• Jeff Toyne in PALM ROYALE
•
Raphaël Gesqua THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR
Soundtrack Reviews
• Conclave – Volker Bertleman – Back Lot Records - digital • Fear – Carter Burwell – Intrada CD • Goldfinger – John Barry – La-La Land CD
• Food of the Gods/Elliot Kaplan & Frogs/Les Baxter – Quartet CD
News: • Film & TV Music News • New Soundtrack News • Non-Film Musical Works by Film Composers • Documentary Film & Soundtrack News • Vinyl & Video Game Soundtracks
PALM ROYALE is a period comedy-drama television series created by Abe Sylvia, based on the 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel. The series premiered on March 20, 2024, with the first three episodes on Apple TV+. The series was renewed for a second season in June 2024. Premise: Set in 1969, outsider Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons strives to attain a place in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida, through the town’s most exclusive country club, the Palm Royale, in the process of learning what she will and won't do to achieve this status. The cast includes Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett.
The film features a captivating soundtrack composed by the Emmy® Award-winning Jeff Toyne (he won a 2024 Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music). This Apple TV+ series transports viewers to the opulent yet treacherous world of 1969 Palm Beach high society. Jeff Toyne's score is a fusion of iconic 60s influences like Henry Mancini and Bernard Herrmann, enriched with a Latin twist. His use of instruments such as the Chromatic Harmonica and Eb Clarinet, alongside a 21-piece big band and orchestra, creates a vibrant and evolving musical landscape. The intricate Latin flavors and rhythmic transformations, inspired by Yma Sumac and the Swingle Singers, enhance the show's unique blend of comedy and drama. The score has been recently submitted for consideration in this year's Grammys.
Toyne’s distinguished career includes film credits like DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF and LIFE ON THE LINE, as well as television scores for FILTHY RICH and ROGUE. A frequent collaborator with Patrick Stump, Toyne’s versatility extends to orchestral work for over 100 Hollywood releases, including DISTRICT 9, THE BELIEVER, THE SURROGATE SCANDAL [TV]).
Watch the PALM ROYALE Trailer, via YouTube:
Q: I understand you’ve been scoring films and television since 1998. What brought you to scoring movies and TV?
Jeff Toyne: I think my first film was around the end of the ’90s. For me, the allure of working with film and television was a couple of things – film seems to represent the modern-day equivalent of what Wagner thought of his operas. He called them “gesamtkunstwerk” (total artworks). Artisans from all the different professions are bringing together their expertise to create something greater than the sum of its parts. I liked that about film. We’re making music with writers and dancers, designers and directors, so I felt that modern-day film and television were great ways to participate and add what I could do, but also for a large audience. Part of it is that writing for film and TV would give me opportunities to work in the recording studio with musicians and the orchestra. That’s the drug that we are addicted to – being back in the studio with the orchestra. That’s something that we just live for! So, the opportunities that are provided to do that are very exciting.
Q: When you first came into the Apple TV Series PALM ROYALE, how did you determine the musical approach that would be right for this project?
Jeff Toyne: That came from discussions and ideas from Abe Sylvia. He had a vision for the show; one of his inspirations was the photography of Slim Aarons (Slim Aarons was an American photographer noted for his images of socialites, jet setters, and celebrities), which was a little bit of an abstract brief, “I want music that sounds like this picture feels.” In that brief, there would be music that spoke to the place, and music that would feel by and of the moment in time that this show was taking place. So, he had the idea that the show was going to sound like it was made in the 1960s. That had exciting musical connotations for me; I took that to mean music that was very brightly orchestrated, thematic, and melodic. We were in Palm Beach, so a Latin element was running underneath things, and jazz was very popular then. So, that was the direction, and it came from the top, and I was happy to support it.
Q: How did you work with the directors and showrunners to create this series’ musical and instrumental palette?
Jeff Toyne: One of the things that I liked doing for this show was assigning instruments to characters that would go along with themes and leitmotifs, and most characters came away with at least one theme. We developed a palette focusing on an acoustic characteristic – generally orchestral instruments. We took inspiration from composers of the time, like Henry Mancini and Bernard Herrmann, everything between those two poles of style.
Q: Speaking of style, I’m taken by the style of music you’ve chosen, from 60s influences, given a cool Latin twist and usage of Chromatic Harmonies. How did you engage this sonic landscape to create the musical treatment on this score?
Jeff Toyne:We approached the show as if we were scoring it in the ’60s, so the musical language already existed. I wasn’t writing music that no one had ever heard before. This was a different kind of challenge. If it didn’t belong, everyone could tell. Everyone knows what this music sounds like, so it was great to get it right. One of the things that the showrunner, Abe, felt was important was that this show had a lot of comedic elements. It’s a real comedy/drama, but he didn’t want a winking comedy score; he didn’t want a score that, in an omniscient way, that “this is funny.” We can imagine some stereotypical things or clichés in music that might suggest we’re watching a comedy. He didn’t want that kind of approach. What I’ve always felt, personally, works better in comedies, anyway, is to treat the stakes that the characters are experiencing with absolute seriousness. So, even though the things happening are objectively humorous, the stakes are real for the characters in those situations. We always took the characters’ point of view in terms of the music. We didn’t play comedy music via “hat-on-a-hat” but stayed within the characters’ dramatic intentions and emotional stakes.
Listen to Jeff Toyne’s Main Title theme from PALM ROYALE via YouTube:
Q: I like how the inspiration of the Swingle Singers and of Yma Sumac (whom I’ve had a splendid taste for in particular), throughout the score, enhances the series’ mixture of comedy and drama.
Jeff Toyne: When I came on, the show creator and the music supervisor were aware of Yma Sumac and used her songs in the temp. They licensed a couple of her songs for use in the show. I was happy to continue being inspired by that and trying to include vocals in the score where possible. I came across the Swingle Singers in research I was doing into the material of the day, and when I brought this idea to the showrunner Abe Sylvia, I said, “Here’s guys who are singing contrapuntal Bach accompanied by jazz, bass, and drums, it’s an enjoyable sound, and Abe just said, “Yeah, I studied with Ward Swingle, I know all about the Swingle Singers!” That was nothing new to him; he was very, very well aware of who they were and was happy for me to include the inspiration of what they were doing in the score. We had a good time finding a place for the vocals here and there.
Q: How have you treated the various characters with motifs and themes, and how have they interacted as the series grows?
Jeff Toyne:Well, using instrumental color in addition to the themes themselves gave us an extra tool that we could use, and because we had such melodic themes, we could place a character in a scene where the character’s not on the screen, but we can suggest another layer by having their theme interact with them in the scene. And, for me, the relationship of the instruments is associated with the themes added to another level of connection. For example, Maxine, Kristen Wiig’s character, her instrument was a high, E-flat clarinet – you could argue that I took inspiration from Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” for that instrument – and then Carol Burnett’s character, Norma, was a contrabass clarinet. Then, Josh Lucas’s character, Douglas, his instrument was a chromatic harmonica. To my mind, these instruments are all a family – they’re all single-reed instruments, and Carol Burnett’s character is the matriarch, Maxine is the bright new generation, while Douglas has a little bit of an every-man attitude as a character. They’re a family, and the instruments that performed their themes are, to my mind, also a family. So, we were able to draw connections like this. Ricky Martin’s character, Robert, plays trumpet on screen, which was a no-brainer! We were allowed to make that connection, and his instrument would be the trumpet, drawing his military background and his Latin background.
Q: In terms of the orchestra and the musicians, where did you get those from?
Jeff Toyne:We recorded all over the place! The orchestra recorded in Budapest, we had musicians come in to do overdubs from their homes and send in recordings, and we recorded big band. One of the things we did was have Josh Nelson, a fantastic piano player, who would come to my studio and help me flesh out sketches. So, I have, almost like lead sheets, and simple, laid-out ideas, and I’d say, “Let’s work to make this a little more conversational, a little more in the pocket, and he can bring the Yamaha C7 to life! So, he would flesh out a more idiosyncratic jazz performance of the themes we could use for the demos. Sometimes, we would keep that performance, and sometimes, he could play the big band later, so we had excellent continuity.
Q: What was most challenging and rewarding about scoring this project?
Jeff Toyne:The big challenge for me was to keep up with the level of performance and professionalism, the level of design, the costumes, the makeup, the set design, the direction, the acting, and the writing. All of the filmmaking was at such a high level. It was very inspiring and very intimidating! I felt very challenged to stay at this bar that had been raised, and it was my job to underscore and carry on to final post-production. That was exciting. Our peers rewarded us with recognition with an Emmy nomination for the score and an Emmy win for the Main Title – that was rewarding! I’ve been working with Abe Sylvia for twenty years, and he’s always been a good friend and a great collaborator. It was great to work with him again on that show. To have him come into the studio and put the final touches on cues together was quite rewarding.
Q: Do you have any thoughts about PALM ROYALE Season 2?
Jeff Toyne:Season 2 does exist; they are working on it now. I can’t tell you any details, but we left quite a cliffhanger at the end of Episode 10 and in Season 1. There are all sorts of threads to pick up. I can be sure that if it’s anything like Season 1, when I sat down to read the first script for Season 1, there was no way I could have predicted where the plot would go through that first season. The twists and turns they took us on in the first season were enjoyable and surprising, so I’m looking forward as much as anybody to finding out where they end up in Season 2!
Q: Anything else you have coming up that you might be able to talk about?
Jeff Toyne: I’m working on an indie feature that deals with artificial intelligence right now, so that’s a fun challenge. Between that and doing pre-records for Season 2, that’s what’s keeping me busy.
The first-season PALM ROYALE soundtrack is available here:
Special Thanks to Megan Campbell of Impact24PR for facilitating this interview.
Raphaël Gesqua (THE DEEP HOUSE, ABCs OF DEATH segment X, LIVID) has recently scored the French horror film THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR (LA CHOSE DERRIÈRE LA PORTE, 2023) for Phase 4 Productions. Directed by Fabrice Blin and starring Severine Ferrer , David Doukhan, Fabien Jegoudez, the film follows a young woman, Adèle, who is literally haunted by the death of her husband, Jean, killed in a trench during World War I. Desperate and unable to face this tragic loss, Adèle turns to black magic in the hope to bring her lover back.
Watch the film’s trailer (English language):
Q: You’ve composed four films for director Fabrice Blin – short films and a documentary, and the now, the feature length horror film THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR. How did you become involved in him and his work for films, and what can you tell me about scoring those four early films of his?
Raphaël Gesqua: Well, in fact, I remember that we were at a festival screening in a Parisian cinema with Julien Maury around 2004, where both PIZZA À L'ŒIL (PIZZA HUNT) by Julien Maury, and Fabrice Blin’s animated film LOBOTOMAN were presented. Julien and I found Fabrice's film very funny and very well made. Therefore, a little later (around 2007, I think), I sent him a message via the MySpace platform to let him know that I had really enjoyed his film.
One thing led to another, we hit it off and had coffee together, then I worked on his film MONSIEUR MÉCHANT (MISTER EVIL), and we have since become collaborators, and above all friends. Then, I even introduced him to my other friend Julien Maury, and they in turn became friends. I really like to create friendships between my own friends, which has happened sometimes in my life.
Q: How did you become involved in THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR?
Raphaël Gesqua: Fabrice had been planning to make a fantastic feature film for a very long time, and I had promised him that with or without a budget, I would compose the music for him, after our multiple collaborations on his two superb short films, MONSIEUR MÉCHANT (MISTER EVIL) and MANDRAGORE, and his moving feature film SUPER 8 MADNESS.
It was therefore quite natural that I embarked with him on the adventure THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR (LA CHOSE DERRIÈRE LA PORTE).
Q: What were your initial discussions with Fabrice Blin about the kind of music he wanted for this latest film?
Raphaël Gesqua: You should know that Fabrice is an extremely precise director in his indications concerning musical intentions. On THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR, he wrote me a document in which he went through the entire film musically, expressing the moments, according to him, which should feature music, and those more airy, even silent. This working base, combined with the sending of different musical extracts, serving not as temporary music, but rather as referential illustrations, allows us not to resort to temporary music, to be much more precise, and therefore to grant much greater creative freedom, this aspect being priceless.
Q: Your score opens like a thread taking off, with subtle percussion, then building with winds and growing stronger, with a kind of spooky martial rhythm, breeding heavier sounds… adding textures and voices, plucked instruments… until the end syphons off with rustling elements that eventually fade out. How did you come about with this opening queue and how did you develop its sonic cadence and dread?
Raphaël Gesqua: Fabrice wanted the introductory theme to evoke, of course, both mystery and fear, but while also taking on a martial/military aspect, to evoke the context of World War I in which the movie takes place. I tried to maintain a disturbing rhythm from the start, without going as far as military drums so as not to be too cliché and emphatic. This heady march continues throughout the piece in a crescendo, while strings, woodwinds and voices (from yours truly) are added, combined with various sound effects of my own, such as various rustlings and hootings.
Q: How did you tie-in your fearful music with the opening elements of World War I in which the film begins?
Raphaël Gesqua: Actually, the film opens with a few minutes of introductory sequence set in the Middle Ages. This sequence deliberately stands out from the rest of the footage, both filmically and musically. I opted for a symphonic tone with a fairly emphatic character, to evoke from the first seconds to the spectator the inexorable dramatic content of the story that we were going to tell him. As for all the rest of the footage, on the other hand, I discreetly added a slight evocation of the World War I context twice: in the introductory theme, as mentioned previously, and briefly on the front traveling on the gaze of a soldier, bruised and consumed by the memory of the horrors that he and his unfortunate comrades-in-arms had just suffered.
Q: What sonic impressions have you used for this film – and how did the black magic aspect of the storyline provide a tenacity of foreboding and affright?
Raphaël Gesqua: With Fabrice, we considered several sound aspects, indeed, to reinforce the forbidden black magic aspect of the film. For example, at the beginning of the song “Adèle my Love,” Fabrice wanted the music to resonate as a kind of call from nature (particularly from the trees) towards Adèle, while she seems to be in a deep sleep. For this, I tried to evoke a disturbing rustling, in crescendo, mixed with very low pulsations, to finally evolve musically towards the so-called “dream” of Adèle, in which she responds to this call. Another example, for the finale, instead of tinting the scene with poignant emotion as we might have been tempted to do, we opted instead for a cold and chilling atmosphere, more in line with the motto of the film: “We reap what we sow.”
Q: How would you describe your music for the end credits, which come in at some ten minutes long. Listening to this long cue offers some especially eerie motives - what musical and/or electronic elements were you used to establish these spooky sounds?
Raphaël Gesqua: A lot of elements combined for the film’s ending. The end credits were in three very distinct parts, forming exactly 10 minutes. First of all, in the first part, there are dissonant and distorted cimbalom arpeggios, which clash to punctuate the bars of the reprise of the string theme of the medieval opening sequence. In the second part, I used my voice reworked with multiple layers of effects, to establish a feeling of unease, all bathed in a heady flow of strings and pulsations of clarinets and flutes. The third, for its part, strives to conclude the credits with a melancholic touch on the piano and solo violin, in order to create an emotional bond between the audience and Adèle.
Q: What’s been most unique about this score for you?
Raphaël Gesqua: I wouldn’t be able to say. Perhaps the mixture of a musical approach that is both modern and old-fashioned? It will be up to the listeners to judge ;-)
Q: What elements about this score would you like to add which we haven’t discussed yet?
Raphaël Gesqua: Well, perhaps the fact that I created a virtual female choir instrument especially for this film, with the precious help of Florence Martin Giovannelli, who, to do this, lent me her unique vocal tone. I used it to add a dreamlike touch to the song “Adèle my Love.”
Listen to the track “OST End Credits”):
A condensed version of the soundtrack music from THE THING BEHIND THE DOOR has been released on vinyl.
Click here for
Details
CONCLAVE/Volker Bertelmann/Back Lot Music (digital) and Mutant (vinyl)
Mutant, in partnership with Back Lot Music and Focus Features, is proud to present a premiere physical release of Academy Award® winning composer Volker Bertelmann’s score to Edgar Berger’s CONCLAVE, which is mainly contemplative and perhaps stimulating. “The main recurring melody is arresting and melodic. Strings shriek in swirling stereo, bouncing like the fragile allegiances between cardinals, adding intrigue to each plot twist and turn. It’s a triumphant follow-up to his award-winning modern classic.” The movie is director Edgar Berger’s and composer Volker Bertelmann’s follow-up to their award-winning 2022 collaboration ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. “The film follows the high-tension, behind-closed-doors events surrounding the catholic church’s process for choosing a new Pope. Unique rituals, dark secrets, betrayals, and political manipulation – CONCLAVE holds up a gilded mirror to the modern democratic process,” writes Mutant’s blurb regarding the movie and its score. “Bertelmann is a master at knowing when to raise the temperature – and this score brings the tension to a boil,” says Mutant co-founder Mo Shafeek, adding: “The main recurring melody is arresting and melodic. Strings shriek in swirling in stereo, bouncing like the fragile allegiances between cardinals, adding intrigue to each plot twist and turn.” Some have found its treatment disfavored. I haven’t seen the movie, and thus, my comments are relative to Bertelmann’s treatment of the music in its own right, which I found to be unique in its organization and preparation as it is largely intriguing in its sonic terrain. The score opens with a 1:27 minute “Overture of Conclave,” representing the score’s tone, which is mainly quiet, such as the story it tells may need. Largely bound by low cello and plucked strings, prepared piano, heavy strings, and whispers of piano and percussion produce a tension-building score that reflects the power struggle and politics on screen. It’s music of quiet contemplation, which is quite interesting as it shares its structure and tonality.
“Bertelmann is a master at knowing when to raise the temperature – and this score brings the tension to a boil,” says Mutant’s Mo Shafeek. “The main recurring melody is arresting and melodic. Strings shriek in swirling in stereo, bouncing like the fragile allegiances between cardinals, adding intrigue to each plot twist and turn.”
The digital soundtrack is available from BackLot Music:
Mutant’s limited-edition vinyl release is pressed on 140-gram gold vinyl, 15/11 tracks on two sides, and is essentially worth having for those who prefer Bertelsmann. Estimated release date to be December 6, 2024.
Watch the film’s trailer:
and the first track, “Overture in Conclave,”
FEAR/Carter Burwell/Intrada - CD
Intrada provides a long-sought-after Carter Burwell score, which has received notable praise from critics reviewing the 1996 Universal Pictures FEAR film. It’s a psychological thriller centered on the intense and tumultuous relationship between a teenage girl, Nicole (Reese Witherspoon), and a charismatic but dangerous young man, David (Mark Wahlberg). When Nicole meets handsome, charming, affectionate David, he is everything. Still, he soon recognizes he has a darker side when his adoration turns to obsession, their dream into a nightmare, and her love into fear. Opening with a sweeping flyover of Seattle, Burwell introduces his central theme underscored by pounding taiko drums. In his liner notes, Jeff Bond describes: “It is marvelously ambivalent, swelling with something between seductive longing and monomaniacal confidence. The drums playing over the helicopter shot immediately establish the city as a tribal battleground where Steven Walker’s instincts to protect his family will run up against David McCall’s impulses not only to seduce and steal away his daughter but to insinuate himself into the structure of the Walker family, attaching himself to Walker’s young son, his attractive wife and even his dog while Walker watches.” Burwell’s score is quietly moody and unsettling, slowly insinuating darker melodies into the drama as David manages to incorporate himself into the family. Much of Burwell’s musical prowess in his score can be credited to the orchestration and conducting of Shirley Walker, as he also points out: “It’s got a particular sound I think she takes a lot of responsibility for, like the way that the brass plays at the bottom end and the lushness of the strings.” The two musicians provide assertive sonic behavior that suits the film well while offering a very likable consistency offered by both musicians. The CD was produced by Carter Burwell, mixed by Michael Farrow, and mastered by Chris Malone. See Intrada.
GOLDFINGER/John Barry/La-La Land Records - CD
La-La Land Records, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, EON Productions, and Universal Music Enterprises proudly commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the 007 film GOLDFINGER with a remastered and re-sequenced CD re-issue of composer John Barry’s original motion picture score. The 1964 film stars Sean Connery as James Bond in his third turn as 007 and is directed by Guy Hamilton. The bold GOLDFINGER orchestral score defined the mood and style of the entire series from the historic title song, powerfully sung by Shirley Bassey, packs a sonic punch that remains as muscular today as it did six decades ago. The burly action music is thrilling, dramatic, romantic, suspenseful, exhilarating, with Vic Flick’s engaging electric guitar solos and John Scott’s saxophone endeavors, the tentative measures of “Death of Tilly” and the stirring tones of “The Laser Beam” as the music slowly punctuates its intention into a flaring, sinewy, growth of mounting tension, rising to a peak which James Bond barely survives by a hair’s breadth. Barry’s presentation has much else to enjoy, from the music of Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus, the Dawn Raid on Fort Knox with its lengthy battle, and much else. Jon Burlingame’s richly endowed commentary adds much to the presentation that may not have been heralded before, such as Barry’s deciding to add at the last minute a wah-wah-wah-wah figure into the sassy brass heard just before Bassey sings, which offers a powerful opening that grabs the listener. The label’s 60th Anniversary of the GOLDFINGER score also presents the music in its proper film sequence for the first time while also including a mono mix of the title song that offers a different vocal performance from Bassey, an instrumental version of the title tune, and the title theme sung by Anthony Newley. The album is produced by Neil S. Bulk, restored by Chris Malone, and mastered by Doug Schwartz; the special release is limited to 5000 units, and for the first 90 days of its release, this title can only be purchased exclusively at La-La Land Records or the 007Store – a limited edition of 5000 Units.
FOOD OF THE GODS/ Elliot Kaplan/FROGS/Les Baxter/Quartet Records – CD
Spain’s Quartet Records offers a pleasing presentation of these two American International horror films, neither of which have found soundtrack releases until now. THE FOOD OF THE GODS was directed by Bert I. Gordon in 1976. It was loosely based on H. G. Wells’s novel about a group of friends who travel to a remote Canadian island to hunt, only to be attacked by giant killer rats that have populated the place and scored by Elliott Kaplan, who provided a nicely sophisticated and impressionistic score, blending Moog synthesizers with an orchestra to generate a nicely unnerving atmosphere for the movie. Added to FOOD is Les Baxter’s unique score for 1972’s FROGS, directed by George McCowan and starring Ray Milland in a horror movie that generated more humor than horrific, but it was a bit of fun. AIP’s primary composer, Les Baxter, created an unusual score performed entirely on a Moog synthesizer by recording engineer Joe Sidore. “We thought it would be a fascinating experiment,” Baxter told me in a 1983 interview, “to score the film entirely with synthesized sounds; in this case, I used actual frog sounds, slowed down, speeded up, whatever, to combine them with the synthesizer (which I played myself), so the entire score was a one-person job – no other live human was being connected with it! I simply programmed a Moog synthesizer and played the scenes as I had written them for that instrument, and then on a second track, in synchronization, I used the frog sounds in all of the varieties that I described to fit the scene. Baxter’s resultant score is brimming with weird, atonal, slowly oozing frog noises, vibrating eerily and creating a bizarre and unforgettable audio accompaniment.
Composer Michael Richard Plowman has joined Peter Hackman’s Different Direction Management. “When I did a deep dive into [his] music, each piece I listened to had me smiling bigger and bigger,” said Hackman. “He’s also a fellow film score enthusiast like myself. He’s superb at what he does… the kind of collaborator you want in the musical trenches as you’re discovering the sound for your project and to be honest, he's just a delightful person.” A few of the many projects he’s been a part of include CBS animated holiday special REINDEER IN HERE, DreamWorks Animation’s GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, StudioCanal’s FORCE OF EXECUTION starring Steven Segal & Ving Rhames, Hallmark’s CRIMES OF FASHION: KILLER CLUTCH, STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL, Ubisoft’s iconic and best-selling video game, SPLINTER CELL, and much more. Welcome Aboard!
STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW is an upcoming American science fiction television series created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the STAR WARS franchise, taking place in the same time frame as the series THE MANDALORIAN and its interconnected spin-offs after the events of the film RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983). SKELETON CREW tells a coming-of-age story about four children who make a discovery on their home planet, get lost in the galaxy, and go on an adventure to get back home. Stars Jude Law, Kerry Condon, Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Reportedly, Mick Giacchino (THE PENGUIN, THAT DIRTY BLACK BAG, ZOOTOPIA short film) (son of composer Michael), will score the new series.
Garth Stevenson (CHAPPAQUIDDICK, CONSCIENCE POINT, THEM THAT FOLLOW), has composed LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE, an adventure drama based on the book by the same name. The film tells the inspiring story of a 12-year-old boy, who, separated from his family by a fast-moving storm. Directed by Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger, starring Luke David Blumm, Paul Sparks, Caitlin FitzGerald, Ethan Slater, Griffin Wallace Henkel.
RED SONJA is an upcoming American sword and sorcery film directed by M. J. Bassett and written by Tasha Huo, based on the character of the same name. Premise: Enslaved by an evil tyrant who wishes to destroy her people, barbarian huntress Red Sonja must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against Dragan The Magnificent and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia. Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli (THE WITCHER, THE MIST, THE ROMANOFFS) are scoring the film, and the film stars Matilda Lutz as the title character. Luke Lieberman serves as producer and has said that the film will differ in tone from the “male gaze” of the comics, and present “a completely different story.” However, the character's trademark bikini will remain the main costume for the film. – Wikipedia
Image via FilmMusic Reporter.
According to the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, veteran composer James Newton Howard is doing the music for THE LOST BUS, Paul Greengrass’ upcoming suspense drama about what went wrong in California's Camp Fire, the nation's deadliest wildfire in a century. The film is based on a novel by Lizzie Johnson and is the second collaboration between Howard and Greengrass, following NEWS OF THE WORLD from 2020. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera and Yul Vazquez and is an Apple Original film to be released on the Apple TV+ platform. – via Mikael Carlsson through Intrada.
Jack Halama and Natalie Holt have scored the Disney series, RIVALS. The show is an adaptation of the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Lisa McGrillis, Bella Maclean). Set in the fictional English county of Rutshire, Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) have a longstanding rivalry that comes to a head when each intends to produce a program involving a mega-star of great glamour, Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner), not to mention Baddingham and Campbell-Black both covet O’Hara’s luxurious wife, Taggie (Mclean).
Apple TV+ has debuted the teaser for the second season of its Emmy and Peabody Award-winning globally celebrated workplace thriller, SEVERANCE. Directed and executive produced by Ben Stiller and created, written and executive produced by Dan Erickson, the 10-episode second season of SEVERANCE will debut globally on Apple TV+ with the first episode on Friday, January 17, 2025, followed by one episode every Friday through March 21. Theodore Shapiro returns as composer. Among the series’ worldwide acclaim, the AFI Awards winner landed 14 Emmy Award nominations; the first season also took home awards for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series and Outstanding Main Title Design. In SEVERANCE, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself. In Season 2, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
Watch the Season 2 Official Teaser Trailer:
SEPTEMBER 5, from Paramount Pictures, in select Theatres November 29 and Nationwide December 13, unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, SEPTEMBER 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time. At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage. As narratives shift, time ticks away, and conflicting rumors spread, with the hostages’ lives hanging in the balance, Geoff grapples with tough decisions while confronting his own moral compass. Composer Lorenz Dangel (THE COLONY, HELL, A FORTUNATE MAN, HITLER’S HOLLYWOOD) provides the film’s music.
Tyler Perry’s latest film is THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black and all-female battalion, in World War II. The film is about the 855 women who joined who war to fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Faced with discrimination and a country devastated by war, they managed to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail ahead of time. The film is based on a 2019 WWII History magazine article by Kevin M. Hymel on the contributions of the 6888th. Aaron Zigman (THE NOTEBOOK, THE COMPANY MEN, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA) has scored the film. THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT is scheduled to be released in select cinemas on December 6, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on December 20, 2024.
IT'S WHAT’S INSIDE premiered on Netflix on October 1st, has climbed the charts to number 5. A group of friends gather for a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets, desires, and grudges. Directed by Greg Jardin, and starring Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey; with Andrew Hewitt scoring and includes members of the Konsonant music team.
Watch the trailer here:
Composer Tim Williams (PEARL, THE SWEAR JAR, BAGMAN, FOUNDERS DAY) has scored the epic biblical film MARY, for Netflix. Directed by D.J. Caruso and stars Anthony Hopkins, Noa Cohen, Ido Tako, Hilla Vidor, Stephanie Nue, Gunmunder Thorvaldsson. “So thrilled to have scored the film,” Williams said in a Facebook post. “It is a truly stunning film.” Additional music people include Jason La Rocca (music scoring mixer), Maxwell Stone (music programming/score supervisor). Featured solos include Julie Elven, Rafe Pearlman, and Chih Suanyang, Abraham Cupeiro (skillfull instrument builder and multi-instrumentalist favoring lost instruments), percussionist Greg Zellis (gerhythm.com), and MB Gordy (percussionist). The film releases Dec. 6th.
Described as THE PURGE with lycanthropes, WEREWOLVES will be unleashed in theaters December 6, 2024. Starring Frank Grillo, in WEREWOLVES, “a Supermoon event triggers a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died. Now, a year later, the Supermoon is back.” Directed and co-produced by Steven C. Miller (AUTOMATION TRANSFUSION, AGGRESSION SCALE, SILENT NIGHT), the film stars Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, James Michael Cummings, and Lou Diamond Phillips. The music is provided by The Newton Brothers and James Burkholder.
WEREWOLVES is rated “R” for Violence, some gore, and language. (We would certainly hope so!).
No matter how hard you try, you can’t break up with your past. This coming Valentine’s Day, Oscar® winner Ke Huy Quan (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, LOKI) rockets into his first major leading man role as an unlikely hero, a seemingly mild-mannered realtor with a dark secret that he is desperate to leave behind. Spoiler alert: He won’t. From 87North comes a visceral, high-octane story of wrath and revenge, LOVE HURTS. Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a realtor working in the Milwaukee suburbs, where ‘For Sale’ signs bloom. Gable receives a crimson envelope from Rose (Oscar® winner Ariana DeBose; WEST SIDE STORY, ARGYLLE), a former partner-in-crime that he had left for dead. She’s not happy. Now, Marvin is thrust back into a world of ruthless hitmen, filled with double-crosses and open houses turned into deadly warzones. With his brother Knuckles (Daniel Wu; TOMB RAIDER, WARCRAFT), a volatile crime lord, hunting him, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried. Dominic Lewis (THE KING'S MEN, VIOLET NIGHT, BULLET TRAIN, THE FALL GUY, JOLT) provides the musical score for this hard-hitting action film.
Elliot Goldenthal is the recipient of the 2024 World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award. To celebrate, Film Fest Gent proudly presents ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL – MUSIC FOR FILM, featuring new studio recordings of selected pieces from Elliot Goldenthal’s film scores, performed by the Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by Film Fest Gent music director Dirk Brossé. The album Elliot Goldenthal – Music for Film, from Silva Screen, features the world premiere release of two complete concert suites, the “Grand Gothic Suite” with highlights from BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN & ROBIN and “Final Fantasia” with music from FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN. Further highlights include selections from David Fincher’s ALIEN³, Julie Taymor’s FRIDA and TITUS, Michael Mann’s HEAT and Neil Jordan’s INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES. Visit Silva Screen Records here.
Quartet’s Latest Soundtrack release: In collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Quartet presents the premiere complete CD release of Billy Strange’s terrific score for DE SADE, an ambitious 1969 American International Pictures production directed by Cy Endfield. The film is a fictionalized biography of the world’s most famous sexual and physical pervert: Marquis De Sade, who was notorious for his sadistic behavior. Strange was an unusual choice for DE SADE, but AIP wanted something fresh and unexpected for the music here. Strange let loose with a blend of pseudo-classical symphonic music contrasted against contemporary pop-psychedelia for the numerous extended orgy sequences. Also: Mark Isham’s distinguished, moving score for THE BROWNING VERSION, is based on a famous play by Terence Rattigan. The 1994 film, directed by Mike Figgis and produced by Ridley Scott, about an embittered, disliked teacher of Greek and Latin at a British school (masterfully interpreted by Albert Finney). Although Mike Figgis had previously written a score for the film, producer Ridley Scott felt that an outside voice was needed to enhance the story. Isham, with a jazz sensibility close to Figgis’, was asked to write a spare, heartfelt and highly dramatic symphonic score – one of the last recorded at CTS Studios in London. Also, just announced from Quartet Records: [ IMAGES ONLY: (ESCAPE - IL DESERTO DEI TARTARI - ADDIO ZIO TOM - ROOM NEXT DOOR )] For details see Quartet Records.
Lakeshore Records Releases THE DEVIL’S HOUR Season 2, which sees Lucy (Jessica Raine) and Gideon (Peter Capaldi) forming an uneasy alliance in order to prevent a recurring tragedy and hunt down an elusive monster. Fresh mysteries unfold as stories converge on one explosive moment that will change the fate of our characters for the rest of their ever-recurring lives. Prime Video Original Series Soundtrack, music by The Newton Brothers return to score the second season; the full soundtrack album is available here. Listen to the series’ main title theme via YouTube.
Varèse Sarabande has offered a Deluxe Edition Encore CD of their previous release of Basil Poledouris’ score from 1993’s ROBOCOP 3. To be released on December 13, 2024, with this limited edition presentation, which they originally released in November 1993 and then modified into a Deluxe Edition in Sept. 2016 in a limited-edition of 2000 copies. So, if you missed that, here’s you’re chance to feast upon a 26-track Encore edition. Director Paul Verhoeven’s original ROBOCOP film featured one of Basil Poledouris’ most iconic scores; in 1993, he was recruited to bring his signature sound back for RoboCop 3, which finds Detroit’s cyborg crime-fighter hitting the streets to protect the innocent, this time from corporate greed. Laced with a sardonic sense of humor and packed with action scenes coming at a deliberate clip, ROBOCOP 3 is a campy sci-fi adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat, highlighted by Poledouris’ one-of-a-kind sonic touch.
Click on link here.
Sid De La Cruz has composed an intriguing soundtrack for the comedy/horror film MARTINEZ, MARGARITAS AND MURDER! Directed by James Helsing and starring René Mena, Nicholle Tom, and Bonnie Aarons, the film follows Freddy Martinez’s friends, who are unexpectedly murdered one by one, causing Freddy to be recruited by a private investigator to help set a trap for the killer responsible: known as The Bedroom Butcher. The soundtrack is from the PLAZA MAYOR COMPANY; and is available from Spotify, here.
Listen to La Cruz’s track “Raspberry Puree,” via YouTube:
PLAZA MAYOR COMPANY has also recently released HIGH FORCES, a Chinese action film directed by Oxide Chun Pang & Chi-Leung Law, starring Andy Lau, Zifeng Zhang, and Chuxiao Qu, with music from Anthony Chue (DIVERGENCE, INVISIBLE TARGET, REIGN OF ASSASSINS, G STORM [series]). Lau plays Gao Haojun, an international security expert, who is hijacked by gunmen on the first flight of A380 airliner; unbeknownst to him, his blind daughter is one of the undercover hostages. The soundtrack can be had from Spotify now.
La-La-Land begets its 7th and final STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES – THE 1701 COLLECTION with VOL. 7, the seventh and final 2-CD set in a series of limited-edition CD releases that showcase original scores from the landmark sci-fi television series STAR TREK (1966-1969). Containing music originally from their long out-of-print 2012 Original Series Box Set, these volumes utilize the same restored master as that acclaimed release, but with new packaging by Dan Goldwasser, along with brand new, exclusive liner notes by film music writer and Trek historian, Jeff Bond. Vol. 7 focuses on the music of renowned composers Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, and Sol Kaplan, with the “Star Trek Theme” by Alexander Courage, and contains original scores from the classic pilots THE CAGE and WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE as well as the season two episodes AMOK TIME, and THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE, along with MAIN and END TITLES, additional music, source cues and more.
Also announced by La-La Land are three holiday releases: THE GODFATHER PART II (50th Anniversary Remastered and Expanded Limited Edition 2-CD set); JURASSIC PARK III: Remastered & Expanded Limited Edition (2 CD Set); and SPIDER-MAN 2 20TH ANNIVERSARY MOTION PICTURE SCORE AND REMASTERED LIMITED EDITION (3 CD SET).
For details Visit La-La Land Records here.
Categorical Records is excited to announce the release of the official soundtrack for the original 1920 horror classic, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, featuring a stunning orchestral score by Emmy®-winning composer Jeff Beal (HOUSE OF CARDS, THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, BLACKFISH, MONK). This anticipated soundtrack is available today, alongside a meticulously restored 4K UHD + Blu-ray edition of the film, courtesy of Kino Lorber. Beal’s score premiered at Carnegie Hall on June 3, 2024, bringing fresh life to this iconic silent film. The soundtrack captures the film’s haunting atmosphere and psychological depth, enhancing the eerie narrative. Beal remarks on the score, “This summer I gave my Carnegie Hall debut, conducting the US premiere of my score to THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. It was a real artistic and emotional high point for me. Now, thanks to Kino Lorber, those who weren’t there can enjoy the score and film through this gorgeous new 4K edition. I’m also thrilled to be able to release the complete score as a standalone recording, featuring a who’s who of NY finest jazz artists, including Aaron Diehl, John Patitucci, Ted Nash, Obed Calivere, and the wonderful singers of the Fourth Wall Ensemble. The film is a haunting and timeless masterpiece - I hope new viewers might discover the film’s eerie relevance, cinematic influence through this release.”“With its nuanced use of many styles of jazz against a choral tapestry influenced by the Second Viennese School, Beal’s beautifully crafted score nods as much to 1940 as to 1920. - The result was a skillfully composed and excellently performed jazz oratorio” - Classical Voice North America Soundtrack 4K Ultra HD
PLAZA MAYOR COMPANY LTD offers the soundtrack from DAEMON MIND, scored by Marco Werba, directed by Jason Fité, starring Acha Septriasa, Jasmine Blackborow, Sam Marks, and Zephryn Taitte. Music by Marco Werba, Lyric by Jason Fité; title song vocal by Lucie Vagenheim, "Orchestra Italiana del Cinema" conducted by Chiara Casà. The film follows a neuroscientist who creates a device which frees her inner Daemon allowing her to seek a terrible vengeance upon her enemies. The song, “My Daemon Mind,” performed by Lucie Vagenheim, is available from Spotify.
Watch this short clip from the DAEMON MIND Recording session, courtesy of Marco Werba.
Stuart Hancock’s most recent work on the animated epic KENSUKE’S KINGDOM helps establish the children’s book adaptation as one of the most sweeping and heartfelt stories of the year. The film is a good old-fashioned adventure, rendered in gorgeous hand-drawn 2D animation. The score for KENSUKE’S KINGDOM is big, traditional, and symphonic. Stuart handled every aspect of the music production, while collaborating closely with directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, who initially conceived the project almost as a silent movie, as there is very little dialogue between the two lead characters, who do not speak each other’s language. The music therefore plays a pivotal role in the storytelling, featuring a 60-piece orchestra and a 35-piece choir. One of the film’s more moving moments comes via a flashback for the elderly Kensuke. As he reflects on the fate of Nagasaki during his time as a soldier, Stuart employs a choral arrangement of the Japanese folk song “Sakura Sakura,” featuring an 8-year-old Japanese girl singer, as well as star Ken Watanabe. The film is available in theaters now, as is the soundtrack album, digitally here: https://tinyurl.com/2945pd78 and from MovieScore Media (including listenable music tracks):
Beat Records of Italy offers a reissue CD of Ennio Morricone’s score for the drama film METELLO, directed in 1970 by Mauro Bolognini. The OST was first reissued on CD in Japan in 1991 and again in 1994. The Maestro gave his approval in 2006 for the first expanded reissue on CD (GDM 2071) with the addition of four unreleased tracks and a total duration of 43:38, all derived from the stereo master of the original album and the mono masters of the original sessions. Those fourteen tracks, magnificently conducted by Bruno Nicolai, now returns to the market with this brand-new reissue. Also available in reissue from Beat is the expanded soundtrack from the 1982 cult classic LO SQUARTATORE DI NEW YORK (THE NEW YORK RIPPER) by the late Italian director Lucio Fulci, featuring the beautiful music of Maestro Francesco de Masi. One of the historical titles in the Beat Records catalog, an abbreviated presentation of this soundtrack was released on LP and CD backed with music from UNA TOMBA APERTA, UNA BARA VUOTA by Maestro Piero Piccioni. Now, one of the most incredible movie scores by this extraordinary musician can be enjoyed in its entirety, in its most complete form, this CD is filled with more than 70 minutes of music. For more details see Intrada, which offers this and other forthcoming soundtracks in its coming soon section.
Milan Records will release the official soundtrack album for director Steve McQueen’s historical drama BLITZ. The album features the film’s original score composed by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer. Also included are the movie’s original songs, written by Academy Award nominees Nicholas Britell & Taura Stinson and McQueen, as well as Britell’s new arrangements of “Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh” performed by Celeste and Allelujah (Hallelujah) performed by Benjamin Clementine. The movie tells the story of a nine-year-old boy in World War II London who is determined to return home after being sent to safety in the English countryside and finds himself in immense peril, while his distraught mother searches for her missing son. - via FilmMusicReporter
Lakeshore Records announces the release of THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA: Season 3 – Prime Video Original Series Soundtrack now available digitally. The soundtrack to the third season of the adult animated fantasy-adventure series based on beloved characters and stories from the world of Critical Role once again showcases a striking orchestrated score by Neal Acree, along with music by Sam Riegel and Peter Habib. The album also contains a number of trademark ribald songs by Sam Riegel (as Scanlan Shorthalt), and Peter Habib. Everything is at stake in the long-awaited Season Three: the Chroma Conclave’s path of destruction spreads like wildfire while the Cinder King hunts down Vox Machina. Our lovable band of misfits must rise above inner (and outer) demons to try and save their loved ones, Tal’Dorei, and all of Exandria. The series, a production of Amazon Studios, Critical Role/Metapiegeon and Titmouse, is streaming globally on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Purchase/Stream
Multiple Academy and GRAMMY Award-winner Finneas O’Connell’s masterful debut composing for TV is with his original score for Alfonso Cuarón’s highly anticipated Apple TV+ series, DISCLAIMER. This venture marks a new chapter in O’Connell’s illustrious career as he collaborates with the esteemed director for this psychological thriller. DISCLAIMER, a priority series for Apple TV+ and a strong awards contender, unfolds over seven gripping chapters. It stars multi-award winners Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Leslie Manville, and with narrative and direction helmed by the five-time Academy Award-winner Cuarón. O’Connell approaches this project with the same artistry he’s been known for in his musical endeavors. O’Connell’s creative approach to the score includes a brilliant reimagining of Bach themes to complement the narrative, adding complexity with a contemporary twist.
Lakeshore Records is set to release STAR TREK: DISCOVERY SEASON 5 – Original Series Soundtrack featuring music from the fifth and final season of the Paramount+ series. The album features an original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Russo (FARGO, RIPLEY). The series is currently available to stream on Paramount+. The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well… dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it. Currently, STAR TREK: DISCOVERYSeasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada and overseas. Smarturl
Lakeshore Records is also set to release SWEETPEA – Original Series Soundtrack featuring music by Isobel Waller-Bridge (FLEABAG, ROAR, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS). The upbeat synth score is punctuated with beats and percussive elements that reflect the dark storyline of empowerment at the core of the series. The six-part episode series stars Ella Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis, a quiet wallflower who develops a vengeful and intoxicatingly liberating taste for murder. At its core, the series is about a woman finally finding her voice, told through a uniquely dark and comedic lens. Notes Waller-Bridge: “Creating the score for SWEETPEA was a riot. Ella Jones is an amazing director, and her clarity of vision across everything, including the music, gave my process loads of room for experimentation. It was fun for me to really go far with the sound…. To stretch my wings in a new palate.”
Todor Kobakov (BORN TO BE BLUE, BACKSTABBING FOR BEGINNERS, THE SAMARITAN, MOST DANGEROUS GAME) has released a soundtrack album for the Canadian sci-fi drama THE INVISIBLES. The film is co-written and directed by Andrew Currie and stars Tim Blake Nelson, Gretchen Mol and Bruce Greenwood. Synopsis: A couple facing the end of marriage, when the husband starts to disappear. As he fades from existence, he discovers a new world of people who have disappeared just like him. The album features the composer’s original score from the film and is now available to stream/download on all major digital music services, including Amazon.
- via filmmusicreporter,
Watch to the film’s trailer:
Lakeshore Records has released HYSTERIA! - Original Series Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by composer Tyler Bates (JOHN WICK films, DAWN OF THE DEAD, MaXXXine, CRIMINAL MINDS, AGENT ELVIS). Bates brings a distinct black metal vibe to the score with supremely creepy tracks as well as three songs by the series’ band Dethkrunch, that provide a raucous backdrop to the comedic horror series set in the “Satanic Panic” era of the late 1980’s. Starring Julie Bowen, Anna Camp and Bruce Campbell, all eight of the show’s episodes premiered on Peacock on October 18. Notes Bates: “A coming-of-age story set in the 80’s, where rock stardom began with garage bands, HYSTERIA is Valhalla for composing an ambient black metal score fused with classic metal riffs that tick the boxes of my personal journey. An amazing show. Fantastic people. Incredible experience!” Purchase/Stream
Fresh off the success of season three’s 21 EMMY® nominations, Hollywood Records has released the ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 4 Original Score Soundtrack. Composed by EMMY Award-winner Siddhartha Khosla, the soundtrack features 26 captivating tracks that bring the suspense, humor and heart of the hit series to life. “Working on Only Murders in the Building has been a true labor of love and finding that balance between the funny and the dramatic, to the mystery and the melancholy has made this such a creatively inspired experience,” says Khosla, who won his first EMMY this year for “Outstanding Music Composition for a Series” (Original Dramatic Score) for Season three. The critically acclaimed hit series is streaming now on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ Internationally as a Star Original. New episodes stream Tuesdays. Listen: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC.
Decca Records will release the official soundtrack album for Ridley Scott’s historical action epic GLADIATOR II. The album features the film’s original music composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. The soundtrack will be released on November 15, 2024. Directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa and stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Lior Raz, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielson and Denzel Washington. The sequel to the Academy Award-winning 2000 movie (scored by Hans Zimmer) follows Lucius who – years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle – is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on November 22 by Paramount Pictures. – via filmmusicreporter.
Watch the latest trailer:
Lakeshore Records also offers up a TEACUP, an original series digital soundtrack, featuring music by Emmy nominated composer David Wingo (BARRY, LOVING). Wingo’s synth, string, and keyboard soundscapes conjure a menacing, otherworldly backdrop to the horror mystery series directed by Ian McCulloch. Starring Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman and Chaske Spencer. This horror-thriller series is inspired by Robert McCammon's novel “Stinger,” and follows a group of people in rural Georgia who must come together to face a terrifying threat. Notes compose Wingo: “Scoring TEACUP was a real blast and one of the more creatively fulfilling experiences I’ve had. It was clear from my first meeting with Ian McCulloch that we were on the same page with the approach and kind of music we were thinking might be fun to try for the show, and I am happy to say that we were in lockstep with it the whole time. One of the first things he said was that he wanted the score to feel handmade and to avoid anything that felt in any way ‘out of the box’ and we spoke a lot in terms of texture, which is how I always like to initially approach a score. I felt like I was given the opportunity to really stretch out and experiment and take some risks with some really gnarly sounding things while still always trying to keep the heart of the show and the characters in there to some degree, and felt so fortunate to never feel anything but encouragement from everyone involved...if anything I was encouraged to get even more out there at times, which is always a great note to get!” Purchase/ Stream
Jay Wadley (FRANKLIN, SWAN SONG, TELL ME LIES, FIRE ISLAND) has been tapped to score the upcoming slasher film HEART EYES. The film is directed by Josh Ruben (WEREWOLVES WITHIN, SCARE ME) and stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Devon Sawa, Gigi Zumbado. The movie follows two co-workers working overtime on Valentine’s Day who gets stalked by the “Heart Eyes Killer” and must flee and spend the most romantic night of the year on the run. - via filmmusicreporter.
From Blumhouse, HOUSE OF SPOILS follows an ambitious chef (Ariana DeBose) as she opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubts… and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn. Score by Jim Williams (2022 feature RESURRECTION). Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose stars as “Chef” in this genre-bending thriller that explores the chaos she encounters both in and out of the kitchen. HOUSE OF SPOILS continues a collaboration forged by Amazon MGM Studios and Blumhouse Television in 2019. Watch this clip:
Penka Kouneva has recently scored her latest film score, a family romance called A HEART FOR CHRISTMAS, coming soon on TV. “What’s even more important, for the last few years, I've been plugging my mentees to co-score my scoring jobs with me, in order to give them their first studio feature film credit, mentoring experience on a job of that scope, Cue Sheet percentage, and a decent pay,” Penka said in a Facebook post. “Endless thanks to Cliff Eidelman for referring me for this wonderful opportunity, to Maurice Hall for being a dream director to collaborate with, and to my co-composer Brian C. Herald who helped tremendously with his musicality and mad production skills. Very grateful for this scoring opportunity.” The holiday film is about a young girl’s Christmas wish, that comes true when the mom she never knew comes home for the holidays, but the family reunion gets complicated now that her father’s heart belongs to someone else.
Lakeshore Records has released the CELLAR DOOR Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, composed by Marlon E. Espino. This suspenseful Lionsgate thriller centers on a couple relocating to Portland, Oregon, who are gifted their dream home by a mysterious man with one strict condition – they must never open the cellar door. As they settle in, they discover that, like people, old houses hold dark, hidden secrets. The score enhances the film’s eerie atmosphere, capturing the tension and emotional depth of this chilling narrative. The composer notes: “It’s an honor to share the original soundtrack for CELLAR DOOR, created to match the vision of the remarkable [director] Vaughn Stein. Vaughn’s ability to shape a narrative with such depth and originality made this project an inspiring endeavor. His storytelling demanded a score that could move seamlessly from haunting atmospheres to powerful orchestral melodies, amplifying the emotional complexity he brings to the screen. Working with such a talented director challenged and inspired me to create music that could truly immerse audiences in the intensity and nuance of Vaughn’s cinematic world.” The album is now available digitally.
Watch the film’s trailer:
MovieScore Media has released Edwin Wendler’s MAFIA WARS. The album features 63 minutes of action and suspense-packed music over 20 tracks. About the score for the film, Wendler said: “Director Scott Windhauser is a fellow film music fan, which made working with him a dream. When writing action music, I do my best to apply rhythm programming and odd/mixed meters to keep the music exciting and interesting. This movie also gave me the opportunity to write some character themes and motifs. The theme for mafia boss Rossi (Al Linea) consists of a tarantella, which is an Italian folk dance, slowed down in this case to a menacing crawl and primarily played on staccato strings, in an homage to Ennio Morricone’s instrumentations for similar genre movies.”
Wendler has also composed the music to BROKEN ANGEL; the film – based on true events – tells the story of young Turkish student Ebru who comes to Los Angeles to learn English. After being dragged into a world not only foreign in language but completely outside her cultural values, she mysteriously disappears. Heading the cast, Nehir Erdogan shows the kind of impressive transformation that any actor should be rightly proud of. “I was deeply affected by her performance,” Wendler said. “An earlier version of the movie was released in Turkey in 2008. For the international version (completed in 2009), the movie was re-edited, and editor/co-producer Radu Ion kindly asked me to come on board to write a new score. Unfortunately, that international version of the movie remains unreleased.” The album is available on all major streaming music platforms.
Also, from MovieScore Media is TREASURE TRACKERS, scored by Robin Hoffmann (IN LOVE AND WAR, AURUM - DAS TOR, HUNDELEBEN, NIGHTCAST). The soundtrack is directed by Drew Garcia and Nate Garcia, starring Charity Rose, Cooper Tomlinson and Julie Oliver-Touchstone – about a trio of misfit middle schoolers who band together to investigate their small town’s mythic treasure, only to uncover a Halloween curse. Said Hoffmann:“For TREASURE TRACKERS, the directors and I set out to create a classic orchestral score reminiscent of the adventure and family films from the 80s and 90s, with a strong focus on memorable melodies and colorful orchestrations. We wanted the score to evoke the excitement and wonder of these kids as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime, solving the mystery hidden in Carterville. The music revolves around several central themes. My goal was to create a score that evokes nostalgia for classic Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks, embracing a rich, full orchestral sound. We were fortunate to have the prestigious 90-piece Bratislava Symphony Orchestra bring this vision to life. TREASURE TRACKERS marks my second collaboration with directors Drew and Nate Garcia, and our first feature film together.” The soundtrack is available here.
Lakeshore Records has released PENELOPE, an digital Original Series Soundtrack featuring music by Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans and Julia Piker. The emotive score is at turns brightly optimistic and warily haunting with strings, electronics and atmospheric vocalizations providing a backdrop to the introspective journey of the protagonist. The young adult series created by Duplass Brothers Productions is streaming now on Netflix. Feeling out of place in the modern world, 16-year-old Penelope (Megan Stott of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE) finds herself almost cosmically drawn to nature. With no plan in place, she leaves her family behind for the beguiling wilderness where she begins to establish a different kind of life for herself. “In PENELOPE, you will encounter a rich tapestry of vocal explorations interwoven with lush string and synth arrangements, all inspired by the serene beauty of nature- the whisper of trees, the rustle of leaves, and the melodies of birds. By weaving these elements into the fabric of the compositions, we sought to honor and bring to light the beautiful, yet subtle symphony of the natural world.” Purchase/Stream.
Hollywood Records has released LA MÁQUINA (Original Soundtrack) with music from Tomás Barreiro. The film follows an aging boxer whose crafty manager secures one last shot at a title. But if they want to make it to fight night, they must navigate a mysterious underworld force and the boxer's own ailing mind. Composer Tomás Barreiro remarks - “La Máquina sequences needed 3 basic musical materials… hectic drums for Andy’s frenzy, a gloomy one for the mind of Esteban, and a sarcastic almost shrine like for Andy’s mother and their shallowness. All that mixed with Latino flavors in drums, percussion and guitars make the score for La Máquina!” The soundtrack album is available on Spotify, and other streaming services.
Silva Screen Records releases the Tim Morrish score from one of this year’s most controversial television productions, THE JETTY. When a fire tears through a property in a scenic Lancashire Lake town, Detective Ember Manning (Jenna Coleman) must work out how it connects to a podcast journalist investigating a missing person cold case, and an illicit relationship between a man in his twenties and two underage girls. But as Ember gets close to the truth, it threatens to destroy her life – forcing her to re-evaluate everything she thought she knew about her past, present and the town she’s always called home. Morrish describes his approach to the series: “From early conversations with the writer, producers and director it became clear that we were aiming to create a score that had a strong sense of place and could link the audience to the lakeside town of ‘Hap’ where our story takes place. We wanted a score that highlighted the beauty of the landscape as well as unearthed the dark underbelly and history of events that have taken place there. I created a theme performed on cello that could be recontextualized and adapted across the show that although initially beautiful, slowly grows darker as organic percussive elements start to break through. I worked very closely with the sound designer throughout the process and used recordings from some of the rigging and bells of the boat to create darker underscore and rhythmic textures to help with the growing sense of unease and investigative elements in the show.”
See more details about the film and soundtrack from Silva Screen.
Caldera Records presents Zbigniew Preisner’s score for Gianluca Minucci's EUROPA CENTRALE. It is the early months of the Second World War; an exiled communist couple is on a train to Ljubljana; driven by their fragile ideals, they are on a mission that might kill them; their fellow travelers might not be their allies; one false step and their fate is sealed. Will they be able to make it? Zbigniew Preisner decided to use a choir, a string quintet, and electronic instruments for a quasi-opera that provides the atmosphere for individual scenes and also captures the mood of the film as a whole to draw out its meaning for the time we live in. While the choir is mostly wordless, the composer in specific instances gave them a few carefully chosen phrases such as “pianto” (“cry”) and “pianto antico” (“ancient cry”) as well as “silenzio” (“silence”). The haunting finale uses words by Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy.” EUROPA CENTRALE is one of Zbigniew Preisner’s most inspired works, a delicate, intricate and poignant comment on the fragility of our existence as individuals and societies. The 59th CD-release of Caldera Records features a detailed booklet text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. Visit Caldera's page here.
Lakeshore Records has digitally released SMILE 2, featuring music by composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer (WHITE LOTUS), who creates a dark atmospheric backdrop to the horror thriller that ebbs and flows with ominous intent and shockingly sinister elements. Hailed as one of the best horror films of the year, SMILE 2, written and directed by Parker Finn and starring Naomi Scott, the film is in theaters now via Paramount Pictures. The multiple award-winning composer is a Chilean born, classically trained musician, producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and composer for film & TV based in Montreal, Canada. Notes Tapia de Veer: “Director Parker Finn has this uncanny ability to bring out the most intense work from his collaborators, while being the calmest guy, interestingly… Even the strangest vocal I’d send to him; he’d be up for it. It’s a wonderful situation. Some musical ideas in SMILE 2 might represent severe isolation, for example, which materialize in the form of monstrously dissonant, sad and abstract voices and melodies. To be able to push the envelope in the context of a big studio production is a rare luxury.” Purchase/ Stream.
Jeff Beal announces the release of his very first film score, CHEAP SHOTS, composed back in 1988. The film itself has been beautifully restored, and is now available in all digital formats. Written and directed by Jeff Ureles & Jerry Stoeffhaus; starring Loius Zurich and David Patrick Kelly. CHEAP SHOTS is an off-beat black comedy that centers on a run-down roadside motel owned by downtrodden Louie Constantine. Fixated on a beautiful blonde and her gangster boyfriend, Louie and his friend Arnold decide to put a video camera in their guest’s cabin hoping to capture something salacious. Instead of sex – they record a double murder that will change their lives forever. Stream the film on Apple TV Amazon.
WaterTower Music announces the release of JUROR #2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with music by Grammy Award-winning composer Mark Mancina (MOANA, CRY MACHO, BAD BOYS, CRIMINAL MINDS, CON AIR, TWISTER, SPEED). This marks the second collaboration between Mancina and director Clint Eastwood. The soundtrack is available now, on digital platforms. Mancina notes: “This is my second collaboration with Clint Eastwood. It helps to know a director of his caliber, personally and professionally. There is a nice balance of creativity and trust. Scoring a courtroom drama with actors at such a high level of talent makes part of my assignment to stay out of the way of some scenes, while helping to heighten the tension and emotion in other scenes. A challenge, but a welcome one for a composer.” JUROR #2 follows family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict - or free - the accused killer.
Soundtrack available here.
Lakeshore Records has also digitally released MIDAS MAN, featuring music by International Film Music Critics Breakthrough composer nominee Alex Baranowski (THE KITCHEN, TRUE THINGS). The London-based Baranowski honors the legacy of Brian Epstein with a vivid score that mixes jazz and avant-garde classical to create an evocative backdrop to the biopic that also pays homage to the legendary producer George Martin. The film starring Jacob Fortune-Lloyd is available now on Prime Video. Notes Baranowski: “Brian Epstein and George Martin were a pairing that produced some of the most iconic British records of the 60's – how would a film score sound if George Martin was still producing now? Much of the score was recorded to analogue tape, with orchestration inspired by jazz and avant-garde classical using tape loops and vintage microphones. Combined with modern recording and mixing techniques, my concept for the score from the beginning was to be very much inspired by the work of Brian and George whilst still creating something original for today.” MIDAS MAN peels back the curtain on the swinging ‘60s, revealing the triumphs, heartbreaks, and secrets of the man who changed the face of music forever. Step into Brian’s world, where every touch turns to gold, but the most precious treasure remains just out of reach. Purchase/Stream.
APARTMENT 7A: Find out what happened in the Bramford before Rosemary! Based on the novel Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Synopsis: A struggling young dancer finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected older couple promises her a shot at fame. The film features music by Adam Price and Peter Gregson, produced by Lorne Balfe. The vivid score utilizes strings, keys and echoing atmospherics to create an intricately crafted and ominous backdrop to the psychological horror film. Notes Price: “From our initial discussions with the team, we were drawn to the solo female voice. By its very nature the most intimate and expressive instrument to help capture Terry’s emotional perspective. It became a key element, and we experimented with manipulating the voice recordings, sometimes in subtle, delicate ways and at other times pushing them to those Satanic extremes. We still needed to allow this raw, intimate voice to work with a larger, more expansive orchestral sound when the story asked for it. The hope is the score can grab you by the hand and walk with Terry every step of the way. There are many ritualistic elements of the score too. Often repetitive and somewhat seductive. Though we were keen to find that balance between keeping the sound fresh, contemporary and unfamiliar while also sitting comfortably as a prequel to the 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. Of course, at times, we were also keen on making the audience as uncomfortable as possible...” Purchase/ Stream.
Anne-Kathrin Dern (FEARLESS, FOREVER MINE, THE EVIL CONSPIRACY, THE CLAUS FAMILY [1-3], LEGEND OF THE DEMON CAT) has scored the family fantasy film, WOODWALKERS, in which shapeshifting humans fight to conceal their true nature while advocating for nature’s preservation. When peaceful efforts fail, this unique group must unite and shapeshift their approach to combat environmental destruction with bold action. Carag, a shapeshifting puma raised in the wild, joins Clearwater High, a school for Woodwalkers. With friends Holly (squirrel) and Brandon (bison), he navigates mysteries and dangers of the Woodwalker world. The film opened in the Netherlands on October 17th. “WOODWALKERS has been released into the wild across Europe and my soundtrack album will follow soon. It’s been a huge pleasure to write music for this young adult coming of age story” said the composer on the Linked-In website.
Composer, Singer, and songwriter Elena Maro has scored the short film CARRIAGE RETURN, a black-and-white film set in 1950s New York. “The director told me he envisioned a jazz and percussion-centric score. This sentence about the movie stuck in my mind: ‘The moment you think you have it figured out; you realize you haven’t…’ ” For this reason, said Maro, “the score, much like the film itself, is unconventional. It begins with a traditional jazz piece as the main theme, then breaks the rules to explore new territories. The haunting percussion by Brian Kilgore and the impactful jazz big band – including Chris Tedesco on trumpet, Glen Berger on saxophone, and Jim McMillen on trombone – interact in unexpected ways, mirroring the dynamics of the two characters on screen, and blend seamlessly into the score, expertly mixed by Damon Tedesco. I also subtly echoed typewriter sounds – paying homage to the sound work in theatre, as the film narrates a conflict over a theatre play – to suggest that not only the two men in the room, but also the typewriter itself, plays a significant role in the film. This was achieved using instruments such as the guiro, cabasa, triangle, shells, and saxophone key clicks.” The soundtrack album is available from Movie Score Media.
Listen to some of the music from CARRIAGE RETURN here.
Lakeshore Records has released WHITE BIRD – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by award-winning composer Thomas Newman. The composer’s impeccably crafted orchestral score enhances the historical drama based on the graphic novel by R.J. Palacio. The Lionsgate film stars Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson, Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, and Bryce Gheisar. In WHITE BIRD, we follow Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who has struggled to belong ever since he was expelled from his former school for his treatment of another student. Auggie Pullman. To transform his life, Julian’s grandmother (Helen Mirren) finally reveals to Julian her own story of courage – during her youth in Nazi-occupied France, a boy shelters her from mortal danger. Notes Newman: “Director Marc Forster and I wanted the music of WHITE BIRD to add content to the storytelling. The score suggests place and time – past lives and future lives – always remembering the youthful exuberance and the essential innocence, of Sara and Julien. To put feeling in their hearts despite their circumstances, the music is fluid, often melancholy, and also muscular and focused.” Purchase/ Stream.
On the occasion of our their anniversary, Allstar has taken up a topic from the beginning of the label: The EDGAR WALLACE movies. This time with a special focus on the work of German composer Peter Thomas, covering all the “Krimis” to which he contributed his music: ASM 057Peter Thomas Sound Orchester, presents: EDGAR WALLACE – Music from the original movies (revised). CD digipack – LP black 180g vinyl, gatefold cover – LP red 180g vinyl (limited to 200 pcs.), gatefold cover. Due: Nov. 01, 2024. This album contains all 17 theme tunes and six other pieces that Peter Thomas wrote for the Wallace series between 1961 and 1971. It is therefore the first compilation to include all the films in the series for which Peter Thomas provided the music. Five of the tracks are previously unreleased. The CD contains four bonus tracks that were already on the long out of print Best of Edgar Wallace CD from 2000. For more information, please check our website.
Composer Batu Sener’s latest work on Michael Gracey/Paramount Pictures’ highly anticipated Robbie Williams biopic BETTER MAN hits select theaters on December 25th. Batu Sener has been in the front line of major Hollywood productions, including Sony/Columbia Pictures’ HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, Disney+’s animated feature THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD, and the animated TV miniseries, in the same franchise, ICE AGE: SCRAT TALES; and the historical drama series ATATÜRK 1881-1919, as well as additional music on several major projects. BETTER MAN is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.
Award-winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan (TALES FROM THE LOOP, CYBERPUNK 2077 and multi-collaborator with Philip Glass), partners with multidisciplinary artist SUUVI to create Etudes for Piano & Cello, an album and visual project that stands at the frontier of generative AI filmmaking. “It’s an album of etudes, which are used to train yourself as a musician, that I composed with SUUVI in mind,” Leonard-Morgan says. “I wanted to write melodic, beautiful music, as opposed to just scales and arpeggios. SUUVI, who is classically trained at The Juilliard School, had a similar thing with cello etudes.” Instead of relying on the traditional etudes, Leonard-Morgan wanted to write melodic music that helps musicians become better as players. “This is the exciting part – showing what can be achieved creatively with AI as art, rather than just prompting it to ‘make a film,’” Leonard-Morgan says. “AI has been demonized as a threat to artistry and humanity, but we view it as a tool that can be used to augment and accelerate the work that humans do,” SUUVI says. “The visual artists at Blue Dog VFX, Paul and I, all share this ethos that technology shouldn’t be feared, but rather embraced, which is what we wanted to represent through these short films that were created with the help of artificial intelligence through a collaborative role alongside human artists.”
See Spotify.
Film composer Cliff Eidelman has enjoyed writing what he calls Personal Music. His latest release is THE TEMPEST. “Originally composed and recorded in 1997, I recently did a new recording with the same orchestra,” he told Soundtrax. “I created THE TEMPEST link on my website to help get listeners to learn about it. I am very happy with this new version. The orchestra played their hearts out. I hope to get more ears on THE TEMPEST.”
Listen to the music and watch a video about the composition, here.
See more about the composer at www.cliffeidelman.com.
Jared DePasquale has wrapped the 70+minute score to the latest audio Juke Muller show. “It was so fun to revisit my horror score roots from when I was a much younger composer,” he wrote on Facebook. “What made it cool was to see my early influences of Goldsmith, Stravinsky, Ligeti, Orff, and maybe even some Vangelis come through, but in a way, that's been germinated for over 25 years. The film is a modern-day vampire story set in present-day Chicago. The hero's (Jake Muller) on and off again girlfriend has been targeted by a fringe member of a coven. What made the score unique was that these vampires feed off of a victim’s pranic energy (yes, it's a real thing. I had to look it up! [Pranic energy, also known as life force energy or prana, is the vital energy that circulates within and around us] ). The idea of pranic energy allowed me to color the score with some synthesizers, giving the energy its own sound. I also brought in Kim Fleuchaus to play bass flute on the score. Her playing represents the life force of blood and this energy. But then, of course when the scenes break open and things get crazy, I found all my influences just pouring out of me in the most natural way.
Composer Reber Clark (GREYSON 2.0, COWGIRLS VS PTERODACTYLS, HERBERT WEST: REANIMATOR, THE INNSMOUTH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS) has released a new album of music, just in time for Halloween! Available on bandcamp, it’s entitled October and progresses through various scenarios throughout the month. Featuring the Starry Wisdom Festival Chorus and the voice talents of Mereth Soltvedt and Larisa Martinez. Please consider buying a copy, or have a listen for free. Cheers and Happy Halloween!
Frank Ilfman + Sonitus Mortis’s latest single, Airways, is an immersive, meditative journey through atmospheric soundscapes. Distant, resonant guitar layers combine with faint mechanical hisses and distorted samples, crafting a haunting wall of sound. Low-frequency drones tuned to 432Hz infuse the track with a tranquil, almost transcendental vibe, as we are inviting our listeners to lose themselves in its slow-moving, hypnotic aura. Perfect for those seeking introspection, Airways blends ambient and industrial elements to create a powerful, otherworldly experience. Ilfman: guitars, synths and sampled mechanical; Sonitus Mortis: synth, reel to reel, AI sampled machine, speak & spell. Available from Tokyo Records Corp / Papa Legba Recordings 2024, releases November 1, 2024. Available from Bandcamp.
John Wineglass composed the music for this fascinating feature-length documentary film by Ventana Wildlife Society, CONDOR CANYON. The film premiered October 5th at the Carmel International Film Festival. A California Condor, living in Big Sur, survives lead poisoning while her mate raises their chick and are reunited after treatment. “Traveler,” tagged as Red 71, has struggled to lay normal eggs throughout her life due to the past use of the pesticide DDT found in the food she eats. Finally, successful, she and her mate, “Shadow,” tagged as Yellow 9, were raising a chick together when she ingested lead from a carcass tainted with lead ammunition. Miraculously, both Traveler and the chick survive giving hope for the recovery of the species in the wild. A true story. “The music inspired by Big Sur, played by the symphony that serves this region, celebrating the life of a once endangered species that resides in Big Sur – the California Condor” – among the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere, said the composer in a Facebook post. “I am honored,” Wineglass said. “From writing a chorale work on Steinbeck with the blessing of @steinbeckcenter, to working with and being inspired by Californian artists to beginning a new work in January 2025 on YOSEMITE being premiered by Fresno Philharmonic to a violin concerto on Joshua Tree by Pacific Symphony in 2021 and many, many other California inspired works – California is TRULY a home for me.” – via DOCUMENTARY SCORING NEWS on Matt Osborne’s Facebook page.
Watch the trailer for CONDOR CANYON:
Watch some additional Condor details from the Ventana Wildlife Society, The composing team of Bleeding Fingers Music and composers Anže Rozman, Camilo Forero and Chris Brocato have composed the music for the Nova (TV Series) SOLAR SYSTEM: VOYAGE INTO THE UNKNOWN. The series allows viewers to embark on an interstellar journey with BBC SOLAR SYSTEM – where the vastness of space meets epic soundscapes.
Coming soon to BBC is BBC EARTH: ASIA (2024), Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, with music by composers Jacob Shea and Laurentia Editha. The music in the trailer was performed by KPOP and global pop icons SEVENTEEN in collaboration with Bleeding Fingers. The seven-part series will launch first in China on Nov 5th on Dragon TV and then soon afterword on other international platforms. – via DOCUMENTARY SCORING NEWS on Facebook. Watch the trailer:
Also releasing is BREAKING WAVES, a documentary with music by Robin Schlochtermeier. Kelda Wood is the first para-athlete to row across the Atlantic Ocean solo. After suffering a severe leg injury in a farming accident, Kelda overcame tremendous obstacles, climbing the highest peaks, representing Paralympics GB in canoeing, and founding her charity, Climbing Out, which supports those facing life-altering trauma. This inspiring film showcases Kelda’s resilience and determination to turn adversity into empowerment. The BREAKING WAVES official trailer has arrived:
Varèse Sarabande presents the first wide vinyl release of Hans Zimmer’s GRAMMY® nominated score for the classic comedy-drama, DRIVING MISS DAISY. This Transparent Violet LP features Zimmer’s unforgettable original compositions for the Academy Award-winning film, as well as songs performed by Eartha Kitt and Louis Armstrong. Features: First wide vinyl release, Transparent Violet colored vinyl. See Varèse Sarabande for details:
Hollywood Records have released ALIEN: ISOLATION (Original Video Game Soundtrack) with music from composing duo Joe Henson and Alexis Smith (better known as The Flight), and Christian Henson with themes by Jerry Goldsmith. The 20-track album releases in celebration of the game’s 10-year anniversary both digitally and on blood green vinyl and motion-tracker green cassette, featuring original packaging art by Nimit Malavia, courtesy of iam8bit. The Flight reflect on the release, “It’s not often that people are still talking about a ten-year-old video game, but interest in ALIEN: ISOLATION, rather like the Xenomorph itself, never quite seems to go away. We constantly get asked about making the soundtrack to this iconic title, and we’re excited that it is finally getting a proper release, so that the fans can at last listen and stream the tracks all these years later.” Christian Henson adds, “I’m so thankful to have been involved in this project, so it is with deep pride to hear that the OST is being released and we can share the joy we had in making this score.”
ABOUT ALIEN: ISOLATION: Fifteen years after the events of ALIEN (1979), Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance. As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and under prepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.
The soundtrack is available now on digital platforms, coinciding with the game’s ten-year anniversary. It is also available to pre-order? now on vinyl and cassette courtesy of?iam8bit.
Listen to the album here, on Spotify or Apple Music.
Inon Zur reports the deluxe box set and limited-edition vinyl releases of his Starfieldgame soundtrack, courtesy of Bethesda Studios and Laced_audio, available to pre-order!
The DIABLO IV: VESSEL OF HATRED soundtrack is out. It’s always great to assist composer Ted Reedy and the Blizzard music team: composer Adam Burgess, producers Charlotte Pyle and Lizzie Keegan, music director Derek Duke, and fellow assistants Joshua Ra Goodman and Sara Maeng, mixes by Phil McGowan, orchestration by Penka D Kouneva, and performances from the orchestral musicians at Ocean Way Nashville Studios, choir at AIR Studios, plus soloists Veronika Vitazkova Simonsen, Julia Kent , and so many more. “Working on D4 always leads to growth in ways I don’t anticipate, so I’m always happy to work on this amazing title with some in-game arrangements and implementation. The soundtrack is available at Spotify , Apple Music, and elsewhere.
Listen to some of the track, “Vessel of Hatred,” from
composer Ted Reedy, via youtube:
In partnership with LIONSGATE, Waxwork Records is thrilled to release in vinyl the soundtrack to NEVER LET GO from French composer Rob. The film is a 2024 survival horror film directed by Alexandre Aja (HIGH TENSION, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, HORNS, CRAWL) starring Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, and Anthony B. Jenkins. The plot follows a woman credited as “Momma” and her two young children Nolan and Samuel who live in a cabin in a large remote forest. According to Momma, a supernatural force known as “The Evil" has spread across the world, causing it to end and leaving them as the only survivors. Momma is besieged by visions of supernatural entities that her sons cannot see but believe are real. After the successful sell-out soundtrack release of the Oz Perkins’ directed GRETEL & HANSEL, Waxwork Records is excited to team back-up with composer Robin Coudet, aka Rob, on his outstanding new score to NEVER LET GO. Musician, author, singer, composer, and producer, Rob is known for his unique electronic compositions including 2012’s MANIAC, HORNS, REVENGE, and GRETEL & HANSEL, Ron’s career continues to grow in cinema, series, and documentaries with more than 40 original scores composed. Visit Waxworks here for more information.
Along with a new CD edition (described in Soundtrax News above), Varèse Sarabande has announced a Deluxe Edition release of Basil Poledouris’ celebrated ROBOCOP 3 original score. Set for release on January 17th and available for pre-order now, Poledouris’ 1993 score will be made available on vinyl for the first time ever as a special “Delta City Yellow” 2-LP pressing, which comes housed in a gatefold jacket featuring brand-new artwork from acclaimed illustrator Estevan Silveira. (see more details in New Soundtrack News above for CD +CD editions).
In partnership with Back Lot Music, Waxwork Records releases THE WILD ROBOT Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Music by Kris Bowers. Available now as a deluxe double LP loaded with features, THE WILD ROBOT is a 2024 Dreamworks animated feature film based on the book series of the same name by Peter Brown. It stars Lupita Nyong'o as Roz, the title character, alongside an ensemble voice cast including Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, and Ving Rhames. The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot, Roz, that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. Also included in the album is a heavyweight 12-page booklet with exclusive liner notes by director Chris Sanders and composer Kris Bowers alongside artwork from the film. Visit Waxworks here for more information.
Behaviour Interactive has released THE CASTING OF FRANK STONE (Original Video Game Soundtrack) with music from composing duo Alistair Kerley & Frankie Harper, better known as Boxed Ape. Renowned for their distinctive approach to interactive storytelling, the duo’s score brings a gripping atmosphere to the narrative horror title developed by Supermassive Games. Seamlessly integrating with the game's choice-based, point-and-click adventure mechanics, the music dynamically adapts to player decisions. With a blend of modular and linear elements, the soundtrack deepens emotional resonance during cutscenes and maintains suspense throughout gameplay. BOXED APE notes, “Despite the game’s countless narrative branches, we were determined to ensure each player's individual journey felt cinematic, with music naturally adapting to their unique story. Given the numerous outcomes set across the various time periods, the score had to embrace diverse influences while staying true to Dead by Daylight’s lore. The game needed a deeply unsettled and disturbed feel, so we departed somewhat from a more melody-driven style and embraced a much more surreal approach. We crafted a collection of bespoke instruments and sounds, combining them with an extended choral and orchestral palette to push the music in a uniquely terrifying direction.”
ABOUT THE CASTING OF FRANK STONE: The storytelling prowess of Supermassive Games meets the Dead by Daylight universe in a haunting horror game that won’t soon be forgotten. The shadow of Frank Stone looms over Cedar Hills, a town forever altered by his violent past. As a group of young friends are about to discover, Stone’s blood-soaked legacy cuts deep, leaving scars across families, generations, and the very fabric of reality itself.
The soundtrack is available now on digital platforms.
Listen to the album here.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Randall D. Larson was for many years publisher of CinemaScore: The Film Music Journal, senior editor for Soundtrack Magazine, and a film music columnist for Cinefantastique magazine. A specialist on horror film music, he is the author of Musique Fantastique: 100+ Years of Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror Film Music and Music from the House of Hammer. He currently writes essays on film music and sf/horror cinema, and has written liner notes more than 300 soundtrack CD or digital releases. He can be contacted via https://musiquefantastique.com/ or follow Musique Fantastique on Facebook. Follow Randall on Twitter at https://twitter.com/randalldlarson and https://twitter.com/MusiqueFantast1
