To those in the know, Layer Cake is the landmark British crime drama of the 21st century. Since 2004, it has continued to impress audiences, and for two solid decades it is still going strong, gaining new fans as it finds its lane along with other captivating and gritty stories of narrative quicksand like The Game. It’s clever, complex, serious as cancer, but also one entertaining ride book-ended with one of the best opening sequences and closing shots of all time. To the fans out there, you’ve helped make it resonate. To those yet to be initiated, welcome, you are in for a treat. The film had a proper release…
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Interview…Composer Colin Stetson on the Musical Terror of ‘Uzumaki’
Today, we got to speak with super stylish saxophone wizard Colin Stetson. He’s made a name for himself with vast soundscapes and unnerving compositions in films like Color Out of Space, The Menu and Hereditary. He’s also got a new one coming next month from Hulu called Hold Your Breath where he similarly works his unsettling magic in an intimate, small-scale picture. But the topic du jour is the palette he crafted for the unbearably beautiful yet grotesque adaptation of the Japanese manga Uzumaki. Here are some notes from the official Milan Records press release about the show and the soundtrack. A captivating masterclass in psychological horror and obsession, Uzumaki…
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Interview…The Waltzes, Wizards and Wonder of Composer Patrick Doyle
As die-hard fans of film scores, one of our favorite people to speak with is composer Patrick Doyle. While he’s known the world over for his sensational, rousing, and robust music, that’s really only a portion of the man. Whenever we talk to him about his life, we segue into topics that, some times, are even more fascinating than the topic du jour. For instance, Patrick lives in London and has had a holiday home in France for 30 years; a building that conservatively one could estimate was built in the 1700s. Also, not many people can claim to own a tapestry that adorns a centuries old wall. That’s pretty…
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Interview…Composer John Debney Blazes the Trail for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’
When you think of Westerns, and the truly great scores and soundtracks that propelled them into legendary status, there are a staggering number of all-time greats. Much of that credit is thanks to a wide range of composers who have tried their hand in this sacred genre: Elmer Bernstein, Dimitri Tiomkin, and Alfred Newman for starters. Then there are contemporaries like Bruce Broughton, Alan Silvestri, John Barry, Michael Kamen, James Newton Howard, Harry Gregson-Williams and James Horner as well as those just dipping their toe in for a particular film David Newman and Michael Abels. Part of that great pantheon is John Debney who has been around the corral a…
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Interview…Composer Amelia Warner on the Sonic Swells and Sporty Sentimentality to ‘Young Woman and the Sea’
One of the most exciting, invigorating, and crowd-pleasing films of 2024 will not be a sequel, prequel or reboot. If I was a betting man, I would put all my cinema dollars on Young Woman and the Sea. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a sports movie of a different type and it’s also the kind of story that’s most likely to surprise. Directed by Joachim Rønning (of Kon-Tiki), this tells the true-life story of Trudy Ederle, the competitive swimmer, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. This sensational film sits comfortably next to the likes of Apollo 13, Rudy, even The Queen’s…
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Interview…Composer John Paesano on the New Sounds of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’
When a film score hits the right notes, and propels the narrative in film, TV, video games or even a short, the results can be absolutely breathtaking. Sure, we all expect the sound that composers craft (guided by the picture or from conversations with the director) to do the heavy lifting, but even when it stays out of the way, as they say, timing is everything. And what ace composer John Paesano does to the above-mentioned properties has the ability to get us invested in such a short amount of time with a single key, a full symphony, or just plain silence. From a young age, Paesano knew film music…
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Interview…Composer Chris Benstead on the Worlds of Guy Ritchie
When a composer and a filmmaker find a groove, the results are a seemingly never-ending well of material. Suffice to say, the best partnerships are far more than just one note. Pun intended! Filmmakers whose work spans multiple genres – war, action, fantasy, crime, all of the above – need a sound that suits the story. There are several long-standing director/composer partnerships out there and one of the more recent noteworthy pairings is the one-two punch of Guy Ritchie & Chris Benstead. We’ll be completely honest here: one of our very favorite (if not all time favorite) director is Guy Ritchie. A legend now, he blew people away with his…
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Interview…Composer Gareth Coker on Worldbuilding, Melody Writing and Quiet Moments in ‘Ark’ on Paramount+
The last time we spoke to composer Gareth Coker, we had a lot of fun learning about his early days in music, and the exceptional work he did for the pair of Ori games from Moon Studios. This time, nearly four years to the day, we had him on the podcast to talk all about Ark: The Animated Series on Paramount+. An adaptation of the wildly popular game (and its expansions), ARK has to be played, watched and lived to be fully experienced. Suffice to say, this show takes liberties with its condensed story, yet in so doing retains core elements and gives the devoted gamers lots of what they’ve…
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Interview…Composer David Fleming on Danger and Discovery in ‘Damsel’
Every once in a while it’s fun escape into a popcorn fantasy film, and something with a sword or two and a dragon are usually sure to please. In this case, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo delivers in all categories all the while offering a tale you thought you had seen before. With Netflix’s Damsel, he puts a spin on the “princess in distress” framework to make Millie Bobby Brown the hero of her own story. Then again, just looking at the album artwork below, you could probably figure that out. To elevate and enhance the story, composer David Fleming was brought in to give Juan Carlos’ story literal wings. His work…
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Interview…Composer Julia Newman on Technique and Timing in ‘FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans’
Sometimes you can meet a person and the way they look at life, their experiences, or just a few choice words can change the way you think about things. Having conducted over 200 composer interviews – each with unique stories from the industry – this particular podcast was one for the books for a number of reasons. We spoke with Julia Newman about her work on the second season of FEUD on FX. Most of the session was spent talking about life, her time in school, family ties to the industry and the valuable connections and foundation she’s made for herself. But mere minutes into the session (even before hitting…
