SOUNDTRACK SUPPLEMENT EXTRA.

The score for War Trap is one of  the latest releases from Plaza Mayor and is available on digital platforms. The music is by composer DavidAboucayawho also wrote and directed the moviehas fashioned a score that is a fusion of both electronic and symphonic as in conventional instrumentation. It’s a brooding work in places with small chinks of light and melody scattered throughout. The music relaying many emotions that include apprehension and fear plus it manages to purvey a feeling that can only be described as claustrophobic.

Set during the Second World War, War Trap takes place after an ambush that has been carried out in a fort by German troops. Eugen, a French soldier, finds himself trapped underground and fighting for his survival. His destiny is charted alongside that of another survivor, with both having to find the energy to disentangle themselves from certain death, whilst remaining unaware of the terrible battle that awaits them on the outside.

The music which is varied and superbly placed successfully underlines and enhances the storyline as it is conveyed on screen. The composer never overpowering or swamping the narrative but adding depth, atmosphere, and emotion to the proceedings. Well worth a listen.  

As is the music from the movie Superposition, which sees a creative couple Stine and Teit and their young son Nemo leave their urban life in Copenhagen behind in favour of an isolated forest in Sweden. Their aim is to find themselves as individuals while documenting their new lifestyle in an ongoing podcast series. Regretfully, they realise there’s another couple across the lake, which are very similar to them. Soon, old resentments and selfish thoughts begin to take over, forcing them to confront their own egos. This well-done psychological thriller deals with the fundamental split between self-realisation and being present in life. Most people have mammoth ambitions for our lives and self-expression, as well as for our happiness and our partner.

Superposition illuminates the modern day relationship and explores whether we are in fact too self-absorbed to be together.

The impressive score is by Pessi Levanto, the music is quite low key but affecting in many ways working on so many levels and underlining a plethora of issues that are raised within the movie. The music also takes on a more delicate persona with solo piano purveying fragile sounding tones. It’s a score that I think is worth checking out and is available on digital platforms via Swedish specialist label Movie Score Media.

The Night Logan Woke Up, is an adaptation of the popular stage play, La nuit ou Laurier Gaudreault s’est reveille from the pen of playwright Michel Marc Bouchard.

The series, which mixes horror, humour, and drama, takes place in the early 1990s and follows Mimi and her brother Jules, who are best friends with Logan. The music which is by Hans Zimmer and David Fleming has to it a Herrman-esque/John Williams sound and style about it, the score remaining subdued for most of the time but always richly theme driven. In fact, it is in my humble opinion one of Zimmer’s better scores in recent years, as it contains music and thematic material rather than layers of synths and drone like textures.

But then we have to ask ourselves who wrote most of the music Zimmer or Fleming? There is a melodic and attractive air about the score that is alluring and almost hypnotic. The work draws the listener in and supports and embellishes the narrative of the series. I found that it transported one off to another place, as it is not only well structured but has to it a relaxing and comforting persona,  Recommended.  

Frederick Wiedmann has produced a very entertaining and robust score for the German TV movie Miss Merkel. After resigning from office, the chancellor moves to a small town in the Uckermark with her husband and dog. The Uckermark isa historical region in north-east Germany, which currently straddles the Uckermark District of Brandenburg and the Vorpommern-Greifswald District of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. She fully intends to take it easy but finds it difficult to do so and after a short time has problems with leaving the hectic city life and politics behind. But then there is a death, and the ex-Chancellor leaps into investigative mode realising that she has a job again.

Wiedmann’s score is superbly supportive and adds touches of comedy and creates an air of mystery throughout, as well as this it’s integral to the plot and becomes an important part of the various situations and scenarios. And I have to say is probably one of the most entertaining soundtracks released so far this year. Symphonic for the most part with the composer fashioning humorous and precise punctuating flourishes as well as easy on the ear themes and nuances, again its one for your collection, I really like it.  

In the movie Unruly Maren, is a strong-minded young woman, and is seen to be ill-mannered and promiscuous by the authorities. Who become concerned about her her unruly behaviour, thinking it could incite others to behave in a similar fashion. They decide that she must be sent away and is packed off to a women’s institution on an island called Sprogø. They think that she should learn how to behave as a proper young woman. She must share a room with Sørine who has already internalized the story about herself and has learned to behave properly or at least as she has been told too.

Sørine is to help Maren settle in Sprogø and help her change her behaviour and attitude, but Maren’s continued refusal to comply with the system leads to terrible consequences for both women. The film Unruly is inspired by actual events of the women’s institution of Sprogø in Denmark in the 1930’s. The effective score is by Lisa Montan, who’s film music career has thus far been outstanding. Lisa is the only female to have received a Swedish Guldbagge Award (the Swedish Oscar equivalent), for her haunting 2015 score for the film Flocken.

It was her first feature film and for the same film, she was also awarded Best Score at Festival International du film d’Aubagne, as well as the Doris Filmgenipris.  The music for Unruly is haunting, experimental, interesting, at times complex but also possesses a melodic quality that is innovative and attractive. Check it out, its on the likes of Spotify.

Heading back a few years now and to the movie A Midsummer Night’s Dream which has a score by Simon Boswell. Boswell created a fully symphonic score for this 1999 movie that is filled with absorbing and lilting tone poems, the soundtrack mixes Boswell’s original score with pieces of opera.

SIMON BOSWELL.

And as a listening experience it is I have to say a rewarding one. The original score is a tantalising and romantically laced affair which does have more dramatic moments scattered throughout, the composer penning beautiful and touching themes that are overflowing with a magical and impish air. Originally released on CD by Decca records the music is available on digital platforms. I sometimes feel that Boswell is overlooked as a film music composer, he has created so many scores that all employ differing styles and purvey sounds that are in no way standard.  His music for Santa Sangre being one of my favourites with Tin Man following on very closely. He is a talented composer who utilises both symphonic and electronic effectively, take a listen to Demons 2, to verify this. It is worth checking his music out. Boswell has scored films by some of independent cinema’s incredible mavericks such as Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, Dario Argento’s ‘Phenomena, and Richard Stanley’s Hardware and Dust Devil.

He has thus far in his career received many international awards and nominations, including two BAFTAs and a Classical Brit Award. After spending his younger years playing in various bands  such as Advertising and Live Wire, he became a highly successful record producer and remixer. In the early 1980’s, his production of Italian superstar, Renato Zero, became one of the biggest selling Italian albums of all time, selling a staggering six million copies. In later years his work with 23 Skidoo on ‘Coup’ evolved into the Chemical Brothers’ ‘Block Rockin Beats’. He has also produced, amongst many others, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Marianne Faithful, Andrea Bocelli and Orbital. As a composer he is well known for fusing electronic elements with orchestral instrumentation and his musical range is staggering.

His work for horror and fantasy cinema has always been outstanding and  well received and has inspired many other composers and artists, he especially exceeds in Italian giallo movies creating uneasy and effective sounds and music, but at the same time introducing themes and little nuances that act as a hook for any listener. Plus movies such as Clive Barker’s detective horror Lord of Illusions have benefitted from Boswell’s atmospheric scoring. He is also involved heavily in the hybrid, cyberpunk style as employed in Hackers and Hardware, where he combined acoustic, slide guitar with resonant, pessimistic sounding synths to create a hugely popular, apocalyptic sounding score for which he was nominated for BAFTA’s Anthony Asquith Award. The composer has also composed numerous orchestral scores both melodic and experimental, including Photographing Fairies, War Zone, Tin Man, and the re-imagining of Jason and the Argonauts.

Brian Tyler has released a soundtrack album for the immersive live show Awakening. The album features the film/TV/game composer’s original music from the Wynn production and is available now on digital platforms. Awakening is produced by Baz Halpin, Bernie Yuman & Michael Curry, narrated by Anthony Hopkins and tells the story of a beautiful heroine and her two fellow travellers as they seek to restore beauty and love to the world. 

The show, which combines dramatic choreography, technology, fantastic creatures, and a custom sound system designed to showcase Tyler’s score, is currently playing at Wynn Las Vegas. Tyler’s music is grand, imposing, powerful, majestic, and epic sounding, the composer utilising choral support to create a varied, ethereal, and sweeping soundtrack that also employs electronica to convey the many moods required. Also look out for the composers score for the new Super Mario movie.

Music for British TV in particular the drama that is produced in the UK has always been superbly written and performed, and in recent years the composers involved on various drama series have fashioned intelligent and sensitive works to support these. As the series Endeavour ended just last week in the UK, Redrocca have released a new soundtrack album for the ITV drama. The album features newly recorded variations written by the show’s composer Matthew Slater and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Also included is the much-missed composer Barrington Pheloung’s award winning theme from Inspector Morse.  

Endeavour Variations is now available to stream/download on all major digital music services. A physical release is also expected. Slater provided the series with some beautifully crafted compositions, that enhanced and complimented plus were attractive and haunting away from the images and storylines.

He has also become the composer in residence on the ITV detective series Grace, again writing effective and appealing music. At the moment there does not seem to be a soundtrack recording available from this but hopefully in the near future it will materialise. Endeavour Variations is a brilliant recording that contains so many wonderfully affecting themes and powerful compositions. Whilst checking out Endeavour also take a listen to the composers scores for Deleted from 2021 and his music for Forget me Not from 2020. Highly recommended.

SOUNDTRACK SUPPLEMENT EXTRA.

Another new batch of soundtrack releases have landed on digital platforms, which are varied and entertaining for the most part. One that I was drawn to straight away is Bear McCreary’s We Have a Ghost. Which is a Netflix film and will start to stream on February 24^th, as always McCreary has produced a great score for this comedy, family, adventure which tells the story of the Presley family who are looking for a new start and move to Chicago and into a dusty and dilapidated house that is in need of care and attention.

They soon realize that this house comes with a catch: in the form of a ghost in the attic named Ernest (David Harbour). Despite Ernest’s attempts at scaring teenage son Kevin (Jahi Winston), the detached, music-obsessed teen soon finds a kindred spirit in this trapped soul from the ’70s and commits to helping him. Meanwhile, Kevin’s affable-yet-harsh father Frank (Anthony Mackie) looks to cash in on the presence of Ernest by turning him into a social media sensation.

When Frank’s video of Ernest goes viral and captures the world’s attention, the family lands on the radar of Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro), a washed-up paranormal scientist who alerts her old boss, Deputy Director Arnold Schipley of the CIA (Steve Coulter), restarting a clandestine program aimed at capturing a ghost. As crowds, reporters, and government agents descend upon the Presley home, it’s up to Kevin and his sharp-witted, fellow outcast neighbour Joy (Isabella Russo) to break Ernest out, uncover the mysteries of his past, and bring him the closure he needs before it’s too late. It sounds like quite a ride does’nt it and McCreary’s music kind of reflects this, with fast paced cues and action packed compositions running throughout.

Its quite a relentless work, not taking any time hardly to catch its breath, but this is the appeal I think it just don’t give up or give in, and also its thematic, as in its sounds like something out of the late 80’s and early 90’s big orchestral flourishes, which are led and dominated by swirling, romantic and stabbing strings which are fully supported and driven along at break neck speed by rasping and at times screaming brass with the support of thundering and booming percussion.

This is an enjoyable work; it is a thrilling as well as a comedic sounding musical romp. It’s not often that McCreary writes for comedy, but wow he sure does know how to work his musical magic here.  Recommended.

Based on Icelandic author Arnaldur Indriðason’s novel, Operation Napoleon focuses upon a lawyer who becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy after being accused of a murder she didn’t commit. Her only chance of survival lies in uncovering the secret of an old German World War II airplane, discovered on Iceland’s largest glacier. This is a tense and taught thriller, which has a musical score that builds even more apprehension and creates anxious and at times frustrating moods.

The music is by Frank Hall a composer/musician who studied music and art at the Royal Conservatory and The Royal Academy in Den Haag in The Netherlands. He graduated with a Master’s degree in 2006. Frank also graduated from the University of Iceland with a BA in Philosophy in the year 1998. Frank has composed music for five feature films, Black’s Game, Julia, The Granddad, I Remember You and Albanian Gangster. Frank was nominated for the best score at the Icelandic Film and TV awards for Black’s Game, and received the award for the best score for Julia at the Scream fest festival in Los Angeles.

He was nominated for the music of the year for Theatre and Film music in The Icelandic Music Awards for the fearsome sounding score to I Remember You back in 2018 (another of his soundtracks you should take a listen to) Frank has worked on numerous theatre and dance productions, by himself or with his bands, Ske and Skarren ekkert. Among them are Óhapp in the Icelandic National Theatre, Blasted, Faust, Der Besuch Der Alten Dame in the Reykjavík City Theatre, A Man Called Ove at the National Theatre, The Cherry Orchard with theatre Frú Emilía, NPK with the Icelandic Dance Company and Dubbeldusch with Akureyri Theatre company. His score for Operation Napoleon, is not a work that I would say is overly thematic, but it is a score that underlines and punctuates an already edgy storyline, augmenting and giving additional depth and atmospherics to the proceedings, it is certainly worth checking out.

Composer Daniel Pemberton returned for season two of Apple TV’s successful show Slow Horses, which also contains music by Toydrum, the score for the series is probably one of Pemberton’s most atmospheric, the composer fashioning affecting pieces that are overflowing with pulsating sounds and dark electronic elements.

It does at times verge upon sounding almost industrial, which little nods here and there to maybe Morricone that evoke that composers work on movies such as A Man to Respect, there is no doubt that Pemberton is such a talented music-smith, creating inventive and innovative styles and sounds, and every so often he introduces a theme which the listener immediately latches onto, with this project being no exception to that rule. Take a listen.

Step by Step is a 2022 documentary film that follows two dreamers – one of them pregnant – and a dog on an odyssey to bring harmony to their lives and the land surrounding them. The pregnancy of Valentina leads to a lot of unanswered questions for the two so they decide to leave to hectic life in Berlin and move to the countryside. Stepping out of the hamster wheel of modern urbanization means mainly being sustainable and maybe even off-grid for them… so growing their own food was a dream they pursued. The land they’ve chosen, however, is utterly depleted of nutrients and suffering from multiple droughts.

The film chronicles over one year of daunting work and trial and error attempts to create the utopia they seek.

Composer Anna Kuhlein has created an emotive and poignant score for the film, the music subtly weaves in and out of the film never overpowering but always adding a positive and delicate touch, the composer employing light piano and a small string section to fashion sounds that are fragile and heart-warming and music that is endearing and affecting. Recommended.

Django the TV series arrives soon on Sky, the Sky original series is about a jaded cowboy in search for the daughter he thought he lost. He stumbles upon a town called New Babylon where all outcasts are welcome, and everyone is equal and free. Django discovers that his 20-year-old daughter Sarah is alive and set to marry John Ellis, the founder of New Babylon. Sarah – who blames her father for the death of their family, massacred many years earlier while he was at war – wants Django to leave. But he refuses to give up and does everything in his power to get a second chance with her, becoming a valuable ally for Ellis, who must defend the town from Elizabeth Thurman’s attacks. Unbeknownst to them, Django, John and Sarah are linked by a web of secrets and a dark past bound to resurface. Sounds interesting, a little different from the original Franco Nero movie, and bares little resemblance to the Tarantino incarnation of the tale, but maybe that’s a good thing as it’s a new and fresh re-telling of the story. Music is by Italian band Mokadelic, who I suppose could be described as a wannabee-Goblin, and have written the scores to a number of TV series and motion pictures. If you are looking for any feint nods to the original Django score then I have to say you will be a little disappointed.

The music or should I say soundscape is I think rather bland, weak and uninspiring, and not that original to be honest, I am not saying it’s a bad score because it has its moments but to be honest not that many, the band utilising guitar, to create a folk sounding vibe, adding banjo and percussive elements to enhance this making it more western sounding and effective, but it’s nothing special and honestly instantly forgettable. Its not a score that boasts that many themes, as most melodic moments are very brief and have little time to develop into something more substantial.

Apart from in the cues The Rise of New Babylon-Strings version, and Secrets and Snakes when a theme is introduced and expanded upon, the latter evoking the opening music for High Plains Drifter, having to it an otherworldly persona. So, for most of its duration the score is action led and at times annoyingly synth based, it has more sounds and layers than melodies and colours, not really one for me.

…. 1952. Jamaica. When author Ian Fleming needs a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, he steals one from an unaware birdwatcher and creates a pop-culture phenomenon about the ultimate fictional alpha male. 2022 and it is the year of 007’s sixtieth anniversary onscreen and Australian filmmaker Matthew Bauer is on a global mission to discover the lasting, contrasting and very personal impacts of sharing such an identity with James Bond. From a Swedish 007 super-fan with a WW2 past, a gay New York theatre director, an African American Bond accused of murder, and two resilient women caught up in it all, Bauer’s cinematic mission is an audacious, poignant, and insightful examination of masculinity, gender, and race in the very real shadows of a movie icon. That’s the synopsis of the 2022 documentary The Other Fellow, that is scored skilfully by composer Alastair MacNamara, in fact on listening to his music for the film, I would say to the producers of the Bond franchise hey sign him up, there are many references to the sound of 007 but these are not done in an obvious way the composer also placing his own original musical identity within the score.

Which is great as so many other composers would have just thought ok lets do a Barry or an Arnold, but instead he has fashioned a wonderfully melodic and totally enthralling soundtrack which maybe has its roots in Bond but also has a voice of its own, horns, bombastic sounding percussion, dark and moody passages, and tense pieces that ooze apprehension and a suave and sophisticated air all make an appearance. This is a superb soundtrack that is a seamless fusion of conventional and synthetic instrumentation. Please go and check it out on digital platforms and whilst doing so take a listen to the composers score for The Seabird too. 

Five nuns set their sights on winning the cash prize in a major cycling race to raise money to renovate a dilapidated hospice. The only hitch is that none of them can ride a bicycle. And there you have the plot for the comedy Juste Ciel, music is by composer Mathieu Lamboley (Lupin, Madam Bovary), who treats us to a score that seems to have no boundaries musically by this I mean it is a work of great variety, the composer utilising so many styles and genres of music throughout.

One minute we are hearing a romantic sounding theme and in the next instant the music and mood is altered with a pop orientated track, which again then alters just a little way down the line into something completely different such as an easy-going disco track or a flamenco slanted piece. This is an entertaining and an inventive score, the composer also bringing choral features into the work here and there which add a sense of pathos and delicacy. Well worth a listen, I loved it. Well that’s all for now More new releases soon.

SOUNDTRACK SUPPLEMENT EXTRA.

As the year draws to a close here is the final review column of 2022, although its had its downs and low lows the year did bring so many great film scores and re-releases. Have a Happy 2023.

Kamakuradono no 13-nin (13 Lords of the Shogun) is a Japanese TV series, which is Set in late 12th and early 13th century in Japan, and focuses upon Hōjō Yoshitoki who with his sister Masako, help Minamoto no Yoritomo establish the shogunate in Kamakura. The Hōjō family eventually consolidate their power as hereditary regents. A historical drama that is filled with intrigue and action, it is an epic production that is shown in thirty-one episodes. Music for this compelling tale is by composer Evan Call, who is an American composer that is based in Japan. He has composed music for multiple anime series such as Tokyo ESP, Violet Evergarden, and Appare-Ranman! Call is affiliated with the Japanese agency Miracle Bus and was previously a member of the group Elements Garden. The music he has penned for the series is richly thematic and grandiose, with beautiful tone poems scattered throughout.

These lighter and romantic moments combine with and lead into sweeping action cues that are filled with brass flourishes and proud sounding compositions performed by strings and enhanced and supported by percussion and even more brass.

EVAN CALL.

There are at times shades of Jerry Goldsmith, with the richness of the themes as written by the likes of Korngold and the enchanting and delicate and touching emotion of Hisaishi present at times. This is a sprawling and affecting musical work that can easily be listened to away from any images, it is a golden age score realised in contemporary times with the emphasise upon the thematic, it is a work that I recommend that you listen to, I cannot see how any film music fan cannot be inspired and affected by this wonderful soundtrack. Grand, lavish, lush, heartrending, luxurious, and entertaining. Available now on digital platforms.

As is When the Robbers Came to Cardomamom Town or Three Robbers and a Lion, which has a great score by Norwegian composer Gaute Storaas, this delightful, animated feature focuses upon three thieves Kasper, Jesper and Jonathan who live together with their always hungry lion in the little town of Kardemomme, the home to a fair but kind police officer, and the strict Aunt Sofie.

Gaute Storaas.

It’s a family fun affair that has been scored with much sensitivity by the composer, but as with all of his scores contains some beautiful and entertaining music, the composer mixing fragile sounding themes with comedic cues and action led passages, again it’s a score I recommend to you with no reservations, it is a work that I am confident you will return to many times after your initial listen. Available on the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Spotify, enjoy.

Rene Aubry is a composer that we associate with the world of animation, his scores for animated shorts such as The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Super worm, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Stick Man, and Room on the Broom etc, are a sheer joy to listen to and to hear within the films.

The composer adding punctuation, atmosphere, and comedy via his enchanting, hypnotic and uncomplicated music. One of his recent scores is for The Smeds and the Smoos, in which the composer employs vocals to enhance the action on screen, its an effective score and works so well with the images and is integral to the unfolding storyline. You can see the short on BBC I Player and the score is available on digital platforms; it may have a short running which is just twenty minutes, but it is sweet.

The composer exploring and purveying so many emotions effectively. Whilst there check out his other scores.

Staying with animation and to a film that was shown over the Christmas period on the BBC, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse, is another delightful tale aimed at children of all ages, and is probably going to be a regular at Christmas time like other tales such as The Snowman, etc. A young boy searches for home, and along the way he encounters a brave and friendly mole, a hungry and ill-tempered fox, and a worldly-wise horse. It was I think a spellbinding viewing experience, a running time of just thirty minutes but within that half an hour there are so many emotions, a story that is about hope and optimism, with something for everyone.  

It’s a tale of adventure, friendship, and its fun too, the heart-melting story has I have to say been hyped by the BBC and rightly so, it’s just what we needed at Christmas time, something that is gentle, endearing, and poignant.

With the voices of so many stars including Tom Hollander as the Mole, Idris Elba as the Fox and Gabriel Byrne as the Horse. The score is the work of Isobel Waller-Bridge, who has written an incredibly sensitive and emotional work to accompany the images and the storyline.

It’s an unassuming score that for the most part is performed by strings with piano, the composer adding delicate and wistful nuances to the proceedings, caressing the scenarios and the characters rather than underlining them, the score is wonderfully effective and although it is quite low key also has its powerful and impacting moments. Listen to the cue Home and I dare you not to shed a little tear, it is magical.  The music is available now on digital platforms, recommended as is the film. Its on I Player.

To a game score now and composer Christopher Young, who has provided the music for The Monkey King the Adventure Begins, the composer writing powerful, driving, and striking themes for the project. A brief score of just under forty minutes, but forty minutes of Chris Young excellence, pounding percussion, rasping brass, sharp ad driving strings, choir, and flyaway woods all combine to create a score that is breathtakingly brilliant. Worth a listen and its on Spotify.

Håkan has a babysitter, Amanda – the world’s most boring one according to him – and he has to run home where he can attend a very important computer game competition. But Håkan is suddenly eye to eye with both burglars and ostriches. That is the synopsis of the movie Hakan Brakan, which is a 2022 family movie, that has elements of The Goonies and Home Alone, It’s an adventure story, which is on fast forward for most of its running time, as is its bouncy, punchy and energetic sounding score, music is by Jonas Wikstrand who provides a soundtrack that is relentless the composer evoking the work of Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Dave Grusin and John Williams within his score.

One of the many themes does have a resemblance to The Fratelli Theme from The Goonies, plus there are little touches here and there that pay homage to Williams Home Alone scores, whilst also having to it a swashbuckling style and sound as in think Pirates of the Caribbean, and references that remind one of Beetlejuice, and we even get a big band sound that could easily be out of any of the OSS movies, it’s a big slice of high energy fun which is very entertaining. Take a listen, it’s on digital platforms.

Kurt (Til Schweiger) and Lena (Franziska Machens) move in together into an old house outside the city that is in need of renovation in order to be closer to Kurt’s six-year-old son, little Kurt (Levi Wolter), and ex-wife Jana (Jasmin Gerat). But before their patchwork family happiness can really begin, little Kurt is killed in an accident – leaving behind three adults who don’t know how to live with the tragic loss. Lieber Kurt, is directed by Til Schweiger and has a score by composer Martin Todsharow. The music is light and for the most part filled with lilting melodies, the composer utilising a minimalist approach, with delicate and fragile sounding pieces being heard throughout the score. Piano being utilised in most tracks, giving the work a melancholy but attractive sound.

It’s a score that has themes, but these are slight and touched upon, for me it evoked the style of Thomas Newman, affecting and haunting. Released on digital platforms via Movie Score Media this is the final release of 2022 for the label, but I know they have some great soundtracks lined up for the coming year. And that’s it for now so until next time (next year) bye for now….

SOUNDTRACK SUPPLEMENT EXTRA.

Tyler Bates and Timothy Williams have scored the horror origin story Pearl, which shows us how Pearl became who she is and explains some of the iconic villain we saw in X. Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl finds her ambitions, temptations, and repressions all colliding in this origin story.

There are a few snippets of the score being made available now on the likes of you tube, and a single release of the Main Titles on digital platforms. From what very little I have heard of the score it I think will be one to look forward to with the Main Titles certainly having a John Barry-esque style and sound, filled with romanticism and melancholy, which we all know is just there to lull into a false sense of security. Hopefully released very soon the full score will offer up more of the same plus cues of a dramatic nature.

The original movie X was also scored by Tyler Bates who collaborated with Chelsea Wolfe to bring to fruition one of the most disturbing scores I have listened to in a while. Set in 1979, adult movie actors and a small film crew arrive to a farmhouse occupied by an elderly couple in the desolate Texas countryside to film an adult movie. As the day shifts to night, the visitors slowly realize that they are not safe, and are being targeted by a nearby enemy.

Tyler Bates has I must say not been one of my favourite composers in the past, but this is an inventive work and is available on digital platforms. Pearl’s Lullaby is particularly haunting, with the composer evoking a kind of Morricone/Komeda sound, via a lilting melody and voices (think He and She meets Rosemary’s Baby).  

The Conversation is now available on digital platforms, composer Dalibor Grubacevic has fashioned an affecting and wonderfully supportive soundtrack for the movie, which is available on digital platforms and CD from Plaza Mayor.

The label will also release Marco Werba’s score for Daemon Mind soon, the composer providing a suitably atmospheric score which is performed by the Orchestra Italiana Del Cinema for this horror/thriller, which focuses upon a brilliant, but traumatized neuroscientist researching human consciousness. Experimenting with mental frequencies, she finds a way to free her inner Daemon which becomes her guide, adviser, and, ultimately, her accuser, as she embarks on a series of vengeful murders. Daemon Mind is a story which explores the boundaries and possibilities of human consciousness. It delves deep into the conflicted psyche of a young woman who is inspired equally by her need for revenge and her search for redemption. Movie Score Media have once again been busy, the Swedish specialist label has released three scores this month, Medieval by Philip Klein, Deus by John Koutselinis, and Wolf by Matthijs Kiemboom (the latter already reviewed here at MMI).

All threeare available now on digital platforms. Composer Koutselinis has written a very different sounding score for Deus than his last assignment which was for the western Hostile Territory, but the differences between these two works showcase this talented composer’s versatility and expertise in film scoring.

Hostile Territory being more melodic and epic with Deus displaying more soundscape elements, with experimental and harsher compositions, the composer making effective use of choral support in places. It is a score that remains entertaining and one that works well for the images and storyline on screen, creating highly atmospheric passages and purveying uneasy moods.

Medieval is also another effective soundtrack, composer Philip Klein too includes choral and solo vocal performances within his score right from the off, the soothing voices introducing the scores Main title theme, the music soon begins to build and become dominant above the choir, but then both choir and orchestra combine to purvey a rich and driving performance which is affecting and mesmerizing.

The remainder of Klein’s score is a delight, at times very subtle and sparce with the composer introducing solo performances, that are enhanced by choral work that is emotive and enthralling, however the composer maintains a grand and lush persona with the use of strings, percussion, and brass throughout. Both Deus and Medieval are recommended.

Composer Georg Mausolf is a new name for me, and a young one as he was born in 1997. His enchanting and wonderfully melodic score for the twelve-minute short Psykhe has been released on digital platforms in the form of a five track EP.  Released in 2020, the film focuses upon a small act of courage and kindness, as a young boy saves an injured butterfly.

The spirit of the ethereal creature “PSYKHE“, the Greek word for soul accompanies him throughout his life, through good times and bad, until his story comes full circle when his grandson finds a caterpillar. The music is gorgeous, beautiful, emotional, and poignant.

Georg Mausolf

And that is all I can say really, this is a charming film that contains a score that will reduce you to tears both within the film and when listened to away from it, just go and listen now.

George Kallis.

Another touching and emotionally charged score is for After Ever Happy music by the talent who is George Kallis. As with all this composers scores there is something for everyone here, lilting melodies that affect and haunt, delectable and consuming themes that are rich and beguiling, and subtly upbeat pieces that are entertaining and interesting. The full and rich thematic properties are stunning and the way in which the music flows and is orchestrated just proves how much of a talent Kallis is, Highly, recommended, its on the likes of Spotify etc. 

Burning Land is directed by Lirin Shitrit, and tells the story of Yair, a teenage runaway who is running from the police and finds himself in the contested Samaria region of Palestine. There he bonds with a group of boys who live on a remote hill and in effect become his family while at the same time drag him into a conflict with their Arab neighbours. The musical score is the work of Omri Lahav, an Israeli composer, songwriter and instrumentalist who says that he creates music with the approach of a storyteller – blending a lush, melody-driven style with a strong sensibility for story and world-building. Educated in Western classical music and a self-taught folk artist, Omri’s passion for folklore and music from around the world allows him to bring some truly unique colours to every piece of music. His ability to write in a broad variety of genres, combining craftsmanship and technology with a profound love for modern orchestral repertoire make Lahav a versatile and effective composer.

Omri Lahav,

The score for Burning Land is a sensitive and dramatic mix of styles, with the composer producing tender and emotive pieces throughout, without his score the film I think would be less impacting, again available digitally, please check this one out.

Lifemark, is a true story about an 18-year-old boy David who was adopted. Now that he is an adult, his birth mother wants to meet him. After some consideration, he agrees, and has a life-changing meeting with her. It’s a faith-based movie, which I know is not everyone’s taste, but please if you get a chance go and see it, the score is as affecting as the film, with the composer Kyle Mc Cuiston (who is also a filmmaker) providing the movie with a suitably melancholy and heartfelt soundtrack.

The composer relying on piano, and strings to create slight but at the same time imposing compositions, which at key moments surge becoming powerful and affecting. Worth a listen as is his score for Show me the Father which has to it a kind of early James Newton Howard sound to it.

Onze Natuur, De Film (Our Nature, The Movie) is an ambitious nature documentary about Belgian wildlife, full of wonderful stories about both well-known and little-known animals that amaze people and increase their love and respect for creatures of the natural world. As with any documentary the music does much to elevate and punctuate the scenes on screen, and because there is no dialogue as we know it only narration then the music does have to be that little more expressive.

The score for Onze Natuur is the work of esteemed composer and conductor Dirk Brossé, who has written a score that is simply outstanding. It’s a score that encompasses so many styles and includes numerous sounds that are delightfully entertaining and not just as music for film but as music to sit and listen to without watching the images that it was written to underline. I think this is one of the best scores to be released thus far into 2022, its mischievous, melancholy, dramatic and emotionally charged.

And is a score that you as a film music fan should own. It runs for well over an hour and is a enchanting and entertaining listening experience, fully symphonic and performed by the excellent Brussels Philharmonic orchestra, recommended yes most certainly. That’s it for this little extra supplement hope it’s been helpful… till the next time.

SOUNDTRACK SUPPLEMENT EXTRA.

Walt Disney Records has released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Rise, which features a multi textured and emotionally stirring score composed by Re Olunuga. The movie RISE is based on the compelling and uplifting real-life story about the remarkable family that gave the world the first trio of brothers to become NBA champions in the history of the league.  Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Laker’s Kostas Antetokounmpo, along with their younger brother Alex. The film premieres on Disney + on June 24th, 

Ré Olunuga is a Nigerian composer who experiments with orchestral and synthetic sounds to create multi layered and enticing musical pieces. His unique approach to orchestration and in the way he tackles scoring movies and TV projects is refreshing to say the least. The composer has in a very short space of time established himself as a composer that is inventive and highly original. The composer not only writes for cinema and TV but has also collaborated with several artists to release various commercial recordings. His music for film not only supports and underlines the emotions and actions on screen, but acts as an extension to the storyline, creating an ambience and atmosphere that at times can be looked upon as being an unseen actor within the various scenes he has scored.

The soundtrack for Rise is a rich and colourful one, that contains beautifully crafted melodies and at times complex and dramatic interludes. His music within the movie is I suppose the punctuation to the events unfolding on screen and adds a deeper and more emotional ambience to the proceedings. It is a score that contains so many emotional levels and is also a rewarding listen away from the movie it was written for.

The music having to it a traditional symphonic sound which is fused with a handful of more non-conventional musical sounds and styles.  It is a wonderfully melodic work that you should check out, available on digital platforms now. The composer also worked on the BBC movie Girl this year, and the intimate score will hopefully be available to hear soon.

Staying with Disney + and to a score that I enjoyed so much Ms Marvel, which is the work of composer Laura Karpman, in which she fuses the more traditional sounds of Hollywood superheroes as we know them with a Bollywood or Bhangra sound. The composer combining rich thematic material with fast relentless action cues with Indian beats and rhythms. An odd combination you may think but it works and works incredibly well too. It’s a score I think you will all love and return to many times after your initial listen. There is just so much crammed into this score its hard to take it all in on the first few listens, and this is just Vol 1, above all it is entertaining and not only performs well within the series and seems to develop and grow even more as the series progresses.

The three-note motif that acts like a fanfare throughout becoming familiar and anthem like and a trio of notes that accompany and herald the appearance of Ms Marvel. This is a compulsive and entertaining listen as just music and is just as affecting away from the images it was composed to enhance and support. Well worth checking out. The series began its six-episode run on June 8^th, on Disney +. The series central character Kamala Khan is a superhero fan with a runaway imagination, particularly when it comes to the likes of Captain Marvel. Kamala feels that she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even feels out of place at home, that is until she gets superpowers like all the heroes she has looked up to.

Becoming Elizabeth, Season 1, US, Key Art, ELI1_104_030621_0014 & GettyImages-1019765220 Smoke

Starz, new series Becoming Elizabeth, begins when King Henry VIII has died leaving England to pass into the hands of his son, Edward (Oliver Zetterstrom). As Edward learns how to rule a country, he is torn by his older sister Mary’s (Romola Garai) desire to keep her Catholic faith. Trapped in the middle is the teenage Elizabeth (Alicia von Rittberg), sister to them both and, as history tells us, the future Queen of England. Its an interesting take on the way in which Elizabeth grew from a young girl into a powerful and feared Monarch.

The music is a little different from what one might expect for a period drama, and at times has to it a contemporary and upbeat style, the score is the work of composer Tim Phillips, who has also recently written the music for another TV series entitled Shining Vale which is just as inventive and innovative as Becoming Elizabeth, the score for Becoming Elizabeth is one that keeps one interested, I found myself thinking what is the composer going to serve up in the next cue, it is a score that is filled with interesting surprises stylistically, and also one that I think film music fans will be tantalised by. Check out both Becoming Elizabeth and Shining Vale on digital platforms.

To the big screen now and to Mark Korven’s highly atmospheric and slightly disturbing score for The Black Phone. Korven of course has a great track record when it comes to music for sinister and chilling movies, just take a listen to his excellent soundtrack for The Witch and you will understand what I mean. The Black Phone is in my opinion on a par with The Witch, in fact its even more jumpy and unsettling with various uneasy sounds and unnerving passages of music and sounds that combine to create an atmosphere that is highly charged and totally affecting.

I won’t say to you this is a great listen away from the movie because its music for a horror movie which does what it is supposed to and makes that movie even more edgy and effective. So, no it’s not a great listen but it’s a great score and when you do listen to it away from the images it still remains disturbing. Available on digital platforms.

Eleusis, is a short horror movie from 2021, which was directed by Andzej Gavriss, it contains an impressive score witch is the work of composer Phar (Raphaël Dargent). The soundtrack utilises effective use of voices as in collectively or as solo performances, the Soprana performance by Baraka May is particularly compelling and haunting throughout with the composer adding depth and support to these via strings and bringing into the equation various percussive elements and sounds that successfully fashion an otherworldly aura.

The films storyline focuses upon a musician who is experiencing a deep state of a creative and is signed to a rehab program at the highly protected, isolated sanatorium that promises a lifetime warranty for endless inspiration.

A bourgeois setting with welcoming stuff slowly creeps into a violent cult that tortures artists in the name of inspiration. With the musician’s greatest hit becoming his darkest nightmare. The score works on so many levels and has to it at times a spiritual and celestial persona, available on digital platforms from Movie Score Media. Also now available on digital platforms are the composers scores for Team Maryland, and Winter of 79. Recommended.