Composer Rob Kolar has established himself as a promising talent in the world of television and film scoring with his bold original songs and daring compositions. His most recent acclaim stems from composing TBS’s top new cable comedy of 2016 “The Detour,” starring Jason Jones and Samantha Bee. Rob Kolar’s eclectic score sets the perfect tone for every outrageous adventure that befalls this family of four on a roadtrip from New York to Florida. Prior to TBS’s “The Detour,” Rob Kolar captivated audiences with his unmatched music and original songs for films including Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding, starring Jane Fonda and Diane Hudson, and Evelyn,” starring Pierce Brosnan. In addition,…
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Interview…Brian Tyler on Taking Big Hollywood Sound to the Concert Hall
Brian Tyler has been composing bombastic themes for Hollywood blockbusters for nearly two decades. But as his sound is nearly everywhere these days, you’d think he’d been at the forefront of adrenaline fueled music for a lot longer than that. There’s a lot to be said for Tyler’s prolific output; he’s a household name and Brian has amassed quite the hit list. Part of our reason for talking to Brian this time around was to talk about this next stage in his career. Don’t worry, he’s not giving up scoring actioners, but he is putting more focus on his music project Madsonik and his upcoming live concert feature with the…
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Interview…Composer Brian McOmber on the Emotional Instability of ‘Krisha’
Krisha, the feature length film from Trey Edward Shults (which is adapted from his short film of the same name), has a lot in common with Requiem For A Dream. But instead of strung out junkies, the character fraying at the edges is a member of his immediate family. Further, this film showcases the exceptional talent of Krisha Fairchild (Trey’s real-life Aunt) as she portrays a character unraveling in front of her family on Thanksgiving; the result is a performance as magnetic as it is horrific. Part of what makes this modest feature so compelling is the uneasy music from composer Brian McOmber. McOmber digs deep and hits on a number of emotions…
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Interview…Mark Korven on the Unsettling Sounds of A24’s ‘The Witch’
Mark Korven is a Toronto based award-winning composer of music for film and television, and has also composed feature film scores for acclaimed directors Deepa Mehta, Patricia Rozema and Vincenzo Natale. Mark is also a multi-instrumentalist specializing in world music. In 2008, he received a Gemini Award (Canadian Emmy) nomination for Best Original Score for a Dramatic Series for the police drama The Border. He also won a Gemini (Canadian Emmy) for the documentary A Promise to the Dead and the TV series A Scattering of Seeds. He has been nominated 14 times for Gemini awards and 8 times for Genie (Canadian Academy award) awards, and winning a Genie for Curtis’s Charm. Robert Eggers’…
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Interview…Composer Michael Brook on John Crowley’s Understated ‘Brooklyn’
Michael Brook is a Golden Globe and Grammy nominated composer, producer and recording artist recognized for his unique style of composition that traverses ambient, world, Americana, electronic and orchestral territories. His work often contains unusual combinations of instruments, sounds and moods that create a powerful, unique and emotional impact. Brook’s music career began as a recording artist, guitar player, producer and collaborator, working with artists such as Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Pogues, on ground breaking labels such as 4AD and Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. As his music began to be licensed in films such as Heat and Any Given Sunday, he developed an interest…
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Interview…Composer Harry Gregson-Williams on ‘The Martian’, Ridley Scott and Andy Weir’s Hopeful Space Epic
We first spoke to film composer Harry Gregson-Williams a few years ago and discussed his work on Zal Batmanglij‘s stunning throwback-styled thriller The East – a pensive score he shared credit with Halli Cauthri. It was a Scott Free Production, so it seems that these days Harry, even after his sabbatical, can never be found too far from Ridley Scott. The Martian is the film adaptation of Andy Weir‘s best-selling novel. It tells the story of Astronaut Mark Watney (played brilliantly and charismatically by Matt Damon – check out our glowing review here) as he struggles to get off the Red Planet. Harry was quite happy with the score and very happy to hear of…
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Interview…Composer Mac Quayle Gives ‘Mr. Robot’ its Surreal Groove
Grammy nominated musician Mac Quayle has written music for over 40 films and television shows, and has accumulated a long list of credits as a music producer, dance re-mixer and multi-instrumentalist. Mac recently received his first EMMY nomination for FX’s hit series, “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett, and he will also be scoring the next season of “American Horror Story: Hotel,” starring Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer. In addition to Mac’s television work, he has also composed music for a diverse list of feature films and documentaries. Mac’s music as an additional composer for Cliff Martinez can also be heard in HBO’s EMMY-winning “The Normal Heart,” Film District’s…
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Interview…Composer Penka Kouneva on ‘The Woman Astronaut’
Film and game composer Penka Kouneva has worked for 15 years in Los Angeles on a variety of projects from games, to shorts, to feature films. Her own music is a blend of her Eastern-European upbringing, classical training, modern film & game music, and influences ranging from rock, electronica, Medieval chant to non-Western music. A woman composer role model on the vanguard of the rising momentum for women creatives in entertainment, Penka Kouneva made Hollywood history as the first woman Lead Orchestrator on films with a budget over $100M – Ender’s Game and Elysium. In various capacitites, she has had notable collaborations with the celebrity composers Hans Zimmer (orchestrator: Pirates 3,…
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Interview…Composer Patrick Doyle on His New Collection of Solo Piano Themes
Patrick Doyle has scored over 50 international feature films, including Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, BRAVE, Indochine, Carlito’s Way and A Little Princess. His work has led to collaborations with some of the most acclaimed directors in the world, including Brian De Palma, Alfonso Cuarón, Ang Lee, and Robert Altman. On July 24, Varèse Sarabande released The Film Music of Patrick Doyle: Solo Piano. The first of two planned albums features original performances and arrangements by the Oscar-nominated composer, the collection features some of Patrick’s most revered compositions performed on piano by Doyle himself. This exceptional album highlights eighteen tracks which include music…
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Interview…Composer Bill Brown Scores Season 2 of Dominion for Syfy
Bill Brown is an award-winning composer and creative force behind the musical scores of fan-favorite TV, film and video game thrillers, dramas and super-hero adventures. Widely recognized for his experimental approach to developing a unique sound and for creating dynamic orchestral landscapes, Bill is best known for composing the compelling musical backdrop for all nine seasons of the hit CBS series CSI: NY. Bill’s passion for composing is followed closely by his interest in cutting-edge sound technology. Developers regularly approach him to beta-test new music and sound design products; many in the music community as the go-to resource consider him when a product or technology recommendation is needed. Continually experimenting…
