For most things, they say that the third time is the charm. While the latest installment of the Avatar series seems to be trailing the two previous installments by just a bit at the box office, one thing is clear: the music and emotions in this franchise have never run higher. And to that we’re giving hat tips, golf claps, and jumping high-fives to composer Simon Franklin. He’s a pillar in James Cameron’s acoustic armory and has been carrying the musical torch/thematic through-lines established by James Horner for that little blue mega blockbuster way back in 2009. We had the incredible opportunity to speak with Simon about his work on…
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Interview…Composer Benjamin Wallfisch on Predators, Aliens and Clowns
It’s a good bet that if a film sticks with you, it’s because of the score. While it doesn’t do all the heavy lifting, a theme can pump a narrative full of so much intangible energy that it is basically a character in the story. So when a composer taps into the feature at hand, they can deliver some of the most impacting sounds you’ll ever hear. And those notes don’t just hit you in the feels, they echo in eternity. Benjamin Wallfisch is one such artist whose sonic blankets literally bring films and television to life. We chatted with him years ago to discuss A Cure For Wellness as…
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Interview…Laura Karpman on Maximalism, Making Her Own Brand of Music, and Letting the World Catch Up
If you’re a film score fan, you are sure to have your favorite composers as well as a collection of soundtracks that mean a lot to you. Over time, if you listen to any musician’s output you’ll notice grooves and rhythms that some refer to as a calling card. Whether it is the repeat use of an instrument, a style of music they play or the “Horner snarl”, a Goldsmith score is a Goldsmith score, a Williams score is a Williams score, and so on. Now what perks up our ears is when the music we hear is not easily discernible. Is that Doyle or Jackman, is that Shapiro or…
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Exclusive First Listen: Depeche Mode’s “Behind The Wheel” Reimagined in ‘Hallow Road’
“It’s Halloween. Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” That’s a saying that pops up a lot this time of year. Well, as I’ve always asked, does it only have to be scary? What if it’s a treat? On that note (music pun intended) we’re happy to give your ears something special: a surprising and haunting cover of Depeche Mode’s “Behind The Wheel” taken from Hallow Road—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Enjoy this exclusive first listen from the forthcoming Lakeshore Records release below! Lakeshore Records · Behind The Wheel by Lorne Balfe and Peter Adams (From Hallow Road) It is supremely tense, but that’s just what the composers of Hallow Road were going…
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Exclusive First Listen: Two Tracks from Carter Burwell’s Score to ‘Good Fortune’
Getting to break new music to you is a real treat. Sometimes it’s a pinch myself moment, and as such, in this new Lionsgate film starring Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra O and Keanu Reeves, all I can think to say is “woah!” So, hat tip to our good friends at Lakeshore Records for allowing us to grace your ears with not one, but two cues from Carter Burwell‘s score to Good Fortune. Burwell’s light-hearted score incorporates retro sounding keys and synths and mixes them with strings and vocalizations to create a mischievously whimsical backdrop to the surprising supernatural comedy. The tracks below have a good bit of…
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Exclusive First Listen: Jung Jaeil ‘s Score to ‘Twinless’
Happy Thursday to all you film score fans! And it’s always “happy” when we’re able to share new music on our site. Our friends at Lakeshore Records have let us debut something special from one of the most exciting young voices in the film score game. Jung Jaeil came on the scene in a BIG way with his music to Parasite. The film has a cornucopia of themes that include (but are not limited to) class struggle, social inequality, and capitalism. Further, it’s explored using and blending elements from different genres like thriller, comedy, mystery and horror. It’s tough for some films to do any one of those well, but…
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Interview…Composer Dan Deacon on Creating Symphonies in the Mundane in ‘Task’ on HBO
There’s an old saying that the object of any art is the transfer of emotion. That is true, regardless of the medium, the artist, or the exhibition. Now the art we love most on this site is the art of entertainment, specifically the alchemy created when making music for moving pictures. Over the years, we’ve been very lucky and honored to have spoken to dozens upon dozens of creatives who craft sonic atmospheres for film and TV. And because music can take any shape form, duration, style, etc., you never know what’s going to move the mercury of your soul. That brings us to today’s show. One of the absolute…
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Interview…Jeff Russo Brings Method and Mythology to Noah Hawley’s ‘Alien: Earth’
A few weeks back, we got to share an exclusive “first listen” of composer Jeff Russo‘s themes for Alien: Earth. It really set the stage for what Noah Hawley and the rest of the team would give us with this stunning addition to the Alien universe Ridley Scott built. Now that the show is out in the world, fans and those new to the franchise are loving every acidic drop of the expanded mythology. You can credit a lot of the success to the auditory component. We’re not talking about the ooey-gooey sound engineering, but the deft and complex sound palette Russo assembled. Russo is used to scoring varied and…
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Exclusive First Listen: David Fleming’s Score to ‘Americana’
Composer David Fleming seems to get to the heart of a film better and quicker than any one else in the business. The way he looks at the story and crafts his sound is as inspired as it is innovative. Take a listen to what he did with Damsel and you’ll get an idea of how much his work influences and elevates the picture. Fleming is no stranger to down home music palettes – he did some earnest and emotional pieces for Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy as well as the epitome of red, white and blue with James Gunn’s Superman. With Americana, Fleming embraced country and western music with his…
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Interview…Composer Stuart Michael Thomas Digs Deep For ‘The Cut’
Life-long musician and composer Stuart Michael Thomas has amassed over 100 feature film and television credits during his time in Hollywood including international blockbusters such as Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, Iron Man 3, and The Dark Knight. He was also one of the featured guitarists on Top Gun: Maverick. Imagine getting to shred out that theme for the world to enjoy. Yeah, that’s just one of Stuart’s many super cool stories about his “day job” working on these sensational projects. Over his 20-year career he’s developed a unique and versatile style blending elements of Classical orchestration with modern techniques resulting in a sound that is both timeless and…
