• Composer Series,  Features,  Interviews,  Mondo,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Junkie XL on the Mondo Box Set of ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    It’s been a while since we chatted with Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL), and boy how his career has soared. It wasn’t enough to follow George Miller to the ends of the ear and destroy the sonic landscape with such raw and powerful drums. As an artist, he had to push farther, and we’re so glad he did. His signature blend of rhythms – a style that comes from deep down in his DNA – can be heard in all his scores no matter how far apart they seem on the surface. Are we saying that Mad Max: Fury Road, Mortal Engines and Sonic the Hedgehog are the same? Yes.…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Exclusive: Interview…Stephanie Economou Discusses Collaboration and Inspiration on ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’

    Stephanie Economou is a composer and violinist based in Los Angeles, CA. Her early successes have emerged from her exploration and study of widely varying musical styles, including classical, experimental, folk and rock. Stephanie’s experience in film scoring extends from drama to action to comedy, which has demanded the synthesis of an electronic and acoustic musical palette. It is her uniquely hybridized compositional voice which has proven a valuable asset across a wide spectrum of visual media. Stephanie is the composer of the upcoming Netflix TV series Jupiter’s Legacy, based on the comic series by Mark Millar. She has written the music for the Lionsgate/Starz series Step Up: High Water,…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Composer Kate Simko on Awareness and Acceptance in ‘Underplayed’

    American composer, electronic music producer, and leader of her ensemble London Electronic Orchestra, Kate Simko blends distinctive influences from her hometown, Chicago, and formal training in classical piano and jazz. Kate’s music has been licensed by ABC Television, Victorinox, and Giorgio Armani, and she has written original music for films, commercials and shows featured on the BBC, Netflix and PBS.  After graduating Northwestern University’s music school Kate’s career started in Los Angeles interning on feature films, and then took a surprise turn as her live electronic music career took off. She spent her twenties performing at revered clubs and festivals across the globe, from underground venues in Berlin and Tokyo…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Composer Jermaine Stegall on ‘Coming 2 America’ and the New Sound of Zamunda

    Jermaine Stegall is an accomplished and versatile composer and conductor. Stegall’s extensive music studies include a BA from Northern Illinois University’s School of Music, a Master’s degree in Music Composition from the University of North Texas, and the prestigious Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program at USC. Following his formal education, he was selected as a Sundance Composer Lab Fellow, as well as the BMI Conducting Workshop. With over 50 projects to his credit, Stegall’s professional career began as a music intern for the film I, Robot, and Stegall’s scoring and conducting assignments have included film and TV shows in all genres, to leading bands at major musical events.…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Composer Alec Puro on ‘The Crew’, ‘Black Summer’ and ‘The Mighty Ones’

    The composing world is a fast paced industry. It’s a lot of hustle just to get in the door, and then, once you got the job, it’s even faster. Oh, and if you’re in composing for television, it’s faster still. So why would anyone want to do this for a living? Well, if you’re like Alec Puro, it’s just too much fun not to. Alec has a lifetime of experiences playing and making music. A seasoned drummer, producer and all around nice guy, Alec makes it look easy and has done music (both composing and licensing) for multiple, multiple TV shows. On his crowded plate are a trio of projects…

  • Composer Series,  Features,  Interviews,  Mondo,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…John Powell on ‘Solo’, John Williams, and A Long Time Before A Galaxy Far, Far Away

    British composer John Powell began his career in the advertising world writing music for commercials. Growing up in a musical family, you could say it was in his blood and it wasn’t long before he left the jingle world and headed to Los Angeles after being recruited by Hans Zimmer. While there, he worked on titles like The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado before being groomed for his first big solo outing: Face/Off. Talk about making an entrance. Powell came out swinging – to match the ballet of bullets and boat chases in the John Woo actioner – but he also gave the film lots of…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Composer Will Bates and Director Mike Cahill Discuss ‘Bliss’

    Will Bates is an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and founder of music production company Fall On Your Sword. As a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist, Bates has recorded and toured around the globe. As a saxophonist, Bates has collaborated with legendary artists ranging from 60’s icon Lulu to techno legend Marshall Jefferson. Bates works frequently with director Mike Cahill, and the two weave mind-expanding narrative magic for TV and film. Cahill (Another Earth, I Origins) wrote and directed the new film, Bliss, which is being distributed by Amazon Studios and the soundtrack will be released by Milan Records. It tells the multi-layered story of a man whose life lacks purpose, and he…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Ilan Eshkeri on Honesty and Hope in BBC’s ‘A Perfect Planet’

    Ilan Eshkeri is an award-winning composer, artist, songwriter, producer and creator. We spoke with Ilan in 2015 (about 47 Ronin, Black Sea and The Snowman & The Snowdog) and were happy to catch up with him to discuss his process writing music for BBC’s A Perfect Planet. This new nature series is his fourth collaboration with legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough. The bulk of this interview focuses on his efforts to write that music and the underlying idea of hope in many of the themes (we’ve included selections from his score below). Recently, Ilan and Ralph Fiennes completed their third film together – a biopic about Rudolf Nureyev, The White…

  • Bandcamp Interview,  Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Composer Zach Robinson on Synthwave, Musical Influences and ‘Cobra Kai’

    Zach Robinson is an LA-based composer, music producer, and electronic musician. Since 2009, Zach has created 1980s inspired electronic music under the pseudonym D/A/D. His most recent album The Construct (2013) was named one of the best cassette releases of 2013 by NPR and received critical acclaim from numerous online publications including Pitchfork, Ad Hoc, and FACT Magazine. After receiving his degree in music composition from Northwestern University, Zach cut his teeth working with acclaimed film composer, Christophe Beck, writing additional music for films such as Ant-Man, Edge of Tomorrow, Frozen, Hot Pursuit, Sisters, and The Peanuts Movie. He most recently composed the score for Quibi’s action comedy Die Hart, starring…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Composer Erick Schroder on Hulu’s ‘The Ultimate Playlist of Noise’

    Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Erick Schroder is a film, theater, and video game composer whose compositions have included works for vocal and instrumental soloists, choral groups, stage musicals, jazz, and orchestral ensembles. In the last decade, Erick has created music for over seventy-five projects. While attending University of Southern California’s prestigious Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program, Erick honed his composition skills under the guidance of Oscar- nominated Bruce Broughton, Emmy winner Frederik Wiedman, BAFTA winner Garry Schyman (Bioshock) and others. After the program, Erick went on to be mentored by Emmy and Grammy-winning composer James Newton Howard. He also worked alongside the Oscar-nominated John Debney and horror legend Christopher Young…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Daniel Pemberton on Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

    UK-based composer Daniel Pemberton has such a distinctive voice, er sound, and his compositions never fail to leave us awestruck. The work he creates is as impacting as it is innovative. If that wasn’t enough, this multi-Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA Award-nominated musician has worked hand in hand with Ridley Scott, Darren Aronofsky, Guy Ritchie and other legendary directors. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is lauded as a game-changer in the action genre and really put him on the map, Steve Jobs is a masterful progression of digital bits and beeps that segues beautifully into lush symphonic splendor, the Black Mirror episode, U.S.S. Callister, is a darkly memorable alt.…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Amelia Warner Captures Irish Mysticism in the Score to ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’

    Breakthrough neo-classical composer Amelia Warner is best known for her stunning soundtrack for the 2018 Irish-American film Mary Shelley. It won Amelia the ‘Breakthrough Composer of The Year’ at the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Awards in 2019, and a nomination in the ‘Discovery of the Year’ category at the World Soundtrack Awards. However, before anyone got to hear her musical gift, she had a career in acting as she followed in her mother’s footsteps. Yet the desire to stay out of the spotlight and dabble in composing took root and quickly flourished. Warner’s debut major scoring project was the British short film ‘Mam’ which won several awards on…