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…Logan Marshall-Green on Karyn Kusama’s ‘The Invitation’
The term slow-burn doesn’t really apply to Karyn Kusama‘s paranoia thriller, The Invitation. This Drafthouse title is more appropriately like being slow-roasted alive. The film is effective in that it’s never truly transparent in what it’s trying to do. You may think you have it figured out from the get go, but when the story gets crazy, which is an understatement, things take a turn like you wouldn’t believe. As an actor in the film, Logan Marshall-Green (Devil, Prometheus) was almost like the voice of the audience, a sort of surrogate for our experience – what would we do if we saw someone locking the door at a friend’s dinner…
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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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Exclusive: Director Matt Schrader Offers A Look Into ‘SCORE: A Film Music Documentary’
Have you ever wondered why certain film scores stick in your head? Have you ever found yourself humming the bars from Jaws, more terrified by John Williams‘ iconic two-note motif than the (robotic) shark which hunted Roy Scheider and the citizens of Amity Island? So much of that has to do with the craft, and, moreover, the creative skill of the composer. For example, how easily can you recall the theme to Back to the Future?…that was Alan Silvestri. Your kids love the infectious sound/songs of Frozen?…then thank Christophe Beck. You ever imagine yourself as the Caped Crusader and instinctively hum the theme to Batman or The Dark Knight?…give Danny Elfman and Hans…
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Exclusive: Mo Shafeek Shares Stories as Mondo’s Record Label Production Manager
Mondo employees are a rare breed of cinephiles and artisans – chalk it up mostly to each of them having seen certain films way too early in their lifetime. Having watched those titles countless times, movies are not just a means of entertainment, they are part of their DNA. Who else could make/understand a “little too Raph” joke on a daily basis without missing a beat? In short, certain films defined their tastes for years to come. One such individual is Mo Shafeek. We got to speak to him for over an hour regarding his role as Mondo’s soundtrack production manager. Based in Austin, TX, the Mondo bunch (Mo included),…
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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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Exclusive: A Look Into the Mondo Creative Process and Preview of MondoCon 2015
Film fans around the globe are becoming increasingly aware of and familiar with the Alamo Drafthouse’s boutique poster label Mondo. What started out as a small Austin, TX based outfit has quickly become a major player in film circles for simply outstanding movie art – be it posters, vinyl soundtracks, or, recently, toys. While they have built brand awareness by producing a prolific and dizzying array of spectacular releases, Mondo is committed to two main goals: they seek to educate people about films as much as they want to celebrate them, but also, they aim to get film fans to see cinema the way they do. The Mondo team is a uniquely…
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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…
