The Film Scorer

Better late than never - The Film Scorer returns for the annual tradition of covering the "best" film scores of 2021. These scores aren't presented in any particular order, and are really just favorites - there are NO "best" scores! Feel free to chime in with some of your favorites from the world of film and beyond; even if they didn't make the list, chances are they were close!

Colin Stetson (Hereditary, Red Dead Redemption II) joins The Film Scorer podcast to talk about his brutal, unconventional score to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Netflix's new installment in the iconic horror series. Texas Chainsaw Massacre probably displays Colin at his most unrestrained, as the filmmakers largely gave him free reign to go as unconventional and vicious as possible. You can hear this in Colin's voice when he describes the score and composing process, and the feeling is infectious. As always, we go on some tangents like how horror and other film genres compare in terms of score and Ann Arbor's old DIY music scene (a town where we coincidentally both spent a lot of time). Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now streaming on Netflix while Colin's score is available everywhere. You can also order the gorgeous vinyl from Waxwork Records. Find out more about Colin on his website.

Derek Kirkup joins The Film Scorer Podcast to talk about his gentle, bittersweet score to the new familial drama Sorority. Along the way we talk about Nic Cage's acting career and how his boundary-pushing approach may have parallels to pushing film music forward, as well as music in AR and VR cinematic experiences. Sorority released on Amazon Prime on February 10th, and Derek's score comes out on February 14th. You can also find more out about Derek on his website.

Four-time Grammy nominated music producer and supervisor Matt Sullivan (Chicago, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We primarily discuss his work with Steven Spielberg as executive music producer on West Side Story, how he carved this role out for himself almost by accident on the set of Chicago, and the upcoming musical Disenchanted! Matt is actually the first non-composer to join the show, and it was great having a crash-course in music supervision and production, especially from the man synonymous with the mega-musical!

In between composer interviews, The Film Scorer covers some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from October through December, 2021. These include Halloween Kills by Cody Carpenter, John Carpenter, and Daniel A. Davies , The Matrix Resurrections by Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer, Spencer and The Power of the Dog by Jonny Greenwood, and a whole load more! Keep your eye on The Film Scorer website for reviews and articles covering some of these scores and see below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists: October: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-october-2021/ November: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-november-2021/ December: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-december-2021/

To continue 2022's strong start, the great composer Marcelo Zarvos (Ray Donovan, The Equalizer 3) joins me for a quick chat! Marcelo recently scored the newly released film A Journal for Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. We discuss his work on the film, some early Brazilian rock and metal, and what it's like working with Denzel. It's a lovely, intimate score that manages to balance tragedy and love, always staying true to the drama that forms the heart of the film. A Journal for Jordan is currently in theaters and Marcelo's score, as well as many of his works over the years, is available on all major platforms. You can also find out more about Marcelo by visiting his website.

To kick-off the new year, Catherine Joy joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We discuss a number of her projects, as well as (among other things) the Joy Music House, her work with the Alliance for Women Film Composers, and the differences between composing, orchestrating, and score supervising! We actually conducted this interview back in August of 2021, so a couple references may be slightly dated (such as the Oscar shortlists), and I'm glad I've finally gotten around to releasing it. Catherine has composed a number of scores for TV shows, features, and documentaries. She's also worked on major projects like Wild, Wild Country, Minari, and Homecoming in various capacities, such as orchestrating and score producing. You can find out more about Catherine by visiting her website. Some of this work has come through her company, the Joy Music House, which is a full-service score production company. Catherine is also the president of the Alliance for Women Film Composers, a great organization advocating for women film composers globally and its membership is open to anyone!

Pleased to have Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, Mulan, The Chronicles of Narnia) join me for a quick chat. We primarily focus on his scores for the two new Ridley Scott films The Last Duel and House of Gucci, as well as his score for the upcoming Disneynature film Polar Bear. Along the way we talk about distraction in film music and some recent scores that Harry's been enjoying. Although it's a quick chat - Harry originally only had twenty minutes, though we stretched it to just over half an hour - we managed to cover a great amount! These two films do a fantastic job of showing Harry's range. While The Last Duel is an often somber, heavily thematic and semi-period specific score (late 14th century), House of Gucci sees Harry jump into a much more stylized, nearly-contemporary sound. The Last Duel is now available to rent while House of Gucci is currently in theaters, while many of Harry's scores are available on all major platforms. Although House of Gucci didn't end up having a full score from Harry, the film's soundtrack release does include his score suite.

The one and only Mark Korven (The Witch, The Lighthouse) joins me on The Film Scorer Podcast! Mark is probably best known for scoring films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, but his latest score is for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. We talk about that film and his score, as well as his prior releases, his signature instrument the "Apprehension Engine," and Mark announces an upcoming 25th anniversary release of his score for Cube. Of course, during the interview we touch on a load more as well. This was a very exciting interview for me since Mark's work is one of the reasons I began down this film music path in the first place. When I first saw The Witch, I found the music absolutely fascinating and unlike anything I'd really heard. Although I didn't begin writing about film music until a couple years after, it certainly planted the seed. You can find more about Mark on his website. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is currently in theaters, while many of Mark's more recent scores are available on all major platforms.

Fan of the show and prolific film composer and solo artist Andy Fosberry joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We spend a significant time locking into Andy's composing and recording process, which has allowed him to write and record several scores in the span of two weeks each! Afterward, we cover a wide swathe of topics, including a shared love of Mica Levi and Cormac McCarthy, differing thoughts on the Friday the 13th film series, and plenty more. In a rare twist, I've also included some snippets of Andy's film and solo music in the interview. If you like what you hear, be sure to check out Andy's many scores on your streaming service of choice, including his Bandcamp - he has dozens of albums up there, giving endless listening opportunities! You can find more about Andy on his website, watch several of the films he's score on YouTube, and even listen to some of the "rediscovered" albums he's re-mastered via Spun Out of Control.

Peter Gregson joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Peter and I talk about his Recomposed Bach Cello Suites (in which Peter re-examined some of Bach's great cello works), taking me far out of my musical knowledge depth and comfort! We also discuss his excellent new album 'Patina' and his forays into scoring for film and other media. During the conversation, Peter mimics a few cello melodies by singing, which is a highlight that can't be missed. You can find out more about Peter on his website, while his scores and 'Patina' are available on all major services (with 'Patina' also being available to buy from Deutsche Grammophon). It's an excellent album and I highly recommend checking it out!

Composer (and fan of the show!) Michael Yezerski joins The Film Scorer podcast to give an in-depth look at his score for the new Starz series Blindspotting! Michael actually co-composed the score with avantgarde and renowned jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, and Ambrose was originally scheduled to join the chat but unfortunately had to drop out. Hopefully both composers will be able to join when season 2 rolls around! We also talk about some of Michael's recent film scores, including The Vigil and The Tax Collector, while exploring some of his musical interests, scoring process, and advice for up-and-coming composers! You can find more about Michael on his website. Blindspotting is available on Starz, while Michael's score is available on all major platforms.

Excited to have composer Ariel Marx join the show! Ariel has been on a major upswing in 2021, scoring Shiva Baby (which I loved), Rebel Hearts, and the third episode of American Horror Stories. We talk about a few of these projects (as well as some others that are on the way), how the love of collaboration brought her into composing for media, and more! You can find more about Ariel on her website. Shiva Baby and American Horror Stories are both streaming on Hulu while Rebel Hearts is on discovery+. Meanwhile, most of Ariel's scores are available on all major platforms.

The Film Scorer takes a breather from composer interviews to cover some of the best, most notable, and favorite film scores from July through September, 2021. These include Dune and the Dune Sketchbook by Hans Zimmer, The Green Knight by Daniel Hart, Beckett and Minamata by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and a whole load more! See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists: July: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-july-2021/ August: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-august-2021/ September: https://thefilmscorer.com/the-best-film-scores-of-september-2021/

Blockbuster Chinese composer Elliot Leung joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Elliot's latest score is for the major Korean War film The Battle at Lake Changjin, which released this weekend and has already smashed numerous box office records (as well as being the highest grossing film in the world this weekend). However, we only briefly discuss his score. Instead, we touch on his other films, his general process, and how Martin O'Donnell's score for Halo inspired Elliot to pursue a career in composing for film and other media! You can find more information about Elliot on his website. The Battle at Lake Changjin is currently in theaters in China, but has not yet had a worldwide release. Elliot's score is similarly forthcoming, but you can listen to his scores for Operation Red Sea and The Rescue on all major streaming platforms.

Pleased to have Joe Kraemer join the podcast! Though known for films like Jack Reacher and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Joe's latest is the children's fantasy film Emily and the Magical Journey. We discuss that score near the end of the interview, and in the meantime we talk about his other works (including the upcoming Old Man starring starring Stephen Lang), late Soviet-era pop music, Pacino's character in Heat, and much more! Find out more about Joe on his website. Emily and the Magical Journey is currently available on VOD while his score (and most of his back catalog) is available on all platforms.

Composer Frank Ilfman joins The Film Scorer podcast to do a deep dive into his score for the hit Netflix action film 'Gunpowder Milkshake.' During the dive, we touch on the score's spaghetti western, noir, and broader 60s and 70s American, French, and Italian influences. Along the way we also touch on Frank's own influences, including a chance encounter with Klaus Doldinger during the recording of 'The NeverEnding Story'! Find our more about Frank on his website. 'Gunpowder Milkshake' is currently available on Netflix while Frank's score (and many of his other scores) is available on all major streaming platforms. Note: during the introduction I state that 'Gunpowder Milkshake' released in Netflix in the UK this weekend. That's incorrect - it released in theaters and on SKY Cinema.

Overjoyed to have composer and singer/songwriter Jessica Rose Weiss join The Film Scorer Podcast! Jess's latest film score (co-composed with Mychael Danna) is for the new Amazon Prime retelling of Cinderella starring Camila Cabello. Jess and I talk about crafting their magical, romantic (and folk-influenced) score for this jukebox musical, as well as her mentorship with Mychael and her time spent working at Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions! We jump right into the conversation in this episode - no chit chat to start off - so don't think you've missed anything! While we unfortunately don't have a chance to discuss these, Jess just released two other scores as well, both for Netflix: the dramedy Afterlife of the Party and the animated feature film Dog Gone Trouble. Find out more about Jess on her website. Cinderella is currently available on Amazon Prime while her and Mychael's score (as well as her score for Dog Gone Trouble and her score suite for Afterlife of the Party) are available on all platforms.

Prolific composer and musician Roger Mason joins The Film Scorer Podcast! They talk broadly about Roger's media compositions and approach, as well as: the differences between Australian and American productions; figuring out how to play what's in your head; and the famed Australian musician David Page. Note that there's no small talk on this one - Roger jumps straight into the heavy stuff! I was particularly excited to talk with Roger given his pre-composing background. He was well known on the post-punk/new wave scene, playing in Models, Gary Numan's backing band, and the supergroup Illustrated Man (with members of Japan and Gang of four), while also touring with Wall of Voodoo. Though Roger expected to have left that lifestyle long behind, he's recently worked with Steve Kilbey (of The Church) on a number of projects, including the album "The Hall of Counterfeits" by Steve Kilbey & the Winged Heels. Find out more about Roger on his website. Many of Roger's scores are available on all major streaming platforms, and the films and shows themselves are available across a variety of streaming platforms too.

Film and video game composer Nima Fakhrara (Detroit: Become Human; Becky) joins the show to talk about, among other things: diversity in film music, the necessity of being genuine in everything you create, and a few of his latest projects. Find out more about Nima on his website. Many of Nima's film and video game scores are available on all major streaming platforms.

Film composer and singer-songwriter Steph Copeland joins the show to talk about, among other things: her recent scores for Vicious Fun, The Retreat, and The Oak Room, as well as her trend of scoring for horror and balancing her dual identities of a film composer and a solo artist. Find out more about Steph on her website. Vicious Fun is currently available on Shudder while the others are available on VOD. Certain of Steph's scores, as well as her solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.

Sofia degli Alessandri-Hultquist (aka Drum & Lace) joins The Film Scorer for the season 2 premiere! She talks about scoring hit tv shows Dickinson and Good Girls, facing positive reception for those shows (and the negative public response to the Netflix film Deadly Illusions), and the interrelationship between her scoring and solo music identities. Find out more about Drum & Lace on her website. Dickinson is is currently available on Apple+, Good Girls' final season just finished on NBC, and Deadly Illusions is currently available on Netflix. Drum & Lace's scores, as well as her full solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.

The Film Scorer Podcast is back - covering some of the best and most notable film scores from April, May, and June 2021, including Junkie XL's Army of the Dead, Clint Mansell's In the Earth, and Abraham Marder and Nicolas Becker's Sound of Metal. Catch-up on the latest film music releases from across genre, composer, and continent! See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists: April: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-april-2021/ May: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-may-2021/ June: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-june-2021/

Gazelle Twin (aka Elizabeth Bernholz) joins the show to head up the season finale of season 1 of The Film Scorer Podcast! The experimental/avantgarde composer talks about her film score debut with 2020's Nocturne and her follow-up collaborative score for The Power with Max de Wardener. In the process, we talk about ritualism and early music, the themes that draw her to horror films, and the amazing British composer Mica Levi. Find out more about Gazelle Twin on her website. Nocturne is currently available on Amazon Prime and The Power is currently available on Shudder. Gazelle Twin's scores, as well as her full solo back catalog, are available on all major streaming platforms or on Bandcamp.

For this new, experimental endeavor in The Film Scorer Podcast, catch up on some of the most noteworthy film score releases from the last three months (including brief thoughts on the recently wrapped-up awards season). See below for articles covering some of my favorite scores for the following months, including detailed writeups and lists: January: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-january-2021/ February: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-february-2021/ March: https://thefilmscorer.com/best-film-scores-of-march-2021/

Composer Will Bates joins me to talk about scoring the Amazon Prime film Bliss, which stars Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek. Along the way we talk about his work on commercials, starting off as a jazz and indie rock musician, and creating recording and production studio Fall On Your Sword. Find out more about Will on his website. Bliss is currently available on Amazon Prime and Will's score, as well as many of his other works, is available on all major streaming platforms.

Composer, guitarist, and keyboardist Rob Lord talks about his "cosmic country" score for the Amazon Prime hit 'Troop Zero.' Along the way they discuss their favorite scores of 2019, David Bowie, and floating through the jazz world of New Orleans. Find out more about Rob on his website. Troop Zero is currently available on Amazon Prime and Rob's score is available on all major streaming platforms, released through Lakeshore Records.

Australian composer Stefan Gregory joins The Film Scorer to talk about his score to the new Netflix historical drama The Dig. They also discuss Stefan's journey from being in an indie-rock band to becoming a composer for film, experimentation in film music, and the parallels between opera and film history and development. Find out more about Stefan on his website. While The Dig is currently available on Netflix, Stefan's score is not yet available, though hopefully it will be soon.

Composer Jay Wadley joins The Film Scorer to talk about his score to I'm Thinking of Ending Things. As they had a limited amount of time (compared to most other interviews), the two go in-depth into the score, discussing how it came about, Jay's working relationship with director Charlie Kaufman, and the broader abstract thematic elements of Jay's work. Find out more about Jay on his website. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is currently available on Netflix. Jay's score for I'm Thinking of Ending Things is not yet available, although portions of the score are available online, including the "Dream Ballet." Further, several of his other scores are available on all major streaming platforms.

Composer Nainita Desai joins the show to talk about her new score to the feature documentary The Reason I Jump, as well as her composing process, the differences between scoring for film, tv, and documentaries, and the role of awards acclaim in her work. Find out more about Nainita on her website. The Reason I Jump is currently available through Kino Lorber and Nainita's full score is forthcoming (although singles from the score are available).

BONUS EPISODE: Nick runs through the "best" film scores of 2020, which may require fudging the rules a little bit. Feel free to chime in with some of your favorites from the world of film and beyond.

Experimental composer and musician Tom Hodge joins to talk about his latest film score: The Mauritanian, a Golden Globe nominated political and legal drama starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, and Benedict Cumberbatch. We also talk about various and historical approaches to film music, dealing with difficult subject matter, and advice for young composers. Find out more about Tom on his website. The Mauritanian is now out in theaters and Tom's score is available on all major streaming platforms.

Composer Reed Reimer joins The Film Scorer Podcast to talk about his recent cyberpunk multimedia project 'Codeburst,' juggling genres from orchestral to djent to trap, and collaborating with a co-composer. Reed also flips the script and takes over as interviewer by the end! 'Codeburst' and 'Cthulhu Dreamt' are both available for streaming on all major platforms, while the full multimedia version of 'Codeburst' is available through Fable Factory.

Fellow film music fan and writer J. Blake Fichera joins The Film Scorer Podcast to discuss his new book "Scored to Death 2," in which Fichera interviews some of horror's greatest composers like Michael Abels, Richard Band, Bear McCreary, and more! "Scored to Death 2" is available for purchase everywhere and I highly recommend it! Find out more about Fichera and his book at his website and check out his podcast "Scored to Death" in which he similarly interviews composers (albeit in an even longer format!)

Composer duo Mondo Boys join The Film Scorer to discuss their recent scores to the films Fatman, She Dies Tomorrow, and Mortuary Collection. Mondo Boys also talk about how they collaborate with directors, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Roger Ebert's love of breasts. More information is available about Mondo Boys on their website. Fatman is currently available on VOD, She Dies Tomorrow is streaming on Hulu, and Mortuary Collection is streaming on Shudder. Several of Mondo Boys' scores are available on all major streaming platforms and others are forthcoming.

Composer, violinist, and pianist Ros Gilman talks about his upcoming animated film The Last Cloudweaver, his road to becoming a film composer, and much more! Find out more about Ros on his website. Selections of Gilmans' scores are available on all major streaming platforms and YouTube.

Composer Ben Symons talks about his dread-filled score for the new UK horror film Hosts, his approaches to film music, composing for major YouTube streamers, and much more! Find out more about Symons on his website. Hosts is currently available on VOD while Symons' scores are available on all major streaming platforms.

Join The Film Scorer as he talks with composer Roman Molino Dunn about his score to the new psychological drama Huracán, about an mma fighter struggling with dissociative disorder. They also discuss Dunn's composing process, sampling the sounds of subways, and a mutual love of short film. Find out more about Dunn on his website. Huracán is currently available on HBO, HBO Latino, and HBO Max while several of Dunn's scores are available on all major streaming platforms.

Join The Film Scorer as he talks with English composer Harry Escott about his jazzy and stylish score to the new BBC One political series Roadkill starring Hugh Laurie. They also talk about some of Harry's films (like the Steve McQueen drama Shame) and a mutual love of drone. Find out more about Harry on his site. Roadkill is now airing on BBC One in the UK and PBS Masterpiece Theater in the US while many of Harry's scores are available on all major streaming platforms.

Join The Film Scorer in this seasonally-appropriate episode 3 as he talks with prolific horror composer Holly Amber Church. They talk about James Horner, the novelist John Kennedy Toole, and Holly's penchant for weird "instruments" like fluorescent lights and clown balloons. Find out more about Holly at her site Holly's most recent film is Open 24 Hours which has recently released on VOD and DVD, with the score available on all major platforms (as are many of Holly's scores).

Join The Film Scorer for his second episode in which he talks with film composer duo Two Twenty Two (comprised of Tom Nettleship and Daisy Coole). They chat about a love for adventurous film composers, their complicated (and highly effective) process for writing music as a duo, and their latest score - Clay's Redemption - an eclectic synth/jazz fusion hybrid for this supernatural noir. Find out more about Two Twenty Two here The uncut video of our conversation (featuring much more of my rambling) is here Clay's Redemption will be on Amazon Prime in mid-November and you can find many of their scores on all major streaming services.

The Film Scorer's first guest is Sean Carney! A jazz vocalist, touring guitarist, and member of the bands WOLVES and Miscellaneous, Sean has recently released his first feature-length film score for the Neo-Western To Hell and Gone. We dive deep into the process for scoring To Hell and Gone, making the jump into composing for features, and our joint dislike of the Star Wars prequels. A short, highlights-only text version of the interview can be found here. More information about Sean can be found on his website here. To Hell and Gone is available on VOD while Sean's score is available on all major streaming platforms.

The introductory episode to The Film Scorer's podcast! Listen for an overview of this series and what's to come, featuring many, many film composer interviews.