier style of action and quests. Still, from a musical standpoint, Furukawa’s score is delightfully melodic and paints a colorful picture of its environment and the journeys therein. I’m not a gamer, so I found the game’s sonic treasures pleasing, lyrical, and captivating, though I recognize that’s not what hardcore gamers likely want in their gaming action. Sony’s soundtrack album, however, is a thorough delight, sometimes reminiscent of Studio Ghibli musical traditions in its captivating harmonies and pleasing tuneful treasures. I rate the soundtrack relatively high and worth a very enjoyable listen. The game soundtrack is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and other game soundtrack curators.
Listen to the track “Tailo Village” via youtube:
ROZYCZKA 2/Little Rose 2/Bartosz Chajdecki/Chajdecki
Sequel of the 2010 film ROZYCZKA (Little Rose), scored by Michal Lorenc, Bartos Chajdecki has created a score for this political thriller with a compelling classical sound that fits the character of the film, anchored in the past as it resonated with the first film, which was shot almost 20 years ago and was very “old school” movie. This is the story of Joanna, a very successful female politician who discovers the truth about who her real father is and subsequently needs to confront the dark past of her mother in communist times in Poland, resulting in the discovery that she has a Jewish heritage. Joanna decides to conduct a historical investigation and unravel the mystery that casts a shadow on her family. As Joanna’s world is shattered by a terrorist attack that claims her husband’s life, she is thrust into a whirlpool of personal investigation, brought on by compromising photos and documents suggesting her mother’s past collaboration with the Security Service. ROZYCZKA 2, a gripping sequel that explores love, loss, identity, and resilience, marks a new chapter in Polish cinema. Chajdecki’s score is magnificently poignant, characterizing Joanna’s crumbling world as she finds her own identity and is forced to face her blackmailer and make a choice that will change her life forever. The score offers numerous lovely and delicate tracks that poignantly move across each of the soundtrack’s 20 tracks and just over an hour of musical length, from the opening “Aria” to the wistful and melancholy air of “Papieros – Cigarette” and the especially poignant “Wspomnienie – Remembrance,” the more aggressive tension of “Smierc – Death,” and the rapidly flowing marcato choir of “Napasc – Assault,” the high, poignant strings of “Adagio,” which softly slides down in its second half, ending in a grieved but cathartic resolve. And much more in the score’s twenty cues and three bonus tracks (the mesmerizing “Fugato,” emergent ornamental “Decyzja – Decision” and reflective “Fuga – Fugue” chorale), Chajdecki’s music here is an emergent and softly constraining “Prawda - The Truth” with the rising ethereal vocalese and haunting pitch of its second movement, through to the conclusive restatement of “Przysz?osc – Future” from the opening track. He also brings in two marvelous vocalists on the tracks “Truth and Reconciliation” (Anna Witczak-Czerniawska) and “Aria” (soprano Liliana Pociecha). It’s a wonderfully and thoroughly captivating score that the composer has elevated to an affecting musical drama, and it is highly recommended!
Listen to the tracks on Spotify, here.
TERRAHAWKS/Richard Harvey/Silva Screen – digital
Silva Screen Records has digitally released Richard Harvey’s soundtrack for the 1980s science fiction series TERRAHAWKS. Gerry Anderson and Christopher Burr’s TERRAHAWKS turns 40 this autumn. On Saturday, October 8, 1983, TERRAHAWKS was broadcast for the first time on ITV; the cult show was Anderson’s first in over a decade to use puppets for its characters and his last. Set in the year 2020, the series followed the adventures of the TERRAHAWKS, a task force responsible for protecting Earth from invasion by a group of extraterrestrial androids and aliens led by Zelda. Three seasons totaling 39 episodes were produced. Like Anderson’s previous puppet series, futuristic vehicles and technology featured prominently in each episode. TERRAHAWKS used latex muppet-style hand puppets to animate the characters, in a process Anderson dubbed Supermacromation. That was primarily dictated by the relatively low budget (latex hand puppets being much cheaper to produce than the sculpted wooden marionettes of the previous series). Still, the absence of strings allowed for much smoother movement and could be used to create the illusion of the puppets walking more quickly. For TERRAHAWKS, Anderson realized that the development of synthesized music afforded a much cheaper cost than the orchestras used by Barry Gray in the 1960s. Thus, Richard Harvey was called in to score the new series; he had worked extensively with film composer Maurice Jarre in the late 1970s, which Anderson felt made him an excellent choice to compose the music for TERRAHAWKS, combining his knowledge of orchestral music with synthesized music techniques. Anderson and his business partner Christoper Burr had regular meetings with Harvey to discuss the style of music that they wanted for TERRAHAWKS, particularly the central theme, which was envisaged as a combination of the “best bits” of the themes to STAR WARS, E.T. and DALLAS. By today’s standards, the relatively simple treatment of TERRAHAWKS 1980s-era synths and disco drums is pretty wild, but take a musical journey back to 1983 and enjoy Harvey’s theme and action/drama/sci-fi treatments. For the era, they were quite the bee’s knees! His central theme is a nice tuneful piece with a synth choir bridging the main tune, which drifts into a slightly STAR WARS-esque melody; the end credits depict a tic-tac-toe game between the heroes and the invaders, which changed from episode to episode (Have a taste of the “Selda Rap” on track 9). The album features the memorable opening theme, original musical cues from the show, hit singles released at the time of airing (sung by the character Kate Kestrel - and enjoy 1980’s-style disco-pop with “S.O.S.") and, for the first time, a newly remastered version of the ‘Terrahawks Suite’ performed by a full orchestra at the Stand By For Action! concert, recorded at Birmingham Symphony Hall in April 2022. It’s both a striking presentation of a unique 1980s sci-fi theme and a very likable treatment of wide-ranging episode music that imparts a variety of synthetic instruments of the day. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Listen to Harvey’s TERRAHAWKS main theme and end titles,
here.
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Film & TV Music News
Lifetime Achievement Award “Switzerland Literary Prize” was bestowed to composer and conductor Marco Werba. Known in Italy and abroad, his professional portfolio includes feature films such as “Zoo,” Giallo,” “Pop Black Posta,” “The Island of Forgiveness, and much more. GOFFREDO E L’ITALIA CHIAMÒ – IL FILM” by Angelo Antonucci is his latest work, a historical movie dedicated to Goffredo Mameli, author of the lyrics of the Italian National Anthem. The Award ceremony occurred on the evening of October 7th at the “Lux Art House” in Massagno (Lugano).
Daniel Pemberton has won Best Score – Animated Film at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards for his work on SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE. Congrats Daniel!
Composer Nainita Desai is scoring the epic Disney 10-part fantasy action-adventure series, NAUTILUS, which tells the epic, legendary origin story of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is coming to AMC and AMC+ in 2024. “It’s been the biggest musical challenge and adventure of a lifetime; a dream job with the best directors and producers to whom I’m so grateful to for their trust and support in giving me this unique opportunity,” she said in a Facebook post. “I’ve relished every second of it, writing themes and melodies evocative of how scores used to be written in the ‘golden olden days,’ but also with modernity and fun twisted elements and sounds thrown in for good measure. How many times do you get to compose for Giant Squids and fantastical worlds such as Atlantis? Or to record for the better part of 2023 with a great orchestra in Vienna, to score the immersive Nautilus experience at Disneyland Paris, and be inspired by an incredible cast, story, and visuals?!”
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is a sports drama based on the non-fiction book written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great
Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals worldwide. The music is composed by Alexandre Desplat. Watch the film’s trailer:
Volker Bertelmann has won the Film Composer of the Year Award at the 23rd World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert on Saturday, October 21, at Capitole Ghent. He had been nominated in this category once before and has returned victorious. Nicholas Britell received the Television Composer of the Year Award. He has won this award for the second time in a row, the third time in this category, and his sixth WSA award overall. “Your Personal Trash Man Can” from THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL Season 5 was presented with the Best Original Song Award and became the first song from a series to win the prize. Simon Franglen took home the Discovery of the Year Award, while Amelia Warner was honored with the Public Choice Award. Film Fest Gent’s Music Director, Maestro Dirk Brossé, who conducted the Brussels Philharmonic on this magical evening, composed the Best Original Score for a Belgian Production. Nicola Piovani and Laurence Rosenthal each received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
David Sardy (ZOMBIELAND, ONE DAY AS A LION, THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON) and Jared Michael Fry (BIG CATS, SAFEHOUSE, additional music for BLACKLIGHT) have scored THE BEEKEEPER, in which one man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.” Directed by David Ayer (FURY, SUICIDE SQUAD), the film stars Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, with Phylicia Rashad and Jeremy Irons. The film opens in theaters January 12, 2024.
A new and relatively little-known Marvel character, one of Marvel Publishing’s most enigmatic heroines, is coming to the big screen with MADAME WEB. The film tells her origin story; it is being distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing and is intended to be the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). Dakota Johnson stars in the title role alongside Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, and Tahar Rahim. The movie is scored by Swedish composer Johan Söderqvist, known for Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, and the music to the Oscar-nominated sea-going Norwegian film KON-TIKI. The film is scheduled to be released to theaters in the United States on February 14, 2024. Watch MADAME WEB’s trailer:
Disney’s latest cinematic animation, WISH, has been scored by David Metzger, a former orchestrator and arranger for TARZAN. WISH marks a monumental milestone as his debut project as the sole composer. With WISH, Metzger transports us to a world where dreams come true, wishes are granted, and the power of music fills our hearts with wonder. In addition, Metzger, with his experience on Disney projects like FROZEN and MOANA, was the ideal choice to compose the score for the latest Disney short, ONCE UPON A STUDIO, marking the 100th anniversary. This heartwarming story revives beloved characters, paying tribute to Walt Disney, while Metzger’s beautifully crafted music will resonate with audiences everywhere.
Hans Zimmer is set to score the upcoming survival thriller EDEN. The film is directed by Ron Howard and stars Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, and Daniel Bruhl. The movie is based on a mystery that unfolded on a remote island in the Galapagos and charts the lengths humans will go to in pursuit of happiness. The film was slated to start production in late November in Australia. Zimmer’s other upcoming projects include Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE: PART TWO (to be released in theaters on March 15, 2024) and the Sky/Peacock limited series THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, which will debut in 2024. – via filmmusicreporter
In additional Zimmer news, the third trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE Part 2 has been released – watch it on youtube:
David Schweitzer has composed the music for the documentary series JOHN LENNON: MURDER WITHOUT A TRIAL, now on AppleTV and directed by Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream. “Mark Russell co-composed the score for episodes 2 & 3, and I had indispensable help from Gus Nicholson, who also composed additional music on the show,” Schweitzer wrote in a Facebook post. “Fantastic playing courtesy of Nick Holland (cello), Flora Curzon (violin), Georgia Russell (viola), and Graeme Flowers (trumpet). It’s a very evocative doc with fantastic footage of New York (and John, of course) in 1980 and quite a bit of previously unseen footage. Kiefer Sutherland narrates it, so anyone who’s been missing ‘24’ the last few years might enjoy it too! Last month, before it came out, the series won ‘Best True Crime Documentary’ at the Critics Choice Awards in New York.”
Watch the film’s trailer here.
THE CELLO is a 2023 Saudi Arabian horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II-IV, SPIRAL) and written by Turki Al Alshikh, based on Alshikh’s novel. The film stars Jeremy Irons, Samer Ismail, Elham Ali, Souad Abdullah, Tobin Bell, and Muhannad Al Hamdi and is scored by Joseph Bishara. The story revolves around an aspiring cellist who acquires an insidious cello that begins to wreak havoc around him. The film was released in the United Arab Emirates on September 14, 2023, and in North America on December 8. Watch a deliciously gruesome scene from the movie in this preview from BloodyDisgusting.com.
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New Soundtrack News
Emmy-nominated and Grammy-winning composer Christopher Lennertz, known for his scores to GALAVANT, SAUSAGE PARTY, THE BOYS, GEN V, THE CURSE OF BRIDGE HOLLOW, and so much more, has added the role of director to his repertoire of talent, writing and co-directing the short film PACEMAKER, a trans-positive, Oscar-qualified animated musical short that premiered at Outfest and has garnered wins and accolades in festivals all over the world this year. The short film follows a lonely widower who needs a pacemaker to save his life; when he accepts his grandson’s identity and opens his heart, he receives a second opportunity at true love. The song is now on Lakeshore Records: [Purchase/Stream]. Watch the music video/behind-the-scenes clips for “Rhythm Of My Heart” below:
Quartet Records has announced its end-of-the-year soundtrack releases with six remarkable scores: beginning with John Barry, a suspense classic from the ’60s, a film adaptation of a classic play, and three television movies starring Katharine Hepburn: the complete score of SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON (1964) on Disc 1, a significant work previously missing from the composer’s discography, as well as A DOLL’S HOUSE (1973), one of Barry’s briefest scores: a single, sad melody for celeste, harp, harpsichord and piano, repeated three times during the film’s length. Disc 2 is devoted to three lovely telefilms: a trilogy of period play adaptations starring Katharine Hepburn: LOVE AMONG THE RUINS, THE CORN IS GREEN, and THE GLASS MENAGERIE, adapted from Tennessee Williams’ famous play, here celebrated pianist Silvia Mkrtchian has approximated the spirit of the original Barry recording. Includes splendid liner notes by Jon Burlingame. The label’s other end-of-the-year releases include John Williams’ scores for HEIDI (1968) and JANE EYRE (1970), liner notes by John Takis; an expanded and remastered 2-CD edition of James Horner’s the sensitive score to DAD, a family drama starring Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis and Ethan Hawke, with an in-depth essay by film music writer and conductor Deniz Cordell; an expanded and remastered 2-CD edition of 1979 Ennio Morricone’s classy thriller-drama score for Terence Young’s BLOODLINE, with album notes by John Takis; the premiere release of the early Michael Kamen score for 1982 British thriller VENOM, wherein terrorists attempt to kidnap a wealthy couple’s child only to find a deadly Black Mamba snake escapes and is trapped along with the terrorists and several hostages in the boy’s London home (liner notes by Jeff Bond); and Michael Giacchino’s emotionally and sensitive score for J.A. Bayona’s new film, SOCIETY OF THE SNOW, based on the Uruguayan 1972 Andes flight disaster in which the flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes; including a separate booklet featuring liner notes by Bayona. With three 2-CD and two single releases, all six are excellent additions to any soundtrack collection! For more details, see Quartet Records.
La-La Land Records has released its Christmas specials: One Fun Fantasy, a Hitchcock Thriller, Two Expanded James Horner Scores, and a John Williams Fantasy to hook you, have graced the label’s holiday offerings for December. From an ultimate, remastered presentation of Williams’ iconic score for HOOK, expanded beyond any previous soundtrack release, with never-before-released score, alternate tracks, songs and source music in a massive 3-disc presentation; Horner’s THE MASK OF ZORRO, a grand orchestral wonder that expertly melds authentic Hispanic colors with the Hollywood blockbuster, both modern and classic is highlighted within this deluxe 2-CD presentation – expanded with a bounty of never-before-released music; an expanded and remastered 2-CD presentation of his score to SNEAKERS, one of the legendary composer’s most original works while demonstrating his classical literacy and keen understanding of the needs of Hollywood cinema; also expanded is Maurice Jarre’s original score to the 1969 Hitchcock drama thriller TOPAZ, vividly demonstrating Jarre’s remarkable versatility and invention, the maestro here experimenting with early synths while employing orchestra in expert fashion; and finally offering, for the first time in any format, Henry Mancini’s original score for the 1966 big-screen romantic thriller MOMENT TO MOMENT, a long-buried musical treasure finally unearthed in all of its splendor!
For more details and to pre-order, see La-La Land Records.
The La-La Land label has also just released Marco Belrami’s score to the John Woo thriller SILENT NIGHT, about a tormented father who loses his voice while witnessing his young son die in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. So, he embarks on a punishing training regimen to avenge his son’s death. The film features limited spoken dialogue and stars Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. The soundtrack is now available to stream/download at these links. A CD version will be coming out later this month.
New Varèse Sarabande Releases for December Showcase offer two expanded soundtracks. SERENITY (2005) is the film sequel to Joss Whedon’s short-lived space-western TV series, FIREFLY (2002–03). Scoring SERENITY was David Newman. From worldbuilding to character comedy to harrowing action, the score runs the gamut – but always hews to a sense of family and “home” for the SERENITY and her offbeat crew. Varèse Sarabande’s 2005 soundtrack CD for SERENITY was released as a 23-track, 50-minute program. This new Deluxe Edition expands the album into a 2CD set, with 54 tracks featuring 90 minutes of prime David Newman sci-fi action, adventure, and emotion, as chronicled in new liner notes by Daniel Schweiger. Coming alongside the new SERENITY soundtrack is Randy Newman’s score to PLEASANTVILLE (1998), the high-concept fantasy-comedy about high-school siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) transported into an idyllic, black-and-white 1950s LEAVE IT TO BEAVER-type TV show. Newman had cheeky fun with the show-within-the-film’s old-school traditions, but just as the story blossoms into a heartfelt tale of emotional awakening – so does the gorgeous score. Varèse Sarabande released PLEASANTVILLE’S score album in 1998 as a 17-track, 31-minute edition. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary, this Deluxe Edition features an expanded program of 34 tracks and 66 minutes, with new liner notes by Tim Greiving. See more details at Varèse Sarabande.
Silva Screen Records Presents DOCTOR WHO: REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN, music by Carey Blyton with Peter Howell, and The BBC Radiophonic Workshop. This program was the season 12 finale, first broadcast on April 19, 1975. As with so much television music of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, the original master tapes of Carey Blyton’s score for REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN were not retained; the only surviving copy is a set of four 7”, 7.5ips “composer’s copy” domestic 1/4-inch tape. It is from those digital transfers that this release is taken. Sadly, and to Carey’s evident and understandable disappointment, the completed music did not meet with the complete approval of the production team, and much of it was not used. Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop added electronic embellishments and arranged additional cues for parts two and three. Still, some were also left on the proverbial cutting room floor. For this presentation, Carey’s original score is presented (and heard here for the first time) as written, followed by the additional, alternative, and “enhanced” cues, all of which were also on Carey Blyton’s tapes. Also released is DOCTOR WHO – TIME AND THE RANI, the opening serial of season 24, first broadcast on September 7, 1987. It marked the debut of Sylvester McCoy and featured CGI, very much in a basic form, as the technology was still in development. It also debuted a new computer-animated opening title sequence with a new synthesizer version of the theme created by Keff McCulloch. The composer was invited to create incidental music for the series and became a regular member of the team. Both of these DOCTOR WHO soundtracks are now available from Silva Screen.
Silva Screen has also just released “The Goblin Song,” a fiendishly catchy song from this year’s festive Christmas Day Doctor Who special. It is being released as a single, ahead of the big debut of the new season of DOCTOR WHO. “The Goblin Song” is an original composition created specifically for the Fifteenth Doctor’s festive debut by composer Murray Gold and writer Russell T Davies. “I don’t like these goblins, and you won’t either, but they have agreed to donate everything from their song to BBC Children in Need, so let’s not give up on them,” said Murray Gold. The single’s music video (see below) shares exclusive content from the eagerly awaited special as Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa takes his first adventure through time and space in the TARDIS. Stream or download the single here. Watch the short music video from “The Goblin Song” -
Sony Masterworks is releasing a soundtrack album for the Netflix animated film CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET, a sequel to Aardman Animation’s 2000 feature, CHICKEN RUN. Harry Gregson-Williams, who co-composed the previous film with John Powell, scores the new sequel; a digital soundtrack album is due on December 15 and is available for pre-order on Amazon. The Aardman Animations production follows a band of fearless chickens who flock together to save poultry-kind from a nearby farm that’s cooking up something suspicious. – via filmmusicreporter
Three titles appearing as the ninth, tenth, and eleventh films in the PUPPET MASTER horror franchise include PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL, PUPPET MASTER: AXIS RISING, and PUPPET MASTER: AXIS TERMINATION. Chapter 9 (AXIS OF EVIL, 2010) had music released previously, but this set also introduces music from chapters 10 and 11. All three scores offer thematic unity and stylistic common ground, but each has unique musical traits. Composer Richard Band does utilize his now-familiar Puppet Master Waltz theme but judiciously, primarily as opening and closing titles to bind scores with all earlier installments, along with plenty of new material. AXIS RISING includes considerable militaristic percussion writing and a new “resurrection theme”; AXIS TERMINATION allows Band to contribute a degree of warmth and humanity in his scoring. All three CDs are produced by Richard Band with mastering by Chris Malone and feature informative booklet notes by Daniel Schweiger. For more details, see Intrada.
Also from Intrada in early December is the world premiere release of Jerry Goldsmith’s original soundtrack from the 1977 WWII film MacARTHUR. Joseph Sargent directs with Gregory Peck starring as the famed titular character of General Douglas MacArthur. Goldsmith’s powerful score anchors with a sturdy, propulsive military march given an unusual introductory idea: left-hand piano rhythms played with mallets on the strings. A secondary idea heard as a “B” section of the composer’s march also gets considerable attention, becoming a central theme. MCA Records issued highlights in a re-recorded album at the time of the film’s release, but the actual film versions of Goldsmith’s score have never been released – until now. See more details at Intrada.
The BATMAN BEYOND Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1, featuring music from the acclaimed animated series’ first season, has been released. Produced by La-La Land’s MV Gerhard and mastered by James Nelson, this 2nd volume 4-CD set takes you through a treasure trove of astounding orchestral music that rivals any blockbuster feature film. Composers Shirley Walker, Harvey R. Cohen, Carlos Rodriguez, Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion, Carl Swander Johnson, and others are musically represented here, as well as Danny Elfman’s iconic theme. The 36-page CD booklet features exclusive, in-depth liner notes from writer John Takis. With 95 tracks chosen carefully from the show’s first 13 episodes, this long-awaited soundtrack, featuring a wealth of never-before-available tracks, is being released by Dynamic Soundtrack Records and will be available through all digital retailers and streamers.
Watch and listen to the BATMAN BEYOND main title on YouTube:
Holly Amber Church’s acclaimed score to MIRANDA’S VICTIM has been released digitally worldwide. The HMMA Award-nominated score arrives on the heels of the film’s recent limited theatrical and VOD release. You may recall Church’s memorable Emmy-nominated central title theme to Guillermo del Toro’s CABINET OF CURIOSITIES anthology. She is also known for scoring PRIVILEGED DECEIT (2023), FIRE ISLAND (2023), THE UNSETTLING (2022), THE MIRROR WITCH (2020), and OPEN 24 HOURS (2018), as well as creating the marvelous “Tiki Lounge TV Themes” vinyl album from Notefornote music in 2021. “Working with director Michelle Danner on the score for MIRANDA’S VICTIM was an absolute dream,” said Church. “Because it’s a true story, we felt a strong sense of duty to give it the justice and respect it deserved. Since the film is set in the 1960s, we wanted the score to reflect the films of that era, so we crafted an orchestral score with melodic themes.” The soundtrack is now available through Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, etc.
On November 3rd, Gardener Recordings released a soundtrack album for the DC Universe animated movie JUSTICE LEAGUE: WARWORLD. The album features the film’s original music composed by Michael Gatt (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, DC SUPER HERO GIRLS, BLOOD DRIVE). The Warner Bros. Animation production, directed by Jeff Wamester, follows the Justice League. They are swept away to a planet of unending brutal gladiatorial combat, where they must form a resistance and lead everyone to freedom. – via filmmusicreporter
Milan Records has released NAPOLEON (Soundtrack From The Apple Original Film) by BAFTA and Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Phipps. The album features an original score written by Phipps for director Ridley Scott’s action epic starring Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic French Emperor. In the first collaboration between Scott and Phipps, it was necessary to Scott that the music reflects Napoleon’s persona as an outsider from Corsica, with Phipps incorporating traditional Corsican choirs, Ensemble Organum and Ensemble Spartimu, across the score. This emphasis on authenticity extends to the score’s instrumentation. Phipps utilizes rougher folk instruments like the accordion and hurdy-gurdy and a piano once owned by Napoleon to capture the iconic ruler’s origins while creating a distinct soundscape for the film.
Listen to the track “We Are Discovered” from NAPOLEON via YouTube:
Composer Joe Kraemer reports that he has a new album on various digital services, with a CD version to be released in the new year. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the BBC Television show DOCTOR WHO, it’s a collection of music Kraemer has written for the BIG FINISH “Doctor Who” Audio Dramas. The album includes liner notes by director Ken Bentley; Available digitally from Amazon, BuySoundtrax and available on CD on Amazon on January 12th.
Sherri Chung (GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI, KUNG FU, RIVERDALE, BATWOMAN, BLINDSPOT) has released a soundtrack album for the horror thriller THE LONG NIGHT. The album features the composer’s original score from the film and is now available to stream/download on iTunes/Apple Music and most other major digital music platforms. THE LONG NIGHT is directed by Rich Ragsdale and stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Nolan Gerard Funk, Jeff Fahey, and Deborah Kara Unger. The movie follows a devoted couple’s quiet weekend and takes a bizarre turn when a nightmarish cult and their maniacal leader come to fulfill an apocalyptic prophecy. - via filmmusicreporter
Listen to the track “The Forest Dream” via YouTube:
THANKSGIVING – the slasher film directed by Eli Roth – is based on Roth’s fictitious trailer of the same name from GRINDHOUSE (2007). It is the third feature-length film to be adapted from one of the fictional trailers in Grindhouse after Robert Rodriguez’s MACHETE (2010) and Jason Eisener’s HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011). The film stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon. Composer Brandon Roberts (UNDERWATER, CHAOS WALKING, MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM, PET SEMATARY: BLOODLINES, THE TWILIGHT ZONE) has scored the film, and Sony has released a soundtrack album, available at these links.
Watertower Music has released the Season 2 soundtrack to the HBO® Max Series THE GILDED AGE, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and Rupert Gregson-Williams. “Picking up where we left off at the end of last season,” said the composers, “THE GILDED AGE Season 2 has provided us with an opportunity to develop our original themes and ideas from Season 1 and explore and invent a few new ones. As the Russell family faces class obstacles while working to break into New York Society, the sonic palette remains orchestral, with some colorful surprises. Plot twists and turns provide happy grounds for us to explore different instrumentation and thematic material.” Through their experimentation, the composers leaned into a more contemporary sound by adding various unexpected sounds to this traditional pallet, such as hammer dulcimer, kantele, and ukulele, as well as the occasional arpeggiated synth element. The 31-track THE GILDED AGE Season 2 Soundtrack is now available for streaming and digital purchase here.
Sony has also released James Newton Howard’s score to THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, featuring Yuja Wang on piano. Available at these links.
MovieScore Media has released the score to THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BARN, composed by Lasse Enersen. The film is a 2023 Norwegian-Finnish fantasy horror comedy directed by Magnus Martens, telling of an American family that encounters murderous elves after moving to Norway. The film premiered last September at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. See MSM here.
Watch the film’s official trailer here:
MSM has also released JACOB THE BAKER, composed by Sharon Farber for director by Gev Miron. Based on the international bestselling book series, the film follows a young reporter assigned to interview a world-renowned poet, philosopher, author, and theologian, Noah benShea. The reporter soon discovers how Noah and his fictional character Jacob provide help and hope to countless people across the globe. As the interview unfolds, an intimate revelation occurs, exposing the reporter’s hidden struggles. The film will be available on VOD and digital on December 15, 2023. Watch the trailer:
Fresh on the heels of Hulu’s ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 3 finale comes the ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING SEASON 3 Deluxe Soundtrack album, featuring killer performances from its cast as well as two bonus tracks and an original score by Siddhartha Khosla. He said about his score: “The musical score for ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING is built around several themes for our characters – feelings of love, loss, loneliness, and companionship. For this new season, I composed new themes for our new characters, one of which is a theme for Loretta (Meryl Streep). I had extensive conversations with showrunner John Hoffman and our editors about the musical needs of each scene, then I’d create the score and record it with our amazing live orchestral ensemble with our incredible players.” The soundtrack is available from the usual sources.
Netflix announces the release of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (Soundtrack From the Netflix Film) with music by Emmy-winning composer Mac Quayle. Mac crafted his own bespoke music library, complete with cues, motifs, and various sounds perfectly attuned to the film’s atmospheric nuances. He recorded an entire orchestra, including strings, brass, woodwinds, and a prominently featured piano, chopping up these sounds and putting them into a sampler. “When director Sam Esmail told me he was inspired by avant-garde orchestral music as a direction for the score, I knew I had to find a new way to develop a musical vocabulary for the film,” Mac said. “That new way turned out to be something old; composer Olivier Messiaen and his Messiaen Modes, specifically Mode 3. Using only nine notes, I wrote some of the most unusual orchestral music of my career and helped Sam tell his unsettling, apocalyptic story.” With this challenge of utilizing only the nine notes inherent in Messiaen Mode 3, ??Mac weaved an extraordinary tapestry of sound for the film. The 17-track soundtrack is available now on digital platforms here, including the original song “The Paradigm” by Lil Yachty.
Netflix Music has also released the official soundtrack album for the streamer’s original animated series BLUE EYE SAMURAI, featuring selections of the show’s original score composed by Amie Doherty (SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW, SPIRIT UNTAMED, UNDONE). Also included is a cover version of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” performed by Emi Meyer. The series is created by Amber Noizumi & Michael Green and features the voices of Maya Erskine, Brenda Song, Kenneth Branagh, Masi Oka, George Takei, Darren Barnet, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Randall Park. BLUE EYE SAMURAI follows half-white, half-Japanese swordmaster Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine), who lives a life in disguise – driven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast – cuts a bloody path toward her destiny during Japan’s Edo period (17th century). Via filmmusicreporter (see for a couple of music tracks from the series).
Watch the film’s trailer:
Notefornote music re-released last September’s original score to THE PUNISHER (1989) by composer Dennis Dreith, starring Dolph Lundgren. The CD is a limited edition of 500 CDs. Dennis will be signing up to 100 CD booklets (included with purchase) for the first customers to order this CD. First come, first served. See NFN here.
Lakeshore Records announces the release of NEXT GOAL WINS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with music by Michael Giacchino. The dynamic yet poignant score creates a multi-dimensional backdrop to the underdog sports theme of the film. Notes Giacchino: “As my first sports film, composing the score for NEXT GOAL WINS was an utter joy as I attempted to capture the essence of the Samoan soccer team’s underdog story. Taika Waititi’s ever unique vision only helped add to the films heart, wit and fun, allowing me to score moments of heartache, triumph and perseverance all culminating in a celebration of the spirit of community, the strength of individuals and the power of teamwork.” Purchase/Stream link.
Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, and Samuel L. Jackson. Intended to be a sequel to the movie CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019), a continuation of the television miniseries MS. MARVEL (2022), and the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), THE MARVELS begins with Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, reclaiming her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taking revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. Composer Laura Karpman has composed the series music, which nicely associates with her scores for the MCI’s T.V. series, 2021’s WHAT IF, and 2022’s MS. MARVEL. Commenting on the score, Karpman said, “I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about what a superhero is, both musically and in my daily life. Feminist superheroes are the inspiration behind ‘Higher. Further. Faster. Together.’ The composition refers to the Captain Marvel films, but here, this powerful superhero is not a solo act but part of a collaborative team. In my experience, teamwork always gets the hardest jobs done, from taking down a villain to fighting for equality and opportunity.”
Listen to THE MARVEL’s track “Higher. Further. Faster. Together” here:
Netflix Music has released the soundtrack album for the streamer’s original animated film, LEO. The album features the movie’s original score, composed by Geoff Zanelli. Also included are a variety of the project’s original songs. The animated comedy tells the story of a jaded 74-year-old lizard stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle when he learns he only has one year left to live and plans to escape to experience life on the outside. – via filmmusicreporter
Milan Records announces the November 17 release of MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) featuring music by composer Leopold Ross. The album features original score music Ross wrote for the Apple Original Series based on Legendary’s Monsterverse, an epic entertainment universe of interconnected stories featuring iconic characters like Godzilla, King Kong, the Titans, and more. Of the soundtrack, composer Ross says, “Contrary to its title, MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS unveils a human narrative at its core, delving into the essence of familial bonds. This underlying concept paved the way for a rich spectrum of emotions to be articulated in the score. The opportunity to pair heart-rending familial turmoil with the spectacle of titan battles and the unique prospect of crafting a theme for the indomitable screen legend Godzilla was a dream for a composer. I was honored to become a part of the legacy.” See details here.
Employees of the indoor fun park PHANTOM FUN WORLD find themselves targeted by a masked killer obsessed with the fictional character of The Phantom and the Park’s jaded history. Directed by indie filmmaker Tory Jones (THEY SEE YOU, WICKED ONES, ANGEL, THE WICKED ONE, THE KILLBILLIES), the film is scored by Frank Dormani, a film & TV composer and multi-instrumentalist from New York City. Frank blends orchestral elements & techniques with contemporary synthetic aspects to craft his composing style. “The composer has fashioned some wonderfully original edgy musical moments within the score, but he also kind of plays with the listener, providing the movie with vibrant and melodic passages that in effect lull the listener into a false sense of security,” writes film music journalist Jon Mansell in a detailed review of Bateman’s PHANTOM FUN WORLD score. “In many ways, the score is quite a simple one, the composer establishing a sense of menace in four reoccurring notes that open the running and also return in other cues; the core theme oozes a virulent and menacing aura, and also has within it a definite nod to composers such as Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter, Marco Beltrami, Jerry Goldsmith, and Christopher Young, all of whom always managed to create music for horrors that had to them a melodic or romantic side.” See Mansell’s full review here. The digital soundtrack is available from Notefornote Records here.
Listen to the cue “Fun World Massacre” from Frank Dormani’s PHANTOM FUN-WORLD:
Sony Masterworks has released a new soundtrack album for their fifth season of the FX original series FARGO, featuring original music from composer Jeff Russo, who scored each of the series’ five seasons to tape and who received his first Emmy Award for his score from FARGO’s Season 3. The new season, set in Minnesota and North Dakota, 2019 and follows a seemingly typical Midwestern housewife who is suddenly plunged back into a life she thought she had left behind, will premiere tomorrow on FX and be available to stream the following day on Hulu. – filmmusicreporterand other sources.
In collaboration with Litto Enterprises Inc., France’s Music Box Records presents a reissue of one of their most ambitious releases yet – Bernard Herrmann’s classic score from one of his last efforts for Brian De Palma’s classic melodrama OBSESSION (1976) written by Paul Schrader and starring Geneviève Bujold, Cliff Robertson and John Lithgow. This film remains one of the composer’s most fervently romantic and, dare one say, innocent attempt to recreate the studio gloss of a time when outright violence and sex were left to the mind’s eye, its rage and sensuality truly made explicit in its music. It’s a powerful, stylistic subtlety that increasingly made OBSESSION into the filmmaker’s most discerning cult film. The score was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score in 1977.
Limited to 350 units, this 2023 CD reissue includes a 24-page full-color booklet with liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, sharing his comments about the film and the score, including interviews with editor Paul Hirsch and producer George Litto. See MusicBoxRecords.
Kronos Records announces three spectacular new titles: Francesco De Masi’s 1961 documentary film UOMINI E MARI (Men And The Sea) from notorious Italian director Folco Quilici. The CD also includes BUONASERA ROMA, BUONGIORNO PARIGI (Good Evening Rome, Good Morning Paris), a gorgeous 12-minute symphonic suite composed to commemorate the inauguration of the PALATINO state-owned train. Both titles are worldwide premiere releases, limited to 300 copies - sound samples and pre-order.
LOS MARCADOS by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter is undoubtedly one of the duo’s finest – and one of their very last. Unfortunately, the film was released after Paul Sawtell died the same year. LOS MARCADOS is a very unorthodox Western score, a total of very innovative orchestrations that, with all the elements, make up for a driving and dynamic yet pretty melodic piece of work presented for the first time on CD - sound samples and pre-order.
The third title is ATLAS by Ronald Stein, a jewel of a soundtrack presented for the first time in its complete form, including music Stein wrote for the film, which did not make the final cut, and two bonus alternate cues! Sound samples and pre-order.
Caldera Records has announced David Shire’s score for the television movie KILLER BEES, directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Gloria Swanson, Edward Albert, and Kate Jackson. A strong-willed woman dominates her family of California winegrowers and has a strange hold on a colony of bees in her vineyard. KILLER BEES fits neatly into the category of eco-thrillers that were especially popular in the 1970s. “David Shire’s music gives the film the energy it otherwise lacks; it is an often aggressive, suspenseful score for a small orchestra that, with its short motifs and ostinatos for strings evocative of those employed in Hitchcock’s PSYCHO, pays tribute to the music of Bernard Herrmann,” writes the label. Adds composer Shire: “The references to PSYCHO are particularly evident in KILLER BEES. I was very aware of that. Of course, I was inspired by Bernard Herrmann. I love his film scores. He showed me how to do a score that wasn’t a big Max Steiner score. He showed me that you could do it with motifs.” This 50th CD release from Caldera Records features a detailed booklet text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas.
In addition, the label has also released another David Shire feature film score, RUNAWAY; his first film score was recorded in early 1961. The film is an obscure debut by the composer; a friend had asked him to compose and record original music for an independent, low-budget neo-noir film. However, the film was never distributed, and no details about the project could be unearthed. However, the original recording tapes were found in Shire’s archive in early 2023. Even the composer himself had forgotten about this obscurity. Included on the album are selections from other works by Shire, all written and recorded during the 1960s, showing his remarkable versatility already at a young age. For more details, sample tracks, or to order on either of these releases, see Caldera.
Marvel Music/Hollywood Records have released LOKI: Season 2 – Volumes 1 and 2 as separate digital releases (Episodes 1-3 and 4-6 respectively). The music, composed by Natalie Holt (LOKI Season 1, OBI-WAN KENOBI), is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other digital platforms. Holt commented on the score: “To me, this final volume of “Loki” Season 2 is a true culmination of the last few years working with this incredible story and character. The final moments of the show are so surprising, powerful, and almost entirely musically driven, which was an immensely satisfying goodbye to my rather expansive musical playground involving choirs, orchestras, synths, Norse folk, raw cries, radiation, and, of course, Theremin, which all have been my toolbox for the sound of LOKI.”
Bear McCreary and members of his Sparks & Shadows team have composed the music for the upcoming Disney+ original series PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS. The fantasy adventure is based on Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series by Rick Riordan. The epic score weaves together mythic undertones and modern intensity, adding a dynamic layer to the captivating story as it tells the fantastical tale of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus. McCreary reflects on the project – “With the brilliant composers from my team at Sparks & Shadows by my side, I am honored to be a part of Disney’s stellar creative team and to help bring Rick Riordan’s mythical vision to vibrant musical life. This exciting new series gave me the opportunity to embrace the kind of sweeping melodically-driven orchestral scores that always inspired me as a kid. Writing distinct and memorable themes for each character was a joy. I can’t wait for the legions of fans worldwide to hear this music and be transported away.” Sparks & Shadows is a multifaceted entertainment company founded by Bear McCreary. The company functions as a full-service music production studio, record label, publishing entity, and general headquarters from which all of McCreary’s projects are developed—be they high-profile film scores, television scores, or video games, and other endeavors such as Broadway shows, graphic novels, artist development, and a label for rising artists. The series will premiere on December 20, 2023 on Disney+. The original soundtrack from Hollywood Records is available on digital platforms on December 22. Watch the film's trailer:
McCreary has also reunited with director Jeff Wadlow (KICK-ASS 2, TRUTH OR DARE) on the upcoming supernatural horror thriller IMAGINARY, a horror film about a woman who returns to her childhood home to discover that the imaginary friend she left behind is genuine… and very unhappy that she abandoned him. Watch the film’s trailer here:
With LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, composer Chanda Dancy (Oscar short-listed for his score to DEVOTION) has crafted a poignant orchestral score that creates a thrilling and emotional backdrop to the series, the latest in producer Taylor Sheridan’s growing stable of series on Paramount+. LAWMEN: BASS REEVES follows the journey of Reeves (David Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. The series is a standalone anthology series, and future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history. Notes Dancy: “The story of Bass Reeves is an epic tale of a great American hero of justice that is finally getting told far and wide. He was a bright and shining light in a dark and difficult time, and his legacy gives us hope and inspiration to be a light ourselves. In creating the score for LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, I was inspired by this very sense of hope and light. With grand, sweeping melodies, syncopated rhythms, and tactile orchestral colors, the score tells the story of Bass’s journey from the pain of enslavement to becoming what Taylor Sheridan himself described to me during our first meeting: ‘A Light In No Man’s Land.’” Was the real-life story of Bass Reeves an inspiration for The Lone Ranger? Recent episodes seem to support that notion (the fourth episode, filled with daring arrests by the U.S. marshal, features Reeves donning a tramp disguise to catch two dangerous outlaws. It’s a cowboy hat tip to the notion that Reeves’ penchant for camouflage was the predecessor of the iconic black mask). “We pay homage to that disguise,” said series creator and writer Chad Feehan. Read the story at USA Today.
Click Purchase/Stream for the soundtrack.
Perseverance Records has released Forsaken Themes From Fantastic Films, Vol. 2: Who Wants To Live Forever, an aural odyssey through the realms of favorite. The eagerly-anticipated follow-up to the first volume of Forsaken Themes From Fantastic Films, Tears in Rain, this 21-song, 50-minute anthology spotlights ten cues from Charles Bernstein’s unused score for THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, five from David Williams’ PHANTOMS, four from Marco Beltrami’s RESIDENT EVIL, plus Edwin Wendler’s theme from DRAGON SOLDIERS, and the album’s crown jewel, Michael Kamen’s epic “Highlander-Suite,” performed by FAME’s Studio Orchestra. The soaring 10-minute masterwork, arranged and orchestrated by composer Nikiforos Chrysoloras specifically for this album, was recorded in July of this year in Skopje, North Macedonia. “In addition to ‘Training Montage,’ ‘Scotland 1536’ and ‘Silvercup Showdown,’ I’ve added ‘Prelude’ and the alternate version of ‘Heather’s Theme’ - aka ‘Who Wants to Live Forever.’ The cue order has been changed to create a more coherent movement of music,” explained Chrysoloras, who approached the Michael Kamen estate in 2018 to honor the legendary artist, who died in 2003, by getting his “underperformed” music to a broader audience. To learn more about Forsaken Themes From Fantastic Films, Vol. 2: Who Wants To Live Forever, and order the CD of the album, visit PerseveranceRecords.com – MVD is distributing the album.
AWARENESS is a 2023 Spanish-American science-fiction action thriller film directed by Daniel Benmayor. Roque Baños has composed the film’s score, now available as a digital soundtrack from Lakeshore Records. In the Amazon original film AWARENESS, we meet Ian (Scholz), a rebellious teenager who lives with his father (Alonso) on the outskirts of society. The two survive by running small scams using Ian’s ability to generate visual illusions upon unsuspecting victims. However, things get complicated when his powers get out of control in public, and two opposing sides begin to hunt him down. On the run, Ian must decide which side he will fight in the war he has been forced into. Purchase / Stream.
Klaatu Records has announced the soundtrack to Paul Zaza’s PROM NIGHT III: THE LAST KISS soundtrack CD. Initially planned for 2024, the label has partnered with Diggers Factory to get the production of the CDs for PROM NIGHT 3 and PROM NIGHT 4 started quickly. Pre-orders for PROM NIGHT III: THE LAST KISS soundtrack CD is available directly from the Diggers Factory website for $19.99 plus shipping. The expected shipping date is Late January/Early February 2024. Shipping may even be sooner, says Klaatu, if we hit our minimum pre-order sales goal quicker, which is 50 units. The album will be a limited edition release of 300 units with a 4-page booklet and liner notes by composer Paul Zaza. Click here to pre-order.
Lakeshore Records releases digitally SILVER AND THE BOOK OF DREAMS, the Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, with music by Bleeding Fingers composer Sara Barone and electronic composers We Are Modular, which features Matthias Hauck and Nepomuk Heller. In the movie, 17-year-old Liv moves to London and meets the mysterious Henry and his friends, who pull her into the dream-travel world. She and her newfound band of dream-wanderers conduct a ritual to make their biggest dream come true, but it demands the gravest sacrifice. Notes Barone: “Writing the score for Silver and the Book of Dreams was an immensely fulfilling and unique experience. I was immediately drawn to the story from reading the script and wrote initial theme ideas before watching any picture. In early discussions with the director, Helena Hufnagel, we discussed how the score could serve as an emotional undercurrent of the story, bringing the audience close to the main character, Liv. The first piece I wrote was ‘Liv’s Theme,’ for which I recorded myself singing an intimate melody surrounded by layers of dream-like electronically manipulated textures and live strings. This theme became the undercurrent of the score, used in different contexts with varied instrumentation. The incredible visuals for all the dream worlds were inspiring musically and allowed me to be experimental - to create a totally new atmosphere for each dream. Many of the score features electronically processed synths and acoustic textures, warped vocals running through guitar pedals, and surreal bells. The story combines layers of wonder, playfulness, investigation, and heavier themes depicting grief and trauma, all explored in the score.”
The album is available here.
Oscar Fogelström announces the release of the highly anticipated soundtrack for the Swedish horror film CANCELED. The film is a modern spin on the classic haunted house narrative. The story is about horror, a group of ghosthunters who have an online show covering paranormal activities where they have been exposed as frauds, but when they visit the notorious Raven Castle, they find something truly horrifying – Screen Daily. The soundtrack, composed by Fogelström, stands out as an aural masterwork in the realm of psychological horror. With intricate soundscapes built around textural horror sounds, binaural techniques, and live aleatoric string textures, it promises an unparalleled auditory journey. The music provides a distinctive listening experience that fans of horror films and innovative compositions will not want to miss. Watch the film’s trailer (in the Swedish language, but you can get the gist of what’s being said), listen to selections from the soundtrack, and find links to stream or purchase the album here.
Embark on an epic pirate adventure! In the live-action series ONE PIECE, based on the best-selling manga by Eiichiro Oda, a young pirate captain sets out with his crew to attain the title of Pirate King and to discover the mythical treasure known as ‘One Piece.’ The movie is composed by Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli, acclaimed composers of “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher.” Together, they composed the original score to ONE PIECE and wrote & produced the original songs. The composers note, “The ONE PIECE live-action soundtrack is incredibly diverse, spanning a wide array of styles and genres from songs to virtuosic flamenco guitar, hip-hop to big band jazz funk fusion, folk to the circus, rap to the big epic swashbuckling orchestra. We recorded over 110 musicians - including 23 orchestral sessions, 82 recording hours, 3667 takes, more than 180 cues, and more than 7 hours of recorded music, 15,000 pages, and 176lb/80kg of music. We brought in several global artists and soloists to perform on the soundtrack and infuse it with a unique multicultural identity. We also embarked on a global musical journey by recording soloists worldwide to achieve a universal sound for the ONE PIECE soundtrack.
Lakeshore Records released the SAW X Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with original music by Charlie Clouser digitally on September 29. The score is also unusually multi-faceted, with Clouser providing warmer, more benevolent themes corresponding with John Kramer’s journey from his past. John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps. Notes Clouser: “My score for SAW X goes to new extremes that I haven’t hit before in the franchise. There’s warm sunrises, hopeful emotions, and cautious optimism, followed by some truly bonkers music for the most insane trap scenes ever.
Mournful cello melodies, emotional solo vocals, and soothing chord progressions accompany John Kramer’s journey towards salvation. But things go horribly wrong, and atonal orchestral torture, chunky metal guitars, and crashing percussion take the lead. In the final act, a massive tonal shift occurs, and the relentless mayhem gives way to soaring themes that build towards a truly epic conclusion. Of course, it wouldn’t be a SAW movie without a big twist ending, and this film ends on a completely different note than any of the others. Let the games begin!”
Lakeshore Records has released CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE (Original Netflix Series Soundtrack) with music by Trevor Morris & Trey Toy. The ominous electronic and orchestral score provides a crushing and compelling backdrop to the dark fantasy series. A single from the album, “I’m Free,” showcases an anthemic pop vocal performance by Sydney James Harcourt and features Lindsey Stirling on violin. France, 1792: the height of the French Revolution. In a remote part of western France, the counter-revolutionary aristocracy has allied with a terrifying Vampire Messiah, who promises to ‘eat the sun’ and unleash an army of vampires and night creatures to crush the revolution and enslave humanity. Annette, a sorceress from the Caribbean, seeks out Richter Belmont, the last descendant of the long-fabled family of vampire hunters, to lead the resistance. Notes Morris: “Working on ‘Nocturne’ was just a joy. An amazing opportunity to be immersive with the score to suit the amazing look, story, and characters.” Adds Toy: “CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE elegantly balances its epic setting in a world of vampires and magic with deeply personal character stories. We were excited to use the score to highlight this duality, so as much as we leaned on the usual fare of orchestra, drums, choir, and the like, we relied equally on intimate soloist recordings, using an array of experimental playing techniques, to accentuate the emotional core of the show. Just as the narrative spans space, time, and culture, so too did we explore a diverse array of instruments from around the world, from viola da gamba, cristal baschet, and the human voice to didgeridoos, koras, and conch shells.”
Purchase/Stream “I’m Free”.
Purchase/Stream The Album.
We are PAWsitively thrilled to announce the release of PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (Music From The Motion Picture) with a score by Pinar Toprak. When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! Toprak’s score is packed full of energy, capturing the essence of teamwork and bravery. About the score, Pinar shares, “Writing the score for PAW PATROL THE MIGHTY MOVIE was an exhilarating and joyful experience. I had the immense pleasure of working with the most wonderful team to bring the world of these heroic pups to life. Available from Apple Music, Spotify, and other sources.
DAYDREAMERS is a unique Vietnamese vampire story directed by Tim Bui, scored by Jérôme Leroy, and released in Vietnam on December 8. “I wanted to tell a story about people who live within the shadows of a modern city,” explained director Bui. “The vampire genre was my way to explore themes of isolation, broken families, and identity. I learned that the vampire genre is very foreign to Vietnamese culture, making it even more interesting and challenging to make it relatable to local audiences while keeping nuances familiar in vampire lore throughout the Western world.” Said Leroy: “The idea of duality is heavily present in the score and was discussed early on with Tim. In some ways, it’s about ancient vs. newer times, humble vs. extravagant lifestyles. Depending on what we see on screen and which characters are being followed, the music will be more or less synthetic, from gritty solo acoustic instruments like a solo bowed dulcimer associated with the Daydreamers to full-on electronic music associated with the blood-drinking vampires.” I was pleased to provide liner notes to composer Jerome Leroy for this score, which has been posted on his website here - a USA release date has not yet been announced.
Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is an epic Western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON tracks the suspicious murders of members of the Osage Nation, who became some of the wealthiest people in the world overnight after oil was discovered underneath their land. The film also stars Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons and is based on David Grann’s best-selling book. Sony Music Masterworks has released an album of music from the film by the late legendary guitarist and composer Robbie Robertson (who died August 9, 2023, shortly after completing his score). Available everywhere now, the soundtrack features an original score crafted by the late musician for Scorsese’s Western crime drama and six additional tracks heard throughout the film that are authentic to the 1920s Oklahoma setting. “I was gathering pictures in my head of music I heard as a child at the Six Nations Indian Reserve,” Robertson said while working on the film. “My relatives are all sitting around with their instruments, and one guy would start a rhythm, and then somebody would start singing a melody to that, and it was just haunting. The feeling of the music beside you like that, humming and droning – the groove and the feel of it got under my skin, and it lives there forever.” It was through this process, which also involved Robertson spending time in Oklahoma studying the music of the Osage Nation and researching popular music of the 1920s, that the musician was able to create what he describes as a “jukebox of music selections” to begin working through with Scorsese as the director was putting together the film… I wanted to build an orchestra of guitar sounds with different variations of the instrument. I kept building and building the orchestra, and then I tore it down and tried to keep its soul.” Robertson made a foundation for his score utilizing everything from acoustic to steel strings, dobro, bowed, and electric guitars, then added native instrumentation and drums for an authentic sound. The result is a masterpiece score that acts as a steady heartbeat to the onscreen action and mirrors the deep emotionality at the story’s core. Available on these links. Following its global theatrical run, the film will debut on Apple TV+. Read Tim Greiving’s excellent and poignant tribute to Robbie Robertson and his score to this film in The Los Angeles Times.
Watch the film’s trailer:
Directed by Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa in their feature directorial debut, ALL FUN AND GAMES. The film is a horror movie that explores the terrifying idea of childhood games turning into harrowing experiences when a group of teenagers accidentally summon a demonic force. The film is composed by Alex Belcher, known for his work in major productions such as CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, KINGSMEN: A SECRET SERVICE, UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END, KONG: SKULL ISLAND, and the recent action thrillers, EXTRACTION, CITADEL, and 21 BRIDGES. A Kentucky native, Alex spent years working under famed composer Henry Jackman after studying at Belmont University and Berklee College of Music.
For more information on the composer, see my interview with Belcher in my June 2023 Soundtrax column.
Purchase/Stream the soundtrack here.
Watch the film’s trailer:
Ryan Shore has scored the exciting and highly entertaining 2023 horror-comedy feature, ZOMBIE TOWN, directed by Peter Lepeniotis, starring Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Henry Czerny, released digitally by MovieScore Media, and will shortly be available on CD on demand (see here). The story: Amy and Mike unearth a centuries-old curse when they decide to watch an exclusive film reel. The duo must track down an infamous filmmaker and navigate a town of hungry zombies to save the world.
Watch the film’s trailer:
Ghost Talk Records has released BIOSPHERE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), with music by Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans. Bensi and Jurriaans comment on the music, “BIOSPHERE is a fantastical story of the last two men on earth living in a man-made biodome. The film is emotionally deep and philosophically challenging as it is humorous and quirky. After discussions with director Mel Eslyn, we agreed that the score needed a very particular feel/sound to fit into its abstract world. The music for BIOSPHERE is composed solely of vocal performances by the two of us, layered and processed in various ways, adding a sense of intimacy and, at the same time, a touch of humor and other-worldliness.” The 22-track album, available on digital platforms, is followed by a numbered white 180g vinyl in a deluxe package with a matte finish jacket. Ghost Talk Records is a new independent record label started by composers Bensi and Jurriaans; visit https://www.ghosttalkrecords.com/.
The soundtrack for the limited series LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, composed by Carlos Rafael Rivera, made its global debut on Apple TV+ on October 13. An earnest reflection of the main character’s struggle to fit within the confines of societal expectations, Rivera composed an optimistic, subtle, and cautious foundation carried through solid performances from the show’s cast. The musical score supports a narrative as engaging and nuanced as its accompanying characters. Inspired by the protagonist’s shared fascination with the origins of life, the score becomes a form of alchemy – transforming simple thematic elements into a rich musical tapestry. “The heart of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY lies in Calvin’s Theme,” notes the composer. “Rendered with touching simplicity on the piano, this melody weaves throughout the narrative, serving as an anchor both in Elizabeth Zott’s life and the viewer’s emotional connection. One of the more compelling challenges in scoring the film was encapsulating the experience of loss that many of our characters share. But also, through these moments, they find resilience, love, meaning, and purpose. As for the main title music, it acts as a metaphor for Elizabeth Zott’s life—a woman navigating the challenges of sexism, motherhood, and career in the late ’50s and early ‘60s—with each unexpected melodic turn mirroring her unpredictable journey.”
Scott Glasgow has scored the intriguing sci-fi/action/horror film BLOODTHIRST. Directed by Michael Su (DEATH COUNT, NIGHT OF THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, TRANSMORPHERS: MECH BEASTS) the film takes place in a post apocalyptic world run by vampires, wherein only the strong survive. John Shepard, a Vampire Hunter, is one of those survivors. He has to track down and eliminate the master vampire before he gets turned. “Think Morricone meets Goldenthal and Kilar – with my own thing!” Glasgow told me.
The Disney+ original short film THE SHEPHERD, now streaming exclusively on Disney+, is available on an Original Soundtrack with a score by composer Anne Chmelewsky, now available at Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other digital platforms. THE SHEPHERD stars Ben Radcliffe, Steven Mackintosh, and Academy® Award Nominee John Travolta. Summary: On Christmas Eve, a young Royal Air Force pilot flying home across the North Sea finds himself in peril when his radio and electric power cut out, leaving him stranded and running on limited fuel. A mysterious good Samaritan appears through the fog when his luck is about to run out.
Composer Ramin Kousha’s score to SUBTRACTION is now available on all platforms. The mystery drama, directed by Mani Haghighi, is about a married couple who believe they meet their doppelgängers in Tehran. “I had so much fun working on this film with diverse musicians from around the world,” Kousha said in a Facebook post. See the soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and other digital music sources. Watch the film trailer below:
The Amazon Prime Video series EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS, with music composed by Ralf Hildenbeutel. It is an Italian heist series with a comedic twist inspired by the 2003 “Antwerp Diamond Heist,” dubbed “the world’s largest theft of diamonds” by media worldwide. The eight-part series follows a team of small-time Italian thieves, led by Leonardo Notarbartolo (Kim Rossi Stuart), who manages to deceive top-level security with a genius mastermind plan and steal millions of dollars worth of precious stones from the Antwerp Diamond Centre. Notes Hildenbeutel: “It has been a ride working on the project as I decided to play all instruments by myself to really get into the heist mood and vibe of the story. I was creating shaker sounds made out of 500 sampled strass stones rinsing through a wine glass to archive a “glassy shiny sound” or re-sampling a kalimba through a “frozen reverb” effect. It was really fun, although my fingers were happy for relief after playing so much guitar, which I’m not used to, being more a piano player.” The soundtrack, from Lakeshore Records, is available from Amazon and other sources.
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Documentary Soundtrack News
Gil Talmi released his documentary score from NINA & IRENA on Bandcamp, directed by Daniel Lombroso. On the verge of her 90th birthday, a grandmother reveals to her grandson the painful story of her sister’s disappearance during the Holocaust. Nina lost 25 members of her extended family but never talked about it after she moved to America in 1951. In this heartbreaking and heartwarming story, a filmmaker turns the camera on his own family as his matter-of-fact grandma explains the realities of war and human nature. Read more details on Bandcamp. Read the New Yorker article about the film here. Interested musicians, singers, etc., consider joining Gil Talmi’s invitation to contribute your talents as part of this Impact Campaign to raise awareness around the film and the shocking rise of Anti Semitism and Islamophobia around the world. “I invite you to perform it as is or arrange it as you feel inspired, on any instrument(s), and record a video of yourself performing the piece (if you feel comfortable). The Impact Campaign above provides the main theme music and sheet music. Post your performance on social media with these suggested hashtags: #NinaAndIrena #StopAntiSemitism #StopIslamophobia #StopHatred (and any other hashtags that fight hatred and bigotry).
David Schweitzer scored the Netflix docu-series WORLD WAR II: FROM THE FRONTLINES, which features some fantastic colorized archive footage of 1939-1945, much of which has yet to be seen. Narrated by John Boyega, it covers the Second World War chronologically across its six episodes. “The score was a mammoth undertaking, featuring a 60-piece orchestra, some brilliant soloists, a lot of electronics and the whole kitchen sink… or at least lots of manipulated sounds from WW2 including ‘stretcher railings,’” Schweitzer said in a Facebook post. The soundtrack is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Joel Goodman scored the documentary TREES AND OTHER ENTANGLEMENTS, which is now available on HBO & Max. “This is one of those special projects that reminds me why I love scoring documentaries,” said Goodman in a post on Facebook’s DOCUMENTING THE SCORE page. “As an avid outdoor person, it was a real treat to do a deep dive into this fascinating story about trees and our relationship with them. This film is a love story between people and trees and highlights our connection to nature and one another through wonder and beauty.” From Vermilion Films: The entangled lives of people and trees take root and grow into a contemporary tale of time: our connection to the natural world and one another. Trees tell the truth. They are vulnerable. They cannot escape. In this film, we meet a young boy stolen and hidden amongst trees, an artist refining American bonsai, a photographer artfully observing trees, a mother fighting to protect the forests in her backyard, family trees and uprooted trees, and a man who steadfastly plants them. The layers reveal the tender heartwood of the humans and trees alike, both honest and sensitive. These stories unfold as an arboreal and deeply human thriller.” Watch the film’s trailer via YouTube:
Movie Score Media (Reality Bytes documentary series) releases Dalibor Grubacevic’s new soundtrack from the doc THE CARS WE DROVE INTO CAPITALISM. The doc was released in 2021, but the composer finally got the chance to release his music in 2023. The documentary is a co-production between Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia, Finland, Germany, and the Czech Republic; it was screened at many film festivals (Bulgaria (with a theatrical release), Croatia, South Korea, and the Czech Republic, and screened in Finland television this year. Well-known Bulgarian directors and cinematographers Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov directed the film. Watch the film’s trailer here and listen to Grubacevic’s track, “Museum of Socialistic Cars,” from the soundtrack:
Rebekka Karijord picks up two nominations for Best Original Score for her majestic symphonic work to Norway’s Oscar Entry SONGS OF EARTH, Margreth Olin’s critically acclaimed nature documentary. But not in the usual documentarian way: SONGS OF EARTH employs the breathtaking immensity of nature and the harmonics of the Earth herself to reach into the center of that most intimate of all terrains - the human spirit. The process of scoring SONGS OF EARTH was unconventional, partly due to the close collaborative relationship between Karijord and the film’s sound designer, Tormod Ringnes, and field recordings by Andreas Lindberg Svensson. Svensson used contact and underwater microphones to capture the stunning sounds of nature itself. Once the effervescent, eerie, and utterly realistic music of glaciers, melting ice, rivers, frozen lakes, and streams reached Karijord’s ears, she began to mediate upon how she could translate these sounds into the body of orchestral instruments. In other words, How does a woodwind sing like a melting glacier? Can a double bass resonate like an ancient spruce tree? Does an avalanche thunder through a tuba’s brass or a viola’s wooden body? Wanting to test the limits, unearthing how musical instruments could emulate nature, Karijord experimented with various soloists at her studio and included some of the uncovered techniques into the writing of the score before taking those same techniques to AIR studios to be run through the majesty that is the London Contemporary Orchestra.
The original score, composed by Rebekka Karijord and interpreted by the London Contemporary Orchestra, is now available as a rich experience from Oona Recordings. Watch a short video as Rebekka Karijord describes the process behind composing and capturing her score to SONGS OF EARTH with the London Contemporary Orchestra at Air Studios:
Silva Screen Records Presents PLANET EARTH III - the awe-inspiring score for the third and final installment of the BBC’s innovative, highly acclaimed nature series narrated by David Attenborough. A digital single, PLANET EARTH III Suite, is available across all major DSPs. The 8-part nature series is scored by Hans Zimmer and Jacob Shea (SEVEN WORLDS ONE PLANET, BLUE PLANET II) and Sara Barone (GRIMCUTTY) of Bleeding Fingers Music. Bastille’s Dan Smith has collaborated on the score, and his vocals are featured on the show’s opening title theme song and in all episodes of the series. The score has lyricism and magic, from gorgeous strings and fragile glass-like percussion to powerful brass and full orchestra ostinatos. In the opening theme, ‘Planet Earth III Suite,’ the gentle vocals usher a soaring 4-note brass theme, with the brass gradually disintegrating, joining the strings, to be brought back in a commanding statement. The score is as alive as the planet, depicting pain, rage, and urgency, broken with moments of beauty and tranquility. There is an ongoing clock-like pulse, sometimes juddering and stopping, characterized by the orchestra’s breathing, living sound. Filmed over five years, PLANET EARTH III uses pioneering filmmaking technology to reveal the greatest wonders of life on Earth. Lightweight drones, high-speed cameras, and remotely operated deep-sea submersibles transport viewers to spectacular unseen landscapes, from remote jungles and scorching deserts to the darkest caves and depths of the ocean. For more details, see Silva Screen Records.
Maximilian Mathevon has released two new documentary scores: LE SOUVENIR DANS LA PEAU (The Memory In The Skin) discusses the participation of the Norman ports of Le Havre, Honfleur, and Rouen in the slave trade and triangular trade and the attempts to revive and reveal, without exploiting this long-hidden memory. “The music of LE SOUVENIR DANS LA PEAU is centered around a main theme and its variations: the theme of slavery. The tone of the music is generally somber, with some glimmers of hope brought about by a secondary theme for abolition. In particular, I used glass harmonica sounds with fragile and crystalline vibrations,” described the composer. The soundtrack is available from the Plaza Mayor Company via Spotify and other digital music sources. The second score is for the documentary DANY LEPRINCE JE NE SUIS PAS UN ASSASSIN (Dany Leprince I Am Not A Murderer), about a man convicted of a quadruple murder who recounts how he believes he was wrongly accused. This man is Dany Leprince: the man the press nicknamed the “butcher of Sarthe” spent 18 years in prison for the murder of his brother, his sister-in-law, and two of his nieces. He speaks without taboo on one of the most publicized criminal cases of the last 30 years. “For this documentary, I chose to create ambient music,” said Matheson. “Totally electronic and not very thematic, it embraces the uneasiness of the story and illustrates Dany Leprince’s descent into hell with disturbing sounds and a dark and desperate tone. Piano sounds sometimes add a note of emotion to this stripped-down soundscape.” The soundtrack is available from the Plaza Mayor Company via Amazon and other sources.
Lakeshore Records has released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for SUPERPOWER with music by Justin Melland. The documentary feature film about Ukraine’s fight to maintain freedom from Russia, co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. The film is a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom. It features a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over seven trips made in the past two years. Purchase/Stream.
A&E Television Networks has released two soundtrack albums for the History Channel’s original documentary series, KENNEDY. The albums feature the show’s original music composed by Ashton Gleckman (who also directed, edited, and produced the 8-parter), Michael Frankenberger, and Cameron Moody. Peter Coyote narrates KENNEDY and chronicles the remarkable life, enduring legacy, and ambitious leadership of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. The RadicalMedia, Blackbird Pictures & Drew Associates Inc. production unfolds through a cinematic library of archival materials and over 70 new interviews from those well-versed in JFK’s history. The series premiered on the History Channel on November 18, 19 & 20 nights.
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Vinyl Soundtrack News
Quartet Records presents the premiere vinyl edition of Ennio Morricone’s bizarre Giallo score for the 1974 thriller L’ULTIMO UOMO DI SARA (aka SARAH’S LAST MAN). Directed by actress Maria Virginia Onorato (in her only foray into feature film directing), the movie stars Oddo Bracci as Paolo Castellano, an artist who wants to investigate the death of his ex-wife Sara long after the police declare the case closed. Aided by Sara’s friend Anna (played by Rosemary Dexter), Paolo goes through the hours of footage shot by Sara on her camera, slowly realizing that the identity of the killer is captured on film and his identity might be one of the reasons why the police want the case closed as soon as possible. The LP opens with the title song, performed by singer Carmen Villani, a passionate plea for peace and the memory of a doomed romance. The score features a propulsive action theme that Morricone varies and adorns with experimental percussion noises that mimic the sound of big-city traffic. Other tracks in the varied score include a heartbreaking love theme, a nice cue featuring Edda dell’Orso practicing musical scales, and a funny silent film pastiche. Chris Malone has produced and mastered this premiere LP using first-generation analog stereo master tapes and pressed them into 180 GM audiophile black vinyl. The package features luxurious artwork designed by Luca Barcellona. For details, see Quartet Records.
Hollywood Records announces the 12” 2-LP vinyl album release of CHEVALIER (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with an original score by Kris Bowers, including two new tracks, “Violin Concerto In C Major, Op. 5, No. 1: I. Allegro” and “Violin Concerto In A Major, Op. 5, No. 2: II. Largo” is available exclusively on the vinyl. Inspired by the incredible story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a tour de force performance) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and her court. “The story isn’t being told because it’s a black person who existed in this period. This is one of the greatest composers who was overlooked because he was black,” says Bowers. With Bologne’s incredible talent and charisma, some liken him to an 18th-century rock star, with Michael Abels calling him “the Prince of his day.” The album includes on-camera performance tracks produced and arranged by Michael Abels and songs composed by Joseph Bologne, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Alessandro Scarlatti. The album can be purchased here from Disney Music Emporium. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is also available on all digital platforms.
David Arnold’s ‘End of the World’ complex and multi-genre soundtrack to GOOD OMENS 2 premiered on Prime Video last July. The series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant), in their quest to sabotage the End of the World. Arnold’s soundtrack to the first GOOD OMENS series was released in 2019 to favorable reviews, with BBC Music Magazine calling it “a rollicking trip to hell and back.” Blueprint Magazine described it as “a great listen,” and Sci-Fi Bulletin commented on “plenty of memorable themes” to conclude that “This is another work of art from Arnold.” At times nostalgic and eerie but constantly varied, beautiful, and full of excitement, the GOOD OMENS 2 soundtrack features orchestral arrangements with a sprinkling of Sugar Plum Fairy pizzicato and percussion, jaunty strings, and mighty choral sweeps from Crouch End Festival Chorus. Added to the mix are rock guitar riffs and psychedelic 70s sounds, and all together, they create a haunting, otherworldly feel, complementing the show’s fantasy and quirky humor. The vinyl 2×LP is available with an estimated December 1, 2023 release date. A CD edition and a digital release are now available.
See Silva Screen for both.
Waxwork Records has released THE FUNHOUSE Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by John Beal, officially on vinyl for the first time. The movie is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Tobe Hooper. The plot follows four teenagers who become trapped in a dark, horror-themed ride at a local carnival in Iowa and are stalked by a mentally disabled, murderous carnie. The film was Tobe Hooper’s first primary studio production after EATEN ALIVE (1976) and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974). They feature heavyweight double LP “Dark Carnival Ride” pinwheel colored vinyl, all-new artwork by Ghoulish Gary Pullin, old style tip-on gatefold jackets with matte satin coating, liner notes, a 12 “x12” art print, vertical inner gatefold artwork, and more!
For more details and to purchase, see Waxwork. Watch the original 1981 trailer for THE FUNHOUSE:
Varèse Sarabande has announced a Deluxe Edition vinyl release of Charles Bernstein’s score for the 1986 black comedy classic APRIL FOOL’S DAY for release on February 23, 2024. Available to pre-order now, the Deluxe Edition features the synthesized performance of the original score, the first-ever vinyl release of the original 23-track orchestral film score, plus five previously unreleased bonus tracks from Charles Bernstein’s vaults, and new liner notes from award-winning composer Brian Satterwhite. The regular album comes in black vinyl, and a minimal edition Varèse Sarabande Vinyl Club edition Killer Crimson splatter vinyl (imaged here) is available exclusively at VareseSarabande.com.
Big G battles the kaiju queen of the Meganula for the first time on vinyl in GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS. They were composed by Michiru Oshima, with brand new artwork by Attack Peter. Limited to 2,000 copies, the Mondo Exclusive edition is housed inside a gatefold sleeve and jacket, featuring a double LP with a screen printed side D. Also available in eco vinyl. Available from Mondo.
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Video Game Music News
In partnership with Ubisoft, Lakeshore Records has released AVATAR: FRONTIERS OF PANDORA, an original game soundtrack featuring music by Emmy-nominated composer Pinar Toprak, supported by a team of amazing musicians. Composer Neal Acree also contributed an hour of music to the game. The album is a soaring, orchestral score that thrillingly evokes the fantastic world of Pandora and the action that ensues. The first-person, action-adventure game is set in the open world of the never-before-seen Western Frontier of Pandora. Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na’vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free but a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na’vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA. Says Toprak: “As a big Avatar fan, it has been such an honor and a joy to have scored this beautiful and breathtaking video game, recorded over two years with more than 200 musicians from all around the world. In the score, you will not only be able to hear some homages to late James Horner’s original Avatar score but also experience the new regions and their respective sonic world, which expands the score beyond what we are accustomed to hearing from the Avatar world.” The soundtrack is available here. Listen to the track “Across the Boundless Range” via YouTube:
Waxwork Records has released THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE Original Game Soundtrack LP by Ross Tregenza and REMAINS Additional Game Music LP from THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE by Wes Keltner and Jim Bonney. This very special double album bundle features the complete video game soundtrack music to THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE pressed to “Chain Saw Motor Green & Rust” colored vinyl, housed in deluxe heavyweight gatefold packaging with matte satin coating, composer liner notes, and all new artwork. The game music composers all have a dedicated love for the original 1974 film. Recordings of sheet metal, spoons, tuning forks, furniture, and the instrument, the Apprehension Engine, were mangled, manipulated, and ran through several vintage reverbs, distortions, tape delays, and other effects to create a haunting, sonic cacophony that envelopes the listener and transports them directly to a killing floor in the sweltering Texas summer heat. Read more details here.
Austin Wintory has released four volumes of the Original Soundtrack for the groundbreaking musical video game STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL. Three of the four albums, titled the RED, BLUE, and GREEN EDITIONS, isolate the three color-coded ‘traits’ the player chooses from among during the songs (co-written by Wintory, TRIPOD [Simon Hall, Steve Gates, Scott Edgar] and Montaigne). The fourth album, the PANTHEON EDITION, weaves together the three traits and includes the game’s original score by Wintory. The albums will feature songs performed by actors such as Troy Baker (THE LAST OF US), Anthony Rapp (RENT, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY), Felicia Day (DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG), Janina Gavankar (BORDERLANDS), and many more top talents. There is minimal overlap between the three albums, and even with four releases, many of the songs would require dozens more albums to showcase every possible path a player might take through them. “STRAY GODS is here at last, after five long years of work,” said Wintory. “I never expected this would become such an all-consuming project when we began speculating the ‘what ifs’ of a videogame musical back in 2018, but here we are! Because of the branching, hyper-variable nature of the songs, I have created four different albums, but as a lovely Bandcamp person, you’ll find all four in a single combined listing here. The track titles/artwork should make what’s what very obvious. To be clear: THERE IS NO CANON VERSION OF THESE SONGS. The entire point is for you to experiment, roleplay, and enjoy (or agonize over) whatever results from your choices. No matter how many albums I release, it’ll never comprehensively archive every possible version of the game. So, I suggest you go play and have fun!”
See https://austinwintory.bandcamp.com/album/stray-gods.
ALIENS: DARK DESCENT, the strategic, real-time squad-based tactical action game, leads you through the spine-tingling journey in an authentic ALIEN storyline. Embrace the chilling void of space. The Original Video Game soundtrack was released on October 27th, featuring mesmerizing music by Doyle W. Donehoo. “There are problems you have to solve as a game composer to make things mutable enough so that they can take whatever you composed and edit it to stretch over a 40-hour game,” Donehoo said in a recent interview. “For ALIENS, we broke things down into exploration, discovery, storytelling encounters, quick encounters, running away in fear and screaming, quick combats, and then separately, we dealt with the boss fights. That’s usually composed separately because it’s a big encounter, and there aren’t a lot of those in a game. And, of course, the rest is all that other time you spend trying to get from point A to point B and trying not to get dead.”
Microsoft’s FORZA MOTORSPORT Original Game Soundtrack, by composers Kaveh Cohen & Michael Nielsen (FORZA MOTORSPORT 6 & 7, TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL, LEAGUE OF LEGENDS) is out now and available everywhere, showcasing their creativity and innovation in various domains. With an impressive decade-long career in the Forza series, Cohen & Nielsen have solidified their reputation as pioneers in video game music. FORZA MOTORSPORT introduces the car-building focused Builders Cup Career mode for single-player racers and a race weekend-structured Featured Multiplayer for online competition. There’s also Free Play to create your own races using the more than 500 cars and 20 tracks in the game, and Rivals with Time Attack, where players can rise to the global leaderboard. The composers note: “For the new FORZA MOTORSPORT, we were excited to go back to our roots and create a thematic and hybrid score incorporating both an orchestra and a lush soundscape of modular synths and modern electronics. We spent the last three years crafting a score that reflects the dynamic and immersive gameplay of this next-generation entry to this iconic franchise.”
See details to listen/purchase here.
Hollywood Records releases Marvel’s SPIDER-MAN 2 Original Video Game Soundtrack. The score is composed by BAFTA® Award-winner John Paesano (Marvel’s SPIDER-MAN and Marvel’s SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES game scores.) The soundtrack includes “Swing,” performed by Grammy® and BET Hip Hop Award nominee EARTHGANG, featuring Benji, and produced by Oscar® and Grammy® Award-winner D’Mile. “Swing” perfectly captures the exhilaration and energy of both Spider-Men as they cast their webs and travel across Marvel’s New York. MARVEL SPIDER-MAN 2 has launched exclusively on the PlayStation®5.
Stream the soundtrack now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Neon-lit pulse-pounding cyberpunk-orchestral fusion is perfect for another day in Paradise. This is the sound of TURBO OVERKILL, a 2022 cyberpunk FPS video game from Apogee Entertainment, where you play as a violent killing machine with a chainsaw leg. The soundtrack has been released, brought to you by esteemed composers Chipper Hammond, Nikola Nikita Jeremi?, and Tim Stoney, and bonus contributions by Wayne Strange and Sam Ostroff. The soundtrack is available from Amazon and most other streaming services.
Ubisoft’s ASSASSIN’S CREED® MIRAGE Original Game Soundtrack is scored by recording artist and composer Brendan Angelides (BILLIONS, 13 REASONS WHY, ELYSIUM; and formerly known as ESKMO). Brendan infused his signature electronic artistry into the Ubisoft adventure, set in ninth-century Baghdad. Collaborating with musicians deeply connected to the region and its culture. Brendan infuses his signature electronic artistry into ASSASSIN’S CREED MIRAGE, set in ninth-century Baghdad, bringing a fresh sonic perspective to the game and collaborated with musicians deeply connected to the region and its culture, such as Tunisian artist Emel Mathlouthi, Iraqi-born Jordanian violinist and Artistic Director for the New York Arabic Orchestra Layth Sidiq, and Palestinian composer and orchestrator Akram Haddad. Brendan notes, “The MIRAGE score captures a story of transformation by blending old-world instrumentation with new-world tech. Capturing the thriving cultural center of Baghdad, feeling the sand, the dunes, and the ever-present danger associated with AC were all elements woven into the music.” The game is now available on PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X|S, and PC. For more details, see Ubisoft here.
Related, Ubisoft has also released THE SOUNDS OF MIRAGE from the ASSASSIN’S CREED® MIRAGE soundtrack by composer Nima Fakhrara (LOU, BECKY, Wes Craven’s THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS). Nima merges cultural influences and musical compositions for Ubisoft’s game, bringing a fresh perspective to the game with music inspired by the region to immerse the players into the world of ASSASSIN’S CREED MIRAGE. Drawing from his experience with Middle Eastern music and collaborating with artists from the Middle East, Nima creates an ode to Baghdad. Fakhrara notes, “Being asked to create a music world, an ode to the 9th-century Baghdad of ASSASSINS’ CREED MIRAGE was a formidable challenge and an adventure. I drew upon my deep understanding and extensive training in Middle Eastern music and directly collaborated with master musicians from Iraq, Iran, Kurdistan, Israel, and Egypt. They live and breathe this music, which you can hear in the authenticity of this album. It is a heartfelt return to the very roots of our heritage, culture, and the love of this music. It was an honor to work with diverse musicians from all around the world. Everyone benefits when we harness our differences for the greater good of art and culture instead of using them to divide us. I wish peace and love to everyone involved.” THE SOUNDS OF MIRAGE soundtrack is available at these links.
Just one slip of the needle and things could go very wrong. Red Barrels and Laced Records are putting their co-op partnership to the test with the release of Tom Salta’s deeply unsettling soundtrack for THE OUTLAST TRIALS on digital music platforms and suitable old-fashioned vinyl. The game soundtrack is a spine-tingling journey through the very essence of fear and despair; its musical palette ranges from haunting orchestral compositions to the depths of dark organic and synthetic textures, culminating in moments of pure aural pandemonium. Salta’s incorporation of unnerving diegetic music – spanning eerie pastiches of mid-century styles – creates an unsettling contrast that deepens the overall experience of the score. The Standard Edition features traditional black LPs and will be available via third-party retailers. The complete 35-track soundtrack has been specially mastered for vinyl and will be pressed to heavyweight LPs. These come in printed inner sleeves alongside a liner notes insert, all housed in a wide-spined outer sleeve with artwork by the Red Barrels team. The album is available to stream and download across multiple music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and Deezer.
CALL OF DUTY®: MODERN WARFARE III®’s Original Game Soundtrack, by composer Walter Mair (LIAISON, SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION, SQUID GAME), is out and available globally. In this adrenaline-fueled experience, players are immersed in the dark and gritty world of Modern Warfare. From epic orchestral arrangements to innovative electronic pieces, Mair’s score adds depth and emotion to the gaming experience through thrilling, fast-paced battles, stealth, and strategic gameplay. Walter Mair notes, “In creating the original score for CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE III, I was tasked with balancing the franchise’s legacy with gameplay innovations and storytelling development. I fused electronic and traditional orchestral instruments, blurring organic and industrial musical styles for an emotional backdrop. Collaborating closely with the London Contemporary Orchestra, we experimented with unique sounds like strings played with guitar picks and brass instruments distorted through analog effects. I also worked closely with solo instrumentalists to enhance the score’s emotional depth. To ensure an immersive experience, I collaborated with Sledgehammer Games and Spider Farm Productions, creating an adaptive soundtrack that responded to players’ styles and gameplay pace. This meticulous attention to detail and passion for innovation in the score resulted in a highly immersive and heightened gaming experience in MODERN WARFARE III.”
Listen to the track “Operation 627” by Walter Mair:
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Randall D. Larson was for many years publisher of CinemaScore: The Film Music Journal, senior editor for Soundtrack Magazine, and a film music columnist for Cinefantastique magazine. A specialist on horror film music, he is the author of Musique Fantastique: 100+ Years of Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror Film Music and Music from the House of Hammer. He currently writes essays on film music and sf/horror cinema, and has written liner notes more than 300 soundtrack CD or digital releases. He can be contacted via https://musiquefantastique.com/ or follow Musique Fantastique on Facebook. Follow Randall on Twitter at https://twitter.com/randalldlarson and https://twitter.com/MusiqueFantast1
