Soundtrack

In this episode, composer Kevin Manthei talks about returning to the Invader Zim franchise after 20 years. He discloses some of the challenges he faced in returning like: being respectful to his original score for the tv series while also adding something new. He reveals just how collaboratively he worked with creator/director Jhonen Vasquez; how Bram Stoker’s Dracula influenced a portion of the music and how an early version of a particular piece was compared, by the director, to John Williams’ Home Alone.

In this episode, Emily Rice talks about having her score for The I-Land walk a delicate balance somewhere between music and sound design. She reveals how she crafted her score to touch on the various elements of the series: the humans, the mysterious, and the sci-fi. Rice also reveals how an old song from "Bonnie & Clyde" becomes one of the many heavily processed sources in her original work.

In this episode of the Annotator, the brothers Foster open up their original score for series 2 of THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO. They discuss their unique treatment of Barry Gray's original theme as a part of their audition for the project. Not only do they reveal how they incorporated some of Barry Gray's original instrumentation and style but also how and when they departed from it. Lastly, the two share how they specifically chose to utilize a large symphonic orchestra for this score with the idea of exposing young children to such music and hopefully introducing the idea of being involved with music in some way.

In this episode, Austin Wintory takes us beneath the murder-mystery of ERICA to reveal some of the intricate details of creating an original score for this extremely interactive game. He shares how key themes are combined and contrasted, throughout the game, based on the players choices and the resulting atmospheric and even narrative effects. Austin Wintory also unveils how he came to utilize Delphic maxims as lyrics within his score.

In this episode, composer David Stone Hamilton talks about how he looked to match the classic, analog sci-fi aesthetic of the film through his live orchestral score, how Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams and Don Davis influenced him on the project and how the original sketch he wrote was used on set by the director to assist the actors.

Welcome to our continuing series of film, TV and video game composer interviews on Cinematic Sound Radio. Today’s guest is Brian Ralston. The first part of our conversation can be found HERE! On that episode, Ralston talked about, amongst other subjects, how he started scoring films, the chance meetings that gave him his first projects and his collaborations with fellow composer, Kays Al-Atrakchi.

On part two, Ralston talks about the meticulous way he selects musicians for his scores, his SCorecast Podcast for film composers, working as an instructor in the UCLA Film Scoring Program, and his hopes in progressing in the film music industry.

In part one of this interview Ralston talks about how he started scoring films, the chance meetings that gave him his first projects, his collaborations with fellow composer, Kays Al-Atrakchi, and how he completed the score to the film DON’T FADE AWAY in less than one week.

In this episode e.hillman, shares his first-time-experience in working in the video games industry.  He reveals the context and evolution of his music for Ashen and his unique approach in  representing the post-apocalyptic-world of the game.  Hillman shares why he chose to remove nearly all melody from the score and elaborates on how his instrumentation also reflects the players progress in the game.  

In this episode, Carly Paradis talks about working with the London Contemporary Orchestra and how her score touches on the series' many themes of: love, family and identity. The London-based composer shares how she drew upon her own experience in Going from child to adult to write music to represent the series' lead character. She also reveals some of the musical details behind some of the most dramatically intense moments of the series and score. Finally, Carly Paradis shares how the deeply personal and powerful song, "The Innocents," sung by the Norwegian artist "EERA." evolved into a last minute powerhouse and came to represent the core essence of the 8 episode season.

Welcome to this special edition of CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO where host Jason Drury talks to composer Logan Austin, who has recently scored the new movie THE LAST WHISTLE, soon to be released in select theatres and all VOD platforms on…

In this episode, Carl Thiel shares what techniques and instruments he used to musically blend Chinese and Mexican cultures together in his original score. He also dives into several key character themes and action sequences and details a number of the unique instruments he employs to help create, what he calls, a "melting pot" of a score. 

In this episode, composer Didier Lean Rachou, after just completing his work on season 15, shares just how musically rewarding his experience on DEADLIEST CATCH has been because of the wide range of musical styles he’s been asked to implement since joining the program in 2012. He talks about the ongoing challenge of bringing these intense,life-and-death stories from the Bering Sea to the small screen. Rachou reveals just how working on this reality-tv-program has personally impacted him, as the people at the heart of the show are in very real real danger and don’t always return home.

In this episode, Christopher Lennertz dissects the many exotic components that he’s combined to create  the distinctive sound for THE BOYS including: wratchets, breathing, rubbing hands, indian singing bowls and knitting needles.  He details how he developed this gritty, garage-rock feel as well as invoking other musical-styles to convey significant moments in the series and to represent some of the key characters in THEY BOYS.

Jesper Kyd is one of the few still creative composers. Despite over 20 years in business, he still can surprise with a fresh approach to composing vide

In this episode, Ronit Kirchman returns to the Annotator to share the story behind her original music for season 2 of THE SINNER.  She shares about the opportunities and challenges that working on an anthology series provides, while elaborating on the need for new themes and tone that are specific for this season’s story.  At the same time, she reveals how she finds opportunities for subtle connections to the previous season.

In this episode, Yoffee and Hylton, while detailing Meek Mill’s roller-coaster story, reveal their own story of discovery and creation for the series’ music. They discuss the tonal range of the score and the things that helped influence that range. They share some of the many challenges they faced on the project including: musically telling Mill’s story from multiple perspectives, fusing hip hop with symphonic music and helping to provide musical energy to the series while maintaining the crucial human element of the story.

In this episode, composers Jim Fowler and Joe Thwaites detail their experience in writing and adjusting several key themes for the game and how those themes became the starting point for rest of the music created. They discuss how they were looking to capture the “sound of London” and this led them to incorporating GRIME music into the score and working with artists such as Zdot and Kamakaze. 

In this episode, composer Nathan Whitehead walks us through five key pieces from his DAYS GONE score. He talks about the challenges he faced in nailing the right "tone" that would accurately represent, not only the complexities of narrative but the complexities of the game's key characters. Nathan Whitehead also reveals how he was chosen to be score the project and which of his previous scores initially caught the ear of the game's creative director, John Garvin.  

In this episode, composer Adrian Ellis walks us through the challenges he faced in writing an original score for a single-take-film. Matching the novel approach of the film, Ellis shares how and why he ended up recording the score in a single-take as well and in front of a live audience. He opens up a number of the original themes, discusses his instrumentation, and reveals some of his influences like Arvo Part and Jonny Greenwood. Adrian Ellis shares how the score’s musicians had a more physically demanding performance while also having a unique emotional experience while performing the score.  

Chad Hobson - Leaving Neverland (Ep. 81)