Starring Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther and Timothy Olyphant, ALIEN: EARTH premieres August 12th on FX/Hulu. Russo’s music can also be heard on shows such as FX’s Fargo, for which Russo received an Emmy in 2017 and four additional nominations; Bartlett Sher’s Oslo, which he co-scored with Zoë Keating and for which he received an Emmy nomination; Netflix’s limited series Zero Day and Ripley; CBS All Access’s Star Trek: Discovery; Paramount +’s Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Olatunde Osunsanmi’s Star Trek: Section 31; Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy; FX’s Legion and Snowfall; and more.
ALIEN: EARTH: When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat.
Watch the film’s Trailer:
Q: What brought you into scoring ALIEN: EARTH?
Jeff Russo: I’ve been working with Noah Hawley on all of his projects for the last fifteen years. So, he called me and said, ‘I’m doing an adaptation of ALIEN for television. What do you think?’ I said, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be great!’ I love it, and we began working on it in 2020.
Q: With ALIEN: EARTH taking place two years before Ridley Scott’s ALIEN film, with that in mind, what were your thoughts about the transition between ALIEN: EARTH and the Ridley Scott original film, or even Benjamin Wallfisch’s ALIEN: ROMULUS?
Jeff Russo: I didn’t think about ALIEN: ROMULUS; I did think about ALIEN and ALIENS, and how that feeling should extend to us, to some degree. The way that first movie, ALIEN, is one of the greater horror movies of all time, and the second movie is one of the greatest action movies of all time, so I think the idea was always to figure out how to take those feelings, the greatest action movie and the greatest horror movie, and roll those feelings into one musical idea, and how I might make that happen in our show. So, again, I didn’t listen to anything or go to anything or watch anything for any inspiration, other than the first two movies. However, how they relate to each other narratively was always somewhere outside my head, as if I were trying to create a horror film with a unique identity and a unique world, while still making it feel like the world of Ridley Scott from that first film. And that second movie, also, has so many significant elements of action, and how to make that a part of our show is a treat.
Q: What were your initial concerns or thoughts about scoring the film, noting the franchise’s film history?
Jeff Russo: I didn’t have much in the way of concern, as I said, thinking about the first two films, there were pretty big shoes to fill, as Goldsmith and Horner wrote some pretty iconic material for the franchise, and, you know, I can’t compete! It’s not a competition, right, so it’s not like thinking about how I keep up with that. The question was always, ‘How do I create something unique yet still familiar?’ That was the sole sort of directive, as far as I’m concerned.
Q: How did you work with the directors, Noah Hawley, Dana Gonzales, and Ugla Hauksdottir?
Jeff Russo: I typically don’t work with television directors; it’s usually the showrunner, and that’s Noah. He directed a couple of the episodes – episode one and episode five, but I’m always talking to him. The directors do their thing, and then the whole show gets handed off to him, the editors, and me, and we all sort of do the finishing of the entire thing. With Noah, I’ve been writing thematic material since 2000; I wrote my first theme, possibly even earlier than that, possibly as early as September 2019. That’s when I sent him my first theme, which became the basis for a piece called ‘The Apartments’ in our show. I’ve just been sending him music; he’ll send me back his thoughts, and when we started shooting, I kept sending him music. I’ve been sending music generally for the show the whole time. And once the picture starts getting cut, we begin incorporating editing ideas into the picture, and then I refine all the material I’ve written, as well as write new pieces that need to be created where we don’t have material yet. We then go back and forth.
Q: What instruments, musicians, and digital music confections have you brought in to give ALIEN: EARTH its musical textures and its sense of tension and fright?
Jeff Russo: Everything but the kitchen sink! Yeah, I would even say the kitchen sink! I got interested in this company called LUNASON Instruments, in Europe, and they built a stringed instrument for me – and they built a few others, but they built this one for me called a Bassdesmophone, and I used that a lot a the basis for a lot of the tension in the show, but mostly it’s probably a 70-piece orchestra, we recorded mainly at Abbey Road in London and some Air in London, and recorded a bunch here in my studio, with me doing a lot of bespoke sounds on instruments like percussion and all that, and then of course, there’s that wall of synthesizers behind me that I uses – typically and particularly in this one I used the Moog 3C a lot and I also used a hydrasynth in this for some spooky, eerie sounds; I used some voices to record my own voice, to try to give it a little bit of a human feel. But then, again, just anything and everything was in this, nothing other than the Bassdesmophone and the orchestra, everything else… if I found something on the floor, I would pick it up and use it!
Q: As you began to work on the film, were there any difficulties in the process?
JeffRusso: Nothing gave me any problems. The entire process is a work in progress until it’s released, so it’s a continuous cycle of creating, writing, editing, revisiting, recording, and then revisiting again. There are no problems; it’s just a matter of making little tweaks along the way that bring everything together. I approached this the way I try to approach writing any other story or type of material. I like to write and write and write, and then go back and ruthlessly edit. That’s sort of how I always come to find something, pile something on, and then I start striking away layers, and as I strip away layers, that’s hopefully where I will find the heart and core of any piece of music. So, that’s really how I went about writing this one as well.
Q: When you’re sitting down to begin, how do you start, or what do you use to get those pieces going?
Jeff Russo: That’s an interesting question. I think it varies with every piece. Sometimes I’m just sitting at the piano,
tinkling out a piano melody, or sometimes I’m sitting at a different type of instrument and seeing what kind of sound it can make that might inspire something. Or sometimes I’m sitting in front of a synthesizer twisting a nob, and I’m like, oh, that sounds pretty cool, how am I going to use that in here? So, there’s no one way, particularly that I try to find inspiration, or find the melody, or find the harmony, it’s just anything that strikes me at that moment.
Q: What was most unique, most distinctive, or most challenging about scoring this project?
Jeff Russo: Several scenes were interesting to score – several things that I did that I never thought of doing until having a conversation with Noah about it. Like, there’s a funeral procession scene that, after talking with Noah, he wanted me to go in this other direction, and not use the orchestra and do something different, so I did, with a guitar, which is not typical for me. Even though I started with a guitar player – I’m a guitar player at heart – guitar player and drummer, and I’ve been playing guitar for most of my life and career – I don’t typically write a lot with guitar. But in this particular case, he said, “I am thinking like that lonely guitar sound type thing might be really cool,” and I tried that, and it was very interesting, and it came out in a very interesting way.
Q: Is there anything else about scoring ALIEN: EARTH you would like to add I’ve failed to ask about?
Jeff Russo: It’s one of those things, you know, that it’s as good as we could have done. It’s like everybody is operating on all twelve cylinders at all times. So, I sit back and I watch it, now, I try not to be too biased, because obviously I’m biased if I work on it I want it to feel great, but, you know, you work on things and not every time, you know, sometimes you’re like, yeh that’s good, or yeh, that’s okay. This one’s special. The amount of granular detail that is put into every aspect of this show is very apparent. It’s very obvious, and I hope that people see it and can enjoy that. They can enjoy every part of that, because, from the way it looks to the way it sounds to the way it feels, to the way it tugs on your heartstrings, all of the things it’s just really, really deep. It’s a deep project.
Q: What’s coming up for you next that you can mention?
Jeff Russo: I’m working on a new STAR TREK franchise, and I’m working on a couple of other things. I have a show that premieres on the 17th, which is a day from now, on Netflix, called UNTAMED. It’s a six-episode crime/murder story set in a National Park in the US, and it’s thought-provoking. It’s an excellent show, and again, the big thing is that we’re not finished with ALIEN; I’m still mixing it and editing it, and working on it, and you know. It’s dizzying!
Thank you for your time, Jeff!
Special thanks to Alix Becq-Weinstein and Jana Davidoff of Rhapsody PR for facilitating this interview and, as always, thanks to Jeff Russo for taking the time out for this interview
Composer Sherri Chung (FOUND, HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS, GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI, NORTH OF NORTH, RIVERDALE, BATWOMAN, KUNG FU with upcoming music due for SAVAGE DESTINY and LATE BLOOMERS) has been nominated for a 2025 Emmy Awards for her Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) of BASED ON A TRUE STORY. Chung scored 16 episodes of both seasons of the show, which is about a realtor, a former tennis star, and a plumber seizing a unique opportunity to capitalize on America’s obsession with true crime.
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, AFTER THE HUNT is a gripping psychological drama about a college professor (Julia Roberts) who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Ayo Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield), and a dark secret from her past threatens to come into the light. Nora Garrett writes the film; the music is provided by composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (THE KILLER, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, CHALLENGERS, MANK, THE GORGE). In Theaters in New York and LA on October 10, Expanding on October 17.
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The latest edition of Maestro - The Ennio Morricone Online Magazine - Issue #28, featuring: PREFACE: The War of Truth - Patrick Bouster (3-4), NEWS: Legacy, Works - Didier Thunus, Richard Bechet, Frédéric Durand, Patrick Bouster (5-23), SCORE REVIEW: Per qualche dollaro in più - 60th Anniversary of a Masterpiece - Didier Thunus (24-29), ARTWORK: For a Fistful of Dollars - Steven Dixon (30-33), PORTRAITS: The Conductors of Morricone: Bruno Nicolai and the Others - Didier Thunus (33-39), BOOK REVIEW: Bruno Nicolai: La vita, le opere, gli incontri - A book by Adriano Bassi - Roberto Scollo (40-48), DOSSIER: Titoli - Part 2, 1986-2015 - Patrick Bouster (49-55), PORTRAIT: Jazz Rhythms of Italian Youth and Vocal Concert of Secret Agents - Ennio Morricone’s music for Luciano Salce’s films from 1961-1966 - Jan Švábenický (56-61), ANALYSIS: Provini, Demo Versions That Ended up Being Released - Patrick Ehresmann and Didier Thunus (62-64), ENRICO’S CORNER: Morricone for the Connoisseurs, Morricone Talks (second part) (65-68).
The edition is available from Chimai.com
In the action-comedy THE PICKUP, a routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers, Russell (Eddie Murphy) and Travis (Pete Davidson), are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by a savvy mastermind, Zoe (Keke Palmer), with plans that go way beyond the cash cargo. As chaos unfolds around them, the unlikely duo must navigate high-risk danger, clashing personalities, and one terrible day that keeps getting worse. THE PICKUP brings together two generations of comedy for an explosive and hilarious partnership that showcases the chemistry between old-school experience and new-wave energy. Directed by Tim Story, who’s known for his work on THE BLACKENING, BARBERSHOP, and RIDE ALONG, the film blends high-octane action with sharp humor—musical score by ChristopherLennertz. Watch the film’s trailer:
THE MAP THAT LEADS TO YOU follows Heather (Cline), a young woman setting off on an adventure across Europe with her best friends before settling into her perfectly planned life. When she crosses paths with Jack (Apa), a magnetic and mysterious stranger, their instant spark ignites an emotional journey neither of them expected. As their connection deepens, secrets, life choices, and hidden truths will test their bond—and change her life in ways she never imagined. From director Lasse Hallström (Dear John, Safe Haven) comes this adaptation of JP Monninger’s novel, which explores love, destiny, and the courage to choose one's path. Based on the Novel by J.P. Monninger, directed by Lasse Hallström, Starring Josh Lucas, KJ Apa, Madelyn Cline, Madison Thompson, Sofia Wylie, and Orlando Norman; music by composer Sarah Trevino (THE HERRICANES, A PERSON IS A WHOLE WORLD, SPOILED MILK, A LOVE LIKE THIS, LEPTIC).
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Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for season two of PLATONIC, the critically acclaimed half-hour comedy starring and executive produced by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. The 10-episode sophomore season will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, with the first two episodes, followed by one episode weekly until October 1, 2025. Co-created, directed, and co-written by Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, PLATONIC season two picks up with everyone’s favorite pair of best friends (played by Rogen and Byrne) as they contend with new mid-life hurdles, including work, weddings, and partners in crises. The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock — but sometimes rocks break things. The Season 2 cast also includes Luke Macfarlane and Carla Gallo, and introduces Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, and Milo Manheim as guest stars. PLATONIC is produced by Sony Pictures Television, where Stoller’s Global Solutions has an overall deal. Byrne, Stoller, Delbanco, and Conor Welch executive produce along with Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver for Point Grey Pictures. Music from Baris Diri, a composer from Bursa, Turkey, and known for (THE MONSTERS’ DINNER (2011), QUEEN LEAR (2019), and BROTHER IN LOVE (2019).
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HOLLYWOOD GRIT – In Select Theaters August 22: When his estranged daughter and aspiring singer mysteriously vanishes from the glamorous yet perilous world of a Hollywood jazz club, a fallen detective must confront his past demons and navigate a treacherous path of corruption and deceit to find her, unearthing a conspiracy that shakes him to his core. Starring: Max Martini, Tyrese Gibson, Linda Purl, Patrick Duffy, Nikki Howard, Linc Hand, David B. Meadows, Caylee Cowan, Benito Martinez, Ysabela Espinosa, Directed By Ryan Curtis. Soundtrack by Nick Gomez (OSCAR MIKE, MAYHEM OF THE MIND, ANGEL OF DEATH, AMERICAN GIRL). Watch the trailer:
Lakeshore Records has released WE WERE LIARS – Prime Video Original Series Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by composer Michael Suby (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES). Suby creates a poignantly atmospheric musical backdrop that augments the complexities of the thriller series. Developed for television by Julie Aplec and Carina Adly MacKenzie, WE WERE LIARSis based on the best-selling novel by E. Lockhart. The series produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Amazon and MGM Studios is streaming globally in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video. WE WERE LIARS follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her tight-knit inner circle, nicknamed the Liars, during their summer escapades on her grandfather's New England private island. The Sinclairs are American royalty—known for their good looks, old money, and enviable bond—but after a mysterious accident changes Cadence's life forever, everyone, including her beloved Liars, seems to have something to hide. Michael Suby is an American composer known for his emotionally resonant and stylistically versatile scores for film and television. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Suby first gained widespread recognition with his haunting and atmospheric score for THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (2004), which set the tone for a career defined by rich orchestration and emotional depth. He has since become a go-to composer for character-driven dramas and suspenseful storytelling, particularly in the realm of teen and supernatural television. Suby’s music has shaped the sound of numerous hit series, including THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, THE ORIGINALS. Purchase / Stream:
Watch the Trailer:
Sometimes the most dangerous place for a dad is a family vacation. NOBODY 2 – IN THEATERS AUGUST 15. Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in the new chapter to NOBODY, the hit 2021 bare-knuckle action-thriller that opened at number one at the U.S. box office. Workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell takes his family on a much-needed vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville. However, he soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator, a shady sheriff, and the most unhinged, bloodthirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Emmy winning and Oscar® nominated screen icon, Sharon Stone). Dominic Lewis (THE KING'S MAN, VIOLENT NIGHT, BULLET TRAIN, THE FALL GUY) provides the musical score.
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Hollywood Records has releasedTHE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally on all major music platforms. The soundtrack features an original score by Academy®, Emmy®, and Grammy® Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (“UP,” “Incredibles,” “Coco,” “Lost”). Giacchino’s score augments the strikingly unique world of the film with buoyant orchestrations (recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a 101-piece orchestra and 100-piece choir), as well as creating a vintage vibe using classic synths including the ARP 2600 and Mellotron. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal. Giacchino comments on how his score reflects and enhances the film’s setting in the production notes: “That whole retro-future spirit is baked into the movie, and the score leans into it in a big way — especially early on. You’ll hear vintage synths, space-age percussion, big melodic brass—textures that nod to that era’s optimism about science and the unknown. But it’s always grounded in the characters. It’s not just style for style’s sake — it’s emotional.” The film opens only in theaters on July 25.
Listen/Download to the album here: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON MUSIC | DOWNLOAD Pre-order The Fantastic Four: First Steps Original Motion Picture Soundtrack vinyl album available this fall.
Watch the film trailer: HERE
Milan Records has released 2025’s I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER(Original MotionPicture Soundtrack)featuring music by acclaimed composer Chanda Dancy (BLINK TWICE, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, DEVOTION, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, THE DEFEATED). Known for her emotionally charged and genre-defying scores, Dancy brings a fresh sonic intensity to the next installment of the horror franchise , heightening the film’s suspense and psychological tension. The soundtrack arrives alongside the film’s nationwide theatrical release today. About the film: When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them, and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge. As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (DO REVENGE, LOVE LIFE, SOMEONE GREAT), the film stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
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Lakeshore Records has released THE BETTER SISTER, a Prime Video Or
iginal Series Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by composer Will Bates (IMMACULATE). Bates score creates a darkly atmospheric backdrop to the thrilling crime drama. Will Bates is an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and founder of Fall On Your Sword. Bates has composed original scores for a myriad of filmmakers including acclaimed directors Mike Cahill (ANOTHER EARTH; I ORIGINS; BLISS), Alex Gibney (WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS; GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF; ZERO DAYS; THE FOREVER PRISONER) and Craig Gillespie (THE BETTER SISTER; DUMB MONEY). THE BETTER SISTER, based on the book by bestselling author Alafair Burke, is an 8-episode electric thriller limited series about the terrible things that drive sisters apart and ultimately bring them back together. Chloe (Jessica Biel), a high-profile media executive, lives a picturesque life with her handsome lawyer husband Adam (Corey Stoll) and teenage son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) by her side while her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) struggles to make ends meet and stay clean. When Adam is brutally murdered, the prime suspect sends shockwaves through the family, reuniting the two sisters, as they try to untangle a complicated family history to discover the truth behind his death.
Notes Bates: “The score for THE BETTER SISTER needed a nuanced and psychological approach that would move through the different characters perspectives as the story unfolds. I wanted to incorporate strong melodies, throbbing pulsing rhythms and a reimagining of the film-noir aesthetic. Sonically there is a balance of the familiar and the unexpected. I sourced more unusual instrumentation including large steel girders from a building site. As layers of secrets are revealed throughout the series, Nicky and Chloe’s melodic identities evolve into a darker context as we learn that all is not as it seems.”
THE BETTER SISTER is streaming globally in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video. Purchase / Stream
Watch THE BETTER SISTER trailer:
Silva Screen Records releases the soundtrack album from BOOKISH with music by Sarah Warne. The brand-new series has been created by Emmy Award-winning writer Mark Gatiss (THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, SHERLOCK) and is produced by Eagle Eye Drama. Further cast include Polly Walker (Bridgerton, Line of Duty) as Book’s colourful wife, Trottie, alongside Connor Finch (Everything I Know About Love) as Jack, Elliot Levey (We Were the Lucky Ones, Quiz) as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison (Still Up, World on Fire) as Sergeant Morris and Buket Kömür (Our House) as Nora, as well as a wealth of guest stars. Solving the approach to the music, composer Sarah Warne describes the series and her approach, “Gabriel Book, proprietor of an antiquarian bookshop, relies on his vast collection to unravel baffling cases. He nurtures a group of lovable yet troubled individuals, providing informal protection and guidance. The world of BOOKISH is mischievous, enigmatic and deliciously moreish. The series has a crime underbelly, but a witty and infectious heart. As such, the music of the series speaks to both the investigative fun (through toe-tapping swing and gypsy jazz influences) and also its mysterious crimes (through darker cinematic noire and sultry tones). The jazz landscape of Bookish as a whole is composed through a prism of electronic and experimental production techniques to bring a modern edge to this truly unique period drama.” Debuting on the UKTV channel U&Alibi on July 16, the series will be part of the PBS 2025 – 2026 season. A second series has already been commissioned.
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Also from Silva Screen is FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE, the debut novel by Niall Williams, which became an international bestseller when published in 1997. Now Williams has written the screenplay for the film adaptation directed by Polly Steele which stars Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne, released through Vertigo Releasing on July 18. Composer Anne Nikitin has created a beautiful and arresting score which, utilizing the soaring voice of soprano Grace Davidson, unifies the different strands of the drama and the arresting Irish scenery. That Anne Nikitin has managed to capture the very essence of the story in such stunningly beautiful music is its own miracle. When you listen to these compositions you are taken out of ordinary time, you are brought inside a place that is at once mystical and numinous. The music is both evocative of the magnificent land- and seascapes of the west of Ireland as well as summoning another dimension that seems to hover above and float through them. I close my eyes and listen, and Anne's music tells a timeless story and beyond words. The story of every kind of love. The film and album end with the song ‘Four Letters of Love’ performed by Johnny Flynn, Katherine Priddy and Anne Nikitin.
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Award-winning composer Jeff Beal has received the UN-supported High Note Global Prize for writing the song WE BELIEVE IN HOPE with renowned Afghan recording artist and advocate Aryana Sayeed and lyricist Joan Beal. Beal is one of the most prolific and respected Hollywood composers, who continues to utilize his talents to amplify impactful stories with passion. The five-time EMMY® winner is known for creating the music for major films and TV series, including POLLOCK, AL GORE’S AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL, NETFLIX’S HOUSE OF CARDS, HBO’S ROME, CARNIVALE, and USA NETWORK’S MONK. “We Believe in Hope” is the first-ever song to be awarded the High Note Global Prize. The uplifting anthem is being recognized for its moving expression of human rights themes of unity, equality, and women’s empowerment. The song was written for the Angel Studios film Rule Breakers, which was inspired by the extraordinary true story of Afghanistan’s first all-female robotics team. The song, sung by Sayeed and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, was recently dedicated to the first World Observance of the UN International Day of Hope and the mission of the UN Human Rights. David Clark, founder of the High Note Global Initiative, commented, “In recognition of the UN’s recent declaration of July 12 as International Day of Hope, we are pleased to announce ‘We Believe in Hope’ as the first-ever song to be recognized by High Note Global Initiative. This empowering song by Jeff Beal, Aryana Sayeed, Joan Beal, and featuring the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, is a shining example of how music can be a powerful, unifying force in speaking truth to power and giving voice to the voiceless.”
WE BELIEVE IN HOPE - Music by Jeff Beal and Aryana Sayeed - Lyrics by Joan Beal “We are standing,
In this moment,
All together facing forward,
We believe in hope.
We are rising,
In this moment,
Joined together ever after,
Standing here as one.”
Watch the music video for “We Believe in Hope” sung by Aryana Sayeed featuring the Brooklyn Youth Chorus:
Composer Frank Ilfman has a few new projects available on Bandcamp, all of which are digital albums. Released on July 12, 2025, GIADO is an original music score written. For seven decades, Yosef Dadush concealed a private diary, securely locked away in a closet at his home. Now, he grants us the precious opportunity to peer into the harrowing existence endured by the inmates of GIADO - a concentration camp situated in the heart of the Libyan Desert. The soundtrack is available from the composer HERE.
With SONITUS MORTIS, Ilfman is stepping back into his old sonic territory with his latest project, ILFMAN + SONITUS MORTIS. Known for his lush electronica and orchestral-fused scores in films like GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE, BIG BAD WOLVES, and GHOST STORIES, Ilfman ventures into a darker, more experimental realm. This new album is a brooding, ambient exploration of sound, driven by analog synthesizers, drum machines, reel-to-reel tape machines, and industrial machinery instruments. Merging the organic with the synthetic, the album also incorporates the cutting-edge power of AI tools to translate novel soundscapes into vintage gear, reprogramming them to create a fusion of the old and new.
Check it out HERE.
And with ANOTHER WORLD, composed back in 2011, Ilfman has fully restored and remixed the soundtrack’s score, saving some of the master recordings and adding vintage gear to complete the missing parts, as some of the score was mixed directly into the film. Check it out HERE.
THE INVISIBLE ART OF INESSENTIAL BEAUTY is a profoundly personal and narrative-driven solo piano album by composer Kristian Sensini (ALL AGAINST ALL, THE FROG IN THE STONE, THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE PROJECT, ROCKS IN MY POCKET, HYDE’S SECRET NIGHTMARE). The composer is an award-winning pianist and flutist with classical and Jazz Background studies and international credits for Movies and TV Series. “While this is not a soundtrack per se, its cinematic and evocative nature certainly stems from my background in scoring for film,” Sensini says. “Each piece tells a story, is woven through introspection and emotion, and invites the listener into a space of reflection and stillness. I recorded these pieces alone, in the quiet of my studio—just myself and the piano. This project is non-commercial in intent and spirit, and I felt it was important to perform the music myself, despite not being a trained pianist. The result is raw, intimate, and imperfect by design – an honest portrait of these uncertain times.” Sensini is a member of the European Film Academy, whose collaborative work with fellow Academy member and filmmaker Signe Baumane has received critical acclaim, including being part of the Academy Awards run for our animated films ROCKS IN MY POCKETS and MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of learning from masterclasses led by renowned composers such as Ennio Morricone, Ludovic Bource, Michael Giacchino, Bruno Coulais, and Hans Zimmer. In addition to my work in film, I have also contributed to the television industry, composing the score for the sixth season of the series The Teacher, alongside Pino Donaggio.
If you’re curious to explore the album, here are the main listening links:
? Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/aicNdbG1Q64ykYUV8
? Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/album/5MFXdSlBXzI3hI4VDxOyiH
? Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/it/album/the-invisible-art-of-inessential-beauty/1804839602
? Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0F2MSHSY2/
Purchase the album on Bandcamp:
Join the ranks of Super Earth’s finest with award-winning composer Wilbert Roget, II (HELLDIVERS II, STAR WARS OUTLAWS, MORTAL KOMBAT 1, CALL OF DUTY WWII) and music educator and YouTube creator Tony Sodano as they discuss Roget’s musical journey, inspirations and creative process scoring HELLDIVERS II in a live panel at PAX West in Seattle, August 30th at 4 PM PT. ?Featuring one of the most iconic musical themes in recent video game history (‘A Cup of Liber-Tea’), Roget’s explosive score captures the chaos, camaraderie, and relentless drive of the Helldivers as they bring democracy to the galaxy, one mission at a time. From the high-stakes intensity of battle to moments of triumph, every track immerses you in the fight for freedom! Wilbert Roget, II is a veteran composer in the video game and film industry. He joined LucasArts as a staff composer in 2008, writing music for several games in the Star Wars universe, including Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Wars: First Assault, among others.
Waxwork Records is thrilled to release BULLET TIMEOriginal Animated Picture Soundtrack by Danny Elfman. In a surreal world fueled by retro gaming nostalgia and Saturday morning cartoon mayhem, BULLET TIME follows Bullet — an emotionally unstable bull terrier — as he battles his way through a bizarre digital gaming universe. Fueled by frenetic action, unhinged heart, and absurd humor, BULLET TIME delivers a visually explosive ride that blends 90s cartoon weirdness with cutting-edge animation and a pulse-pounding original score.
Also Available on Cassette!
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
