Anne-Kathrin Dern is the latest guest on The Film Scorer Podcast! You might be most familiar with Anne's lush, thematically-rich traditional orchestral scoring on a number of family and animation films, but she's started to slowly move into more hybrid and pure electronic/textural film and game scoring as well. As such, we talk about this transition and how mixing up scoring styles makes her grow as a composer well maintaining her excitement in the field. This transition recently culminated with her latest score, The Devil Conspiracy, a far more electronic, textural horror score that also features heavy use of organ and choir. It's an unusual score for Anne, but also admittedly the most fun she's had scoring in a long time! We then move into discussing some heavier topics, including the recent article from The Guardian regarding MeToo in the composing world, the lack of opportunity for female composers, and the necessity for having open conversations about these types of issues.
You can find out more about Anne on her website. The Devil Conspiracy is now available on demand and Anne's score, as well as many of her other works, is available digitally on all major platforms.
Tim Hecker, one of the leading voices in experimental electronic music (sometimes referred to as "ambient") joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Tim and I primarily talk about his score to the new film Infinity Pool, a psychedelic, nasty ride with an equally wowing, disorienting score. Among the stranger aspects of the score is that Tim actually utilized the sounds of Mediterranean cicadas, spending hours trawling through YouTube for the perfect samples before eventually turning them into a sort of Baltic banjo in a Deliverance homage for the regressive, yet future-forward dystopian mythical island state on which the film takes place. We then get into, among other things, the problematic nature of the "ambient" genre label and our increasing disconnect with music.
One note on this interview: after the introduction, it begins mid-conversation between Tim and I. Our pre-interview small talk started going too deep, so I felt the need to capture it and keep it going rather than abruptly stop it to start a more "formal" interview.
You can find out more about Tim on his website. Infinity Pool is now available on demand and Tim's score, as well as many of his other works, is available digitally on all major platforms. Although the score is not available there, most of Tim's works are available directly through bandcamp.
With 2022 over, The Film Scorer covers some of the best and most notable film scores released from the last three months of the year. These include scores like Babylon by Justin Hurwitz, All Quiet on the Western Front by Volker Bertelmann, and many more. A breadth of film music awaits!
The episode opens with some awards season coverage, recorded prior to the BAFTA awards ceremony, and so predicts a Hurwitz win even though Volker Bertelmann ended up winning.
Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
October: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-october-2022/
Three-time Oscar nominated composer Carter Burwell (True Grit, Three Billboards Outside Billing, Missouri) joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We primarily talk about his latest score, which also happened to land him his third Oscar nomination (as well as another BAFTA nom), The Banshees of Inisherin! This includes determining the sound palette (going from initial ideas for period-appropriate Irish music to incorporating an Indonesian gamelan), pulling out the essence of Colin Farrell's character, and more. Along the way, he gives his thoughts on experimentation in film music and the benefit of having more time to sit down and score, while briefly covering his a capella score for Catherine Called Birdy.
I was immediately drawn to Carter's score, in part because it deviates from and subverts expectation. Carter creates a sort of dark fairy tale, balancing a childlike sense with melancholy and foreboding, all through a minimal and restrained sound palette. On this point, he told me "When I started really thinking why does this music work or what am I trying to achieve, I began thinking that what it really is doing is turning the movie into a fable. It’s playing a little more like a fairytale.” This comes, in part, because of Carter's choice to largely use the music to play off of Colin Farrell's character, to embody him and his troublesome journey through the film.
You can find out more about Carter on his website. The Banshees of Inisherin is currently available on HBO Max and Carter's score, as well as many of his other works, is available digitally on all major platforms.
I recently chatted with experimental composer Maya Shenfeld about her first major foray into film scoring: the Oscar shortlisted documentary The Flagmakers. Fresh off of her critically acclaimed debut album, In Free Fall (which experiments through electroacoustic arrangements), Maya's score for The Flagmakers is a contemporary, modernized take on traditional American minimalism (á la Reich and Glass). Not only do we discuss these two pieces, but we also cover Maya's long-time interest in film music, dive into the world and communities of experimental music, and more.
You can find out more about Maya on her website or on bandcamp. The Flagmakers has not yet been released, and Maya is still working on potentially releasing (and expanding) her score for the documentary, although her prior works are available on all major digital platforms (and her cinematic album called Cinematic Minimalism and released under the nom de guerre Rouge Fou.
Composer Zak Engel joins me to kick off 2023, and end my brief interview hiatus. We primarily chat about his score for the mind-bending sci-fi thriller Ultrasound, which released a couple of years ago but for which Zak's score has only recently come out. It's a really cool, engaging score filled with older analog synth sounds and more modern electronics, building on influences from folks like Mort Garson, Disasterpeace, and Daniel Lopatin/Oneohtrix Point Never. We also talk about some of Zak's personal influences, how he got into film, and Zak even tackles a few of my surprise and unfair abstract questions about film, music, and the art of scoring.
You can find out more about Zak on his website or on bandcamp. Ultrasound is currently available on Hulu, while Zak's score (and many of his prior works) is available on all major digital platforms.
To finish up 2022, I attempt to unravel the new murder mystery Glass Onion, with the help of its composer, Nathan Johnson. Not surprisingly, then, Nathan and I jump into his big, orchestral score, including revisiting themes from the predecessor film Knives Out, creating new themes (particularly the theme for Janelle Monáe's character, Andi), and finding the right sound for the film. Along the way we talk about working with Rian Johnson and Guillermo del Toro (with whom Nathan collaborated on 2021's Nightmare Alley), picking the right projects, impostor syndrome, and more!
You can find out more about Nathan on his website. Glass Onion is currently available on Netflix, while Nathan's score (and many of his prior works) is available on all major digital platforms.
Pleased to have Academy Award winning composer Volker Bertelmann join the show! Volker is fresh off of scoring the new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, a new bleak, harrowing anti-war version of the classic novel for which he's received his first Oscar and BAFTA wins! We chat primarily about this score, including creating some of the incredibly distinct, surprising sounds used throughout and his working relationship with long time collaborator (and the film's director) Edward Berger. We also cover a few more disparate topics, like his earlier days in the music industry, finding inspiration when writing, and the drive to constantly challenge himself (telling me "I love being challenged by things that I haven’t done before...I’m actually in a long learning curve of getting challenged”).
Volker's score has been fairly divisive, and I think that's a testament, in part, to the unorthodox sound palette and that drive to challenge himself. The score's main motif is a blaring three note siren or alarm, backed by the humming din of organized industrialization. Although it feels modern and electronic, the thrust of the motif is actually an amplified harmonium from the early 1900s, firmly placing it in the film's time period. It's one of those moments where immediately upon hearing the score's first few notes I knew I had to find out more. I'm glad I did, and I hope you are too!
You can find out more about Volker on his website. All Quiet on the Western Front is currently available on Netflix, while Volker's score (and many of his prior works) is available on all major digital platforms.
The latest guest on The Film Scorer Podcast is French composer Raphaelle Thibaut! Raphaelle (or simply Raph) has been primarily working in documentaries lately, scoring projects such as Secrets of the Whales, Introducing, Selma Blair, and Mama's Boy, the last of which being her latest project. We primarily talk about her score for Mama's Boy, which is a lovely, somber yet optimistic score told primarily through piano, with instances of woodwinds, acoustic guitar, and more. We also touch on some of her musical influences (60s and 70s French and Italian scores), how those influences compare with more modern scores, and appreciation for documentary music broadly.
You can find out more about Raph on her website. Mama's Boy is currently available on HBO Max, while Raph's score (and many of her prior works) is available on all major digital platforms.
As the year draws to a close, The Film Scorer covers some of the best and most notable film scores released from July, August, and September 2022. These include scores like Nope by Michael Abels, Blonde by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and many more. A breadth of film music awaits!
Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
July: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-july-2022/
August: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-august-2022/
September: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-september-2022/
My latest guest is DJ-turned-media composer Nathan Micay! While those fans of techno, house, and trance clubbing across the world might be familiar with Nathan's work in those scenes, he's recently branched out into scoring for film and tv. In fact, his first big break was with HBO's Industry, season 2 of which has just released. Of course, Nathan and I dive into his work on the show (including the palette, creating motifs, and putting together the forthcoming score release), while also touching on far-flung topics like his love of David and Thomas Newman scores (especially for the first two Mighty Ducks films) and the state of the music industry.
Both seasons of Industry are on HBO in the US and I believe season 2 has just released on BBC Two in the UK. Nathan's score should be out later this November, with a vinyl release coming early 2023, but you can hear Nathan's season 1 score (and much the rest of his music) on various digital platforms or in physical formats.
On this Devil's Night, who better to raise a little hell with than my latest guest: Ben Lovett. Ben and I primarily talk about his latest score, Hellraiser, which is a reimagining/remake of Clive Barker's original novella The Hellbound Heart. As part of that discussion, we cover (among other things), Ben's utilization of Chris Young's themes for the original film, making the score something uniquely his own, and dealing with the pressure (and external criticism) that comes with working on such a big, beloved (sometimes) franchise.
Hellraiser is currently streaming on Hulu, while Ben's score (and much of the rest of his music) is widely available physically and digitally, including on Ben's bandcamp. In addition, Mondo is releasing a limited edition (2,000 copies) vinyl in connection with Lakeshore Records and Death Waltz Recording.
Michael Price joins The Film Scorer for episode 2 of season 3! You might be most familiar with Michael Price (at least I was) from his work with David Arnold on the acclaimed and excellent Sherlock and Dracula series, both created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. But Michael also spent five years working with Michael Kamen, beginning on Event Horizon and X-Men, and music edited a number of films including the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. During our interview we talk about all of those. We also talk about, and cover most in-depth, Michael's latest solo album Whitsun, which becomes an intimate look at Michael's childhood in Yorkshire, a connection of sound and memory. It's a lovely, nostalgic album that's both sweet and melancholic, with a universality that conjures a sense of recollection no matter one's past.
As we wrapped up our chat, we began discussing the importance of music in one's life and Michael said: "If just one person made a little moment to play something or sing for themselves or with someone else in their family or with a friend, just that tiny one act I think is joyful and worthwhile…To anyone: if you do find yourself playing or singing, send me a note on Twitter, cheer us both up." So, if after listening you've found yourself playing or singing, but sure to let Michael know (and include me while you're at it).
Whitsun is available digitally and physically (via CD and cassette) on Michael's bandcamp, and digitally on all major platforms. Michael's scores are broadly available digitally and physically.
For those interested in Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music, you can find out more information here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scoredtodeathmovie/scored-to-death-the-dark-art-of-scary-movie-music
Season three of The Film Scorer Podcast is finally here! Joining me is legendary musician and composer Cosey Fanni Tutti. Film music fans may not be quite as familiar with Cosey, who's best known for being a founding member of the band Throbbing Gristle, arguably the pioneers of industrial music. However, Cosey has also been busy with solo work, collaborations, and even film scoring. As such, we primarily discuss her score for the film Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes, about the influential electronic musician and composer Delia Derbyshire. We also talk about her new book, Re-Sisters: The Lives and Recordings of Delia Derbyshire, Margery Kempe and Cosey Fanni Tutti, which serves as a "meditation on womanhood, creativity and self-expression, and a revelatory exploration into the lives of three visionary artists" (description courtesy of Amazon).
Cosey's score is fascinating, weird, and, at times, completely haunting; I really enjoyed it. It released on September 16 and is available on all major platforms and on vinyl from Cargo Records. Cosey's other music, both as a solo artist and in her various collaborations and bands, is also widely available.
Season Three of The Film Scorer Podcast is almost here! The new season launches on Sunday, October 2nd, with new episodes continuing every other Sunday. Given the breadth of guests in Season Two, you never who will show up this time around - but I can promise, there's already some great names signed up!
So subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, follow The Film Scorer on Instagram and Twitter, and keep those ears open.
With the season 3 premiere right around the corner, we've decided to drop an interview to tease your appetite. Dominic Lewis joins The Film Scorer to talk about his new score to the hit action film Bullet Train. Dom's score is a self-described concept album featuring numerous, far-reaching influences and a number of faux needle drops that completely fooled me when I watched the film. Dom also briefly talks about his two upcoming Christmas films (including Spirited, a musical starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds) and how to make Christmas music that doesn't sound like every other Christmas score. Finally, Dom ends the interview by talking about his time working at (and giving a rare peak behind the scenes into) Remote Control Productions, Hans Zimmer's film scoring production company.
As I mention during the interview, hearing Dom's score is what sold me on the interview. It's such a wild genre mix that somehow works, ending up even more weird and gonzo than the underlying film. It's always exciting when composers try to push the boundaries a bit, and even more so when they can do it in an otherwise mainstream release.
Bullet Train is available to watch in theaters. Dom's score, and all of his other music, is available digitally.
As the inter-season hiatus winds down, The Film Scorer covers some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from April through June, 2022. These run the gamut, from "multiverse" scores like Everything Everywhere All at Once by Son Lux and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, to grimy, experimental works like We're All Going to the World's Fair by Alex G or Phil Tippett's Mad God by Dan Wool and more, this period is loaded with impressive pieces.
Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
April: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-april-2022/
May: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-may-2022/
June: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-june-2022/
While the main branch of The Film Scorer Podcast is on its post-season 2 hiatus, I've decided to do something a little different to fill the absence. I'll be doing some shorter-form audio reviews of film scores. The first of these is Dan Wool's score to the brilliant stop-motion monstrosity, Phil Tippett's Mad God. It's a bleak, apocalyptic piece that blurs the edges of sound design. I highly recommend the score and the film!
You can also read my review of Wool's score here: https://thefilmscorer.com/dan-wools-mad-score-for-phil-tippetts-mad-god-2022-film-score-review/
In the season two finale of The Film Scorer Podcast, acclaimed Northern Irish composer Hannah Peel joins the show! We primarily talk about her score for the new series adaptation of John Wyndham's novel The Midwich Cuckoos (which you may know as The Village of the Damned). It's a supremely cool score, mixing dark, oppressive and gentle soundscape electronics with voice. The most notable aspect of the latter - and the part that sold me on the score immediately - is Hannah's manipulation of her own voice to mimic the sound of cuckoos. In the midst of this, Hannah actually talks about why she thinks experimentations with voice have become more common in recent scores, and we talk a bit about her journey into composing media music as well as the thought that goes into curating a soundtrack release.
The Midwich Cuckoos is available to watch on Sky in the UK and may be forthcoming elsewhere. Hannah's score, and all of her other music, is available digitally, particularly on BandCamp (with The Midwich Cuckoos being released in conjunction with Invada). You can find out more about Hannah by visiting her website.
Experimental musician turned film and TV composer Lucrecia Dalt joins me on The Film Scorer Podcast! Despite a lifelong interest in film and film music, as well as a decade-long career in composing and sound design, Dalt has just broken into the film and TV sphere in the last several months. We primarily cover her two new scores - for the horror feature The Seed and the horror-comedy show The Baby - but also dive into our thoughts on the film and film music landscapes and touch on her broader love of film.
I'm a huge fan of both of these scores, which provide an exciting, fresh experimental take on media music, utilizing strange voices (especially real and pseudo throat-singing), monolithic fear, and hints of comedy. All it took was for me to hear the single from The Seed, "Venutian Offspring", to know I wanted to dig into these more.
The Seed is available to watch digitally on Shudder while The Baby is available via HBO in the US and Sky in the UK. Both of her scores, and all of her other music, is available digitally, particularly on BandCamp. The vinyl version of The Seed is available via Invada.
In between composer interviews, The Film Scorer covers some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from January through March, 2022. These include a handful of films released in 2021 whose scores for some reason had delayed releases, like The Harder They Fall by Jeymes Samuel and Benedetta by Anne Dudley, as well as experimental scores like The Seed by Lucrecia Dalt, Texas Chainsaw Massacre by Colin Stetson, and Ted K by Blanck Mass (the latter of whom I recently interviewed), and a whole load more!
Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
January: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-january-2022/
February: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-february-2022/
March: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-march-2022/
Experimental electronic musician turned film composer Benjamin John Power (aka Blanck Mass) joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We initially set out to talk about his score for Ted K, which mixes gentle, ambient textures and pounding melodies to get into the head of domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski. However, we take a detour and first talk about his other new score (which, as of recording, hadn't released) for Gazza, which covers the troubled life of British footballer Paul Gascoigne (aka Gazza). Blanck Mass also talks about how hearing Ennio Morricone's score to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at six years old inspired him to score for film, his long journey to finally having that opportunity (the Irish crime drama Calm with Horses), and the new scoring challenges he hopes to one day face.
Ted K is available to watch digitally in the US (but is forthcoming in the UK) while Gazza is available via BBC iPlayer (but is forthcoming in the US). Blanck Mass's score for Ted K (though not Gazza), and almost all of his other music, is available digitally, particularly on BandCamp.
Film composer and director Nicole Russin-McFarland joins The Film Scorer Podcast! But, Nicole didn't come alone; joining her is voice actor Christopher Andrew Norris, a frequent collaborator of Nicole's (though those of you with deft ears might notice a third guest - Nicole's cat - who makes some infrequent background appearances...). We discuss their working relationship and process, spanning several dozen radio plays that the two have put together, and both of their future plans and aspirations. In addition, we cover topics like accessibility and discrimination issues in film and film music, the AWAL music program, UJAM's virtual instruments, and the Stan Winston School for film effects and vfx (among many other things).
Much of Nicole's music, including her many collaborations with Chris, are available digitally on all platforms. Find out more about Nicole on her website and more about Chris on his website.
This was only my third interview with multiple guests, but the first one where they both called in from different locations. A lot to handle, to be sure, but also a lot of fun! And I think the fun carries over into the interview itself.
Pleased to have composer CJ Mirra join The Film Scorer Podcast! We primarily talk about CJ's feature scoring debut, the UK family drama/horror film A Banquet. Much of CJ's score oscillates between eerie, dreadful atmospheres and textures and gentler yet ominous melodies that complement the film's many classical music extracts. We also get into his prolific work in short surf films (working on 20+), which are collected in the compilation Static, culminating in scoring the upcoming Apple TV Series Make or Break that follows the World Surf League.
A Banquet is available to watch digitally, and CJ's score (as well as much of his other music) is available digitally on all platforms or on vinyl through Burning Witches Records. Find out more about CJ on his website.
At the end of January I "attended" Sundance to watch God's Country, a drama/thriller starring Thandiwe Newton. Today DeAndre Allen-Toole, the film's composer, joins the show! We chat about the film, including the challenges of making his feature scoring debut, palette choices, and the months he and director Julian Higgins spent in pre-production. We also cover his long journey into becoming a composer for media and some of his future goals and dreams.
God's Country releases this fall, although you can listen to some of DeAndre's score (and find out more about him) on his website.
Fall Out Boy vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter turned media composer Patrick Stump joins the show! While our intended focus his score for the new Disney show Spidey And His Amazing Friends, we spend a significant time talking about his transition into a media composer, his early love for film music, and what it's like having this dream finally come true. Eventually we turn to Spidey And His Amazing Friends, covering his rock-powered score and how he composed new (and addressed familiar) themes for the show's characters.
Spidey And His Amazing Friends season 1 is on Disney Junior/Disney+ and YouTube, with season 2 on the horizon. You can listen to several of Patricks' scores, including singles from the show, on all major platforms.
Better late than never - The Film Scorer returns for the annual tradition of covering the "best" film scores of 2021. These scores aren't presented in any particular order, and are really just favorites - there are NO "best" scores! Feel free to chime in with some of your favorites from the world of film and beyond; even if they didn't make the list, chances are they were close!
Colin Stetson joins The Film Scorer podcast to talk about his brutal, unconventional score to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Netflix's new installment in the iconic horror series. Texas Chainsaw Massacre probably displays Colin at his most unrestrained, as the filmmakers largely gave him free reign to go as unconventional and vicious as possible. You can hear this in Colin's voice when he describes the score and composing process, and the feeling is infectious. As always, we go on some tangents like how horror and other film genres compare in terms of score and Ann Arbor's old DIY music scene (a town where we coincidentally both spent a lot of time).
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now streaming on Netflix while Colin's score is available everywhere. You can also order the gorgeous vinyl from Waxwork Records. Find out more about Colin on his website.
Derek Kirkup joins The Film Scorer Podcast to talk about his gentle, bittersweet score to the new familial drama Sorority. Along the way we talk about Nic Cage's acting career and how his boundary-pushing approach may have parallels to pushing film music forward, as well as music in AR and VR cinematic experiences.
Sorority released on Amazon Prime on February 10th, and Derek's score comes out on February 14th. You can also find more out about Derek on his website.
Four-time Grammy nominated music producer and supervisor Matt Sullivan (Chicago, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We primarily discuss his work with Steven Spielberg as executive music producer on West Side Story, how he carved this role out for himself almost by accident on the set of Chicago, and the upcoming musical Disenchanted!
Matt is actually the first non-composer to join the show, and it was great having a crash-course in music supervision and production, especially from the man synonymous with the mega-musical!
In between composer interviews, The Film Scorer covers some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from October through December, 2021. These include Halloween Kills by Cody Carpenter, John Carpenter, and Daniel A. Davies , The Matrix Resurrections by Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer, Spencer and The Power of the Dog by Jonny Greenwood, and a whole load more!
Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
October: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-october-2021/
November: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-november-2021/
December: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-december-2021/
To continue 2022's strong start, the great composer Marcelo Zarvos joins me for a quick chat! Marcelo recently scored the newly released film A Journal for Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. We discuss his work on the film, some early Brazilian rock and metal, and what it's like working with Denzel.
It's a lovely, intimate score that manages to balance tragedy and love, always staying true to the drama that forms the heart of the film.
A Journal for Jordan is currently in theaters and Marcelo's score, as well as many of his works over the years, is available on all major platforms. You can also find out more about Marcelo by visiting his website.
To kick-off the new year, Catherine Joy joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We discuss a number of her projects, as well as (among other things) the Joy Music House, her work with the Alliance for Women Film Composers, and the differences between composing, orchestrating, and score supervising! We actually conducted this interview back in August of 2021, so a couple references may be slightly dated (such as the Oscar shortlists), and I'm glad I've finally gotten around to releasing it.
Catherine has composed a number of scores for TV shows, features, and documentaries. She's also worked on major projects like Wild, Wild Country, Minari, and Homecoming in various capacities, such as orchestrating and score producing. You can find out more about Catherine by visiting her website. Some of this work has come through her company, the Joy Music House, which is a full-service score production company. Catherine is also the president of the Alliance for Women Film Composers, a great organization advocating for women film composers globally and its membership is open to anyone!
Pleased to have Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, Mulan, The Chronicles of Narnia) join me for a quick chat. We primarily focus on his scores for the two new Ridley Scott films The Last Duel and House of Gucci, as well as his score for the upcoming Disneynature film Polar Bear. Along the way we talk about distraction in film music and some recent scores that Harry's been enjoying. Although it's a quick chat - Harry originally only had twenty minutes, though we stretched it to just over half an hour - we managed to cover a great amount!
These two films do a fantastic job of showing Harry's range. While The Last Duel is an often somber, heavily thematic and semi-period specific score (late 14th century), House of Gucci sees Harry jump into a much more stylized, nearly-contemporary sound.
The Last Duel is now available to rent while House of Gucci is currently in theaters, while many of Harry's scores are available on all major platforms. Although House of Gucci didn't end up having a full score from Harry, the film's soundtrack release does include his score suite.
The one and only Mark Korven joins me on The Film Scorer Podcast! Mark is probably best known for scoring films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, but his latest score is for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. We talk about that film and his score, as well as his prior releases, his signature instrument the "Apprehension Engine," and Mark announces an upcoming 25th anniversary release of his score for Cube. Of course, during the interview we touch on a load more as well.
This was a very exciting interview for me since Mark's work is one of the reasons I began down this film music path in the first place. When I first saw The Witch, I found the music absolutely fascinating and unlike anything I'd really heard. Although I didn't begin writing about film music until a couple years after, it certainly planted the seed.
You can find more about Mark on his website. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is currently in theaters, while many of Mark's more recent scores are available on all major platforms.
Fan of the show and prolific film composer and solo artist Andy Fosberry joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We spend a significant time locking into Andy's composing and recording process, which has allowed him to write and record several scores in the span of two weeks each! Afterward, we cover a wide swathe of topics, including a shared love of Mica Levi and Cormac McCarthy, differing thoughts on the Friday the 13th film series, and plenty more.
In a rare twist, I've also included some snippets of Andy's film and solo music in the interview. If you like what you hear, be sure to check out Andy's many scores on your streaming service of choice, including his Bandcamp - he has dozens of albums up there, giving endless listening opportunities! You can find more about Andy on his website, watch several of the films he's score on YouTube, and even listen to some of the "rediscovered" albums he's re-mastered via Spun Out of Control.
Peter Gregson joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Peter and I talk about his Recomposed Bach Cello Suites (in which Peter re-examined some of Bach's great cello works), taking me far out of my musical knowledge depth and comfort! We also discuss his excellent new album 'Patina' and his forays into scoring for film and other media. During the conversation, Peter mimics a few cello melodies by singing, which is a highlight that can't be missed.
You can find out more about Peter on his website, while his scores and 'Patina' are available on all major services (with 'Patina' also being available to buy from Deutsche Grammophon). It's an excellent album and I highly recommend checking it out!
Composer (and fan of the show!) Michael Yezerski joins The Film Scorer podcast to give an in-depth look at his score for the new Starz series Blindspotting! Michael actually co-composed the score with avantgarde and renowned jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, and Ambrose was originally scheduled to join the chat but unfortunately had to drop out. Hopefully both composers will be able to join when season 2 rolls around!
We also talk about some of Michael's recent film scores, including The Vigil and The Tax Collector, while exploring some of his musical interests, scoring process, and advice for up-and-coming composers!
You can find more about Michael on his website. Blindspotting is available on Starz, while Michael's score is available on all major platforms.
Excited to have composer Ariel Marx join the show! Ariel has been on a major upswing in 2021, scoring Shiva Baby (which I loved), Rebel Hearts, and the third episode of American Horror Stories. We talk about a few of these projects (as well as some others that are on the way), how the love of collaboration brought her into composing for media, and more!
You can find more about Ariel on her website. Shiva Baby and American Horror Stories are both streaming on Hulu while Rebel Hearts is on discovery+. Meanwhile, most of Ariel's scores are available on all major platforms.
The Film Scorer takes a breather from composer interviews to cover some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from July through September, 2021. These include Dune and the Dune Sketchbook by Hans Zimmer, The Green Knight by Daniel Hart, Beckett and Minamata by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and a whole load more!
See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
July: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-july-2021/
August: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-august-2021/
September: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-september-2021/
Blockbuster Chinese composer Elliot Leung joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Elliot's latest score is for the major Korean War film The Battle at Lake Changjin, which released this weekend and has already smashed numerous box office records (as well as being the highest grossing film in the world this weekend). However, we only briefly discuss his score. Instead, we touch on his other films, his general process, and how Martin O'Donnell's score for Halo inspired Elliot to pursue a career in composing for film and other media!
You can find more information about Elliot on his website. The Battle at Lake Changjin is currently in theaters in China, but has not yet had a worldwide release. Elliot's score is similarly forthcoming, but you can listen to his scores for Operation Red Sea and The Rescue on all major streaming platforms.
Pleased to have Joe Kraemer join the podcast! Though known for films like Jack Reacher and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Joe's latest is the children's fantasy film Emily and the Magical Journey. We discuss that score near the end of the interview, and in the meantime we talk about his other works (including the upcoming Old Man starring starring Stephen Lang), late Soviet-era pop music, Pacino's character in Heat, and much more!
Find out more about Joe on his website. Emily and the Magical Journey is currently available on VOD while his score (and most of his back catalog) is available on all platforms.
Composer Frank Ilfman joins The Film Scorer podcast to do a deep dive into his score for the hit Netflix action film 'Gunpowder Milkshake.' During the dive, we touch on the score's spaghetti western, noir, and broader 60s and 70s American, French, and Italian influences. Along the way we also touch on Frank's own influences, including a chance encounter with Klaus Doldinger during the recording of 'The NeverEnding Story'!
Find our more about Frank on his website. 'Gunpowder Milkshake' is currently available on Netflix while Frank's score (and many of his other scores) is available on all major streaming platforms.
Note: during the introduction I state that 'Gunpowder Milkshake' released in Netflix in the UK this weekend. That's incorrect - it released in theaters and on SKY Cinema.
Overjoyed to have composer and singer/songwriter Jessica Rose Weiss join The Film Scorer Podcast! Jess's latest film score (co-composed with Mychael Danna) is for the new Amazon Prime retelling of Cinderella starring Camila Cabello. Jess and I talk about crafting their magical, romantic (and folk-influenced) score for this jukebox musical, as well as her mentorship with Mychael and her time spent working at Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions! We jump right into the conversation in this episode - no chit chat to start off - so don't think you've missed anything! While we unfortunately don't have a chance to discuss these, Jess just released two other scores as well, both for Netflix: the dramedy Afterlife of the Party and the animated feature film Dog Gone Trouble.
Find out more about Jess on her website. Cinderella is currently available on Amazon Prime while her and Mychael's score (as well as her score for Dog Gone Trouble and her score suite for Afterlife of the Party) are available on all platforms.
Prolific composer and musician Roger Mason joins The Film Scorer Podcast! They talk broadly about Roger's media compositions and approach, as well as: the differences between Australian and American productions; figuring out how to play what's in your head; and the famed Australian musician David Page. Note that there's no small talk on this one - Roger jumps straight into the heavy stuff!
I was particularly excited to talk with Roger given his pre-composing background. He was well known on the post-punk/new wave scene, playing in Models, Gary Numan's backing band, and the supergroup Illustrated Man (with members of Japan and Gang of four), while also touring with Wall of Voodoo. Though Roger expected to have left that lifestyle long behind, he's recently worked with Steve Kilbey (of The Church) on a number of projects, including the album "The Hall of Counterfeits" by Steve Kilbey & the Winged Heels.
Find out more about Roger on his website. Many of Roger's scores are available on all major streaming platforms, and the films and shows themselves are available across a variety of streaming platforms too.
Film and video game composer Nima Fakhrara (Detroit: Become Human; Becky) joins the show to talk about, among other things: diversity in film music, the necessity of being genuine in everything you create, and a few of his latest projects.
Find out more about Nima on his website. Many of Nima's film and video game scores are available on all major streaming platforms.
Film composer and singer-songwriter Steph Copeland joins the show to talk about, among other things: her recent scores for Vicious Fun, The Retreat, and The Oak Room, as well as her trend of scoring for horror and balancing her dual identities of a film composer and a solo artist.
Find out more about Steph on her website. Vicious Fun is currently available on Shudder while the others are available on VOD. Certain of Steph's scores, as well as her solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.
Sofia degli Alessandri-Hultquist (aka Drum & Lace) joins The Film Scorer for the season 2 premiere! She talks about scoring hit tv shows Dickinson and Good Girls, facing positive reception for those shows (and the negative public response to the Netflix film Deadly Illusions), and the interrelationship between her scoring and solo music identities.
Find out more about Drum & Lace on her website. Dickinson is is currently available on Apple+, Good Girls' final season just finished on NBC, and Deadly Illusions is currently available on Netflix. Drum & Lace's scores, as well as her full solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.
The Film Scorer Podcast is back - covering some of the best and most notable film scores from April, May, and June 2021, including Junkie XL's Army of the Dead, Clint Mansell's In the Earth, and Abraham Marder and Nicolas Becker's Sound of Metal. Catch-up on the latest film music releases from across genre, composer, and continent!
See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
April: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-april-2021/
May: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-may-2021/
June: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-june-2021/
Gazelle Twin (aka Elizabeth Bernholz) joins the show to head up the season finale of season 1 of The Film Scorer Podcast! The experimental/avantgarde composer talks about her film score debut with 2020's Nocturne and her follow-up collaborative score for The Power with Max de Wardener. In the process, we talk about ritualism and early music, the themes that draw her to horror films, and the amazing British composer Mica Levi.
Find out more about Gazelle Twin on her website. Nocturne is currently available on Amazon Prime and The Power is currently available on Shudder. Gazelle Twin's scores, as well as her full solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.
For this new, experimental endeavor in The Film Scorer Podcast, catch up on some of the most noteworthy film score releases from the last three months (including brief thoughts on the recently wrapped-up awards season).
See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists:
January: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-january-2021/
February: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-february-2021/
March: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-march-2021/
Composer Will Bates joins me to talk about scoring the Amazon Prime film Bliss, which stars Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek. Along the way we talk about his work on commercials, starting off as a jazz and indie rock musician, and creating recording and production studio Fall On Your Sword.
Find out more about Will on his website. Bliss is currently available on Amazon Prime and Will's score, as well as many of his other works, is available on all major streaming platforms.
Composer, guitarist, and keyboardist Rob Lord talks about his "cosmic country" score for the Amazon Prime hit 'Troop Zero.' Along the way they discuss their favorite scores of 2019, David Bowie, and floating through the jazz world of New Orleans.
Find out more about Rob on his website. Troop Zero is currently available on Amazon Prime and Rob's score is available on all major streaming platforms, released through Lakeshore Records.
Australian composer Stefan Gregory joins The Film Scorer to talk about his score to the new Netflix historical drama The Dig. They also discuss Stefan's journey from being in an indie-rock band to becoming a composer for film, experimentation in film music, and the parallels between opera and film history and development.
Find out more about Stefan on his website. While The Dig is currently available on Netflix, Stefan's score is not yet available, though hopefully it will be soon.
Composer Jay Wadley joins The Film Scorer to talk about his score to I'm Thinking of Ending Things. As they had a limited amount of time (compared to most other interviews), the two go in-depth into the score, discussing how it came about, Jay's working relationship with director Charlie Kaufman, and the broader abstract thematic elements of Jay's work.
Find out more about Jay on his website. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is currently available on Netflix. Jay's score for I'm Thinking of Ending Things is not yet available, although portions of the score are available online, including the "Dream Ballet." Further, several of his other scores are available on all major streaming platforms.
Composer Nainita Desai joins the show to talk about her new score to the feature documentary The Reason I Jump, as well as her composing process, the differences between scoring for film, tv, and documentaries, and the role of awards acclaim in her work.
Find out more about Nainita on her website.
The Reason I Jump is currently available through Kino Lorber and Nainita's full score is forthcoming (although singles from the score are available).
BONUS EPISODE: Nick runs through the "best" film scores of 2020, which may require fudging the rules a little bit. Feel free to chime in with some of your favorites from the world of film and beyond.
Experimental composer and musician Tom Hodge joins to talk about his latest film score: The Mauritanian, a Golden Globe nominated political and legal drama starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, and Benedict Cumberbatch. We also talk about various and historical approaches to film music, dealing with difficult subject matter, and advice for young composers.
Find out more about Tom on his website.
The Mauritanian is now out in theaters and Tom's score is available on all major streaming platforms.
Composer Reed Reimer joins The Film Scorer Podcast to talk about his recent cyberpunk multimedia project 'Codeburst,' juggling genres from orchestral to djent to trap, and collaborating with a co-composer. Reed also flips the script and takes over as interviewer by the end!
'Codeburst' and 'Cthulhu Dreamt' are both available for streaming on all major platforms, while the full multimedia version of 'Codeburst' is available through Fable Factory.
Fellow film music fan and writer J. Blake Fichera joins The Film Scorer Podcast to discuss his new book "Scored to Death 2," in which Fichera interviews some of horror's greatest composers like Michael Abels, Richard Band, Bear McCreary, and more! "Scored to Death 2" is available for purchase everywhere and I highly recommend it!
Find out more about Fichera and his book at his website and check out his podcast "Scored to Death" in which he similarly interviews composers (albeit in an even longer format!)
Composer duo Mondo Boys join The Film Scorer to discuss their recent scores to the films Fatman, She Dies Tomorrow, and Mortuary Collection. Mondo Boys also talk about how they collaborate with directors, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Roger Ebert's love of breasts.
More information is available about Mondo Boys on their website.
Fatman is currently available on VOD, She Dies Tomorrow is streaming on Hulu, and Mortuary Collection is streaming on Shudder. Several of Mondo Boys' scores are available on all major streaming platforms and others are forthcoming.
Composer, violinist, and pianist Ros Gilman talks about his upcoming animated film The Last Cloudweaver, his road to becoming a film composer, and much more!
Find out more about Ros on his website.
Selections of Gilmans' scores are available on all major streaming platforms and YouTube.
Composer Ben Symons talks about his dread-filled score for the new UK horror film Hosts, his approaches to film music, composing for major YouTube streamers, and much more!
Find out more about Symons on his website.
Hosts is currently available on VOD while Symons' scores are available on all major streaming platforms.
Join The Film Scorer as he talks with composer Roman Molino Dunn about his score to the new psychological drama Huracán, about an mma fighter struggling with dissociative disorder. They also discuss Dunn's composing process, sampling the sounds of subways, and a mutual love of short film.
Find out more about Dunn on his website.
Huracán is currently available on HBO, HBO Latino, and HBO Max while several of Dunn's scores are available on all major streaming platforms.
Join The Film Scorer as he talks with English composer Harry Escott about his jazzy and stylish score to the new BBC One political series Roadkill starring Hugh Laurie. They also talk about some of Harry's films (like the Steve McQueen drama Shame) and a mutual love of drone.
Find out more about Harry on his site.
Roadkill is now airing on BBC One in the UK and PBS Masterpiece Theater in the US while many of Harry's scores are available on all major streaming platforms.
Join The Film Scorer in this seasonally-appropriate episode 3 as he talks with prolific horror composer Holly Amber Church. They talk about James Horner, the novelist John Kennedy Toole, and Holly's penchant for weird "instruments" like fluorescent lights and clown balloons.
Find out more about Holly at her site
Holly's most recent film is Open 24 Hours which has recently released on VOD and DVD, with the score available on all major platforms (as are many of Holly's scores).
Join The Film Scorer for his second episode in which he talks with film composer duo Two Twenty Two (comprised of Tom Nettleship and Daisy Coole). They chat about a love for adventurous film composers, their complicated (and highly effective) process for writing music as a duo, and their latest score - Clay's Redemption - an eclectic synth/jazz fusion hybrid for this supernatural noir.
Find out more about Two Twenty Two here
The uncut video of our conversation (featuring much more of my rambling) is here
Clay's Redemption will be on Amazon Prime in mid-November and you can find many of their scores on all major streaming services.
The Film Scorer's first guest is Sean Carney! A jazz vocalist, touring guitarist, and member of the bands WOLVES and Miscellaneous, Sean has recently released his first feature-length film score for the Neo-Western To Hell and Gone. We dive deep into the process for scoring To Hell and Gone, making the jump into composing for features, and our joint dislike of the Star Wars prequels.
A short, highlights-only text version of the interview can be found here.
More information about Sean can be found on his website here.
To Hell and Gone is available on VOD while Sean's score is available on all major streaming platforms.
The introductory episode to The Film Scorer's podcast! Listen for an overview of this series and what's to come, featuring many, many film composer interviews.