Saturday, November 29, 2008

A.R.RAHMAN | Slumdong Millionaire [CD]


Danny Boyle's latest movie, co-directed with Indian director Loveleen Tandan, Slumdong Millionaire is the story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik became a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" -- an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika, who is an ardent fan of the show.

The movie is scored by 42 Indian Composer Allah Rakha Rahman (A.R.Rahman most widely known). known for his recent collaboration with Scottish composer Craig Armstrong on Elizabeth: the golden Age and the original score CD will get a release on December the 23rd, 2008 from Interscore Records.

Here's the quote from the amazon.com page of the release, product description:

"In composing the music for acclaimed director Danny Boyle's intoxicating new film Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman has conjured the sound of a city, fusing the frenetic scramble of daily life in Mumbai, India into beautiful fugues that ride upon the dust clouds kicked up by its everyday people.

From the movie's first frames --- with children racing through alleyways, knocking over merchants and pottery, police kicking loose clay roof tiles, disrupted birds fluttering from gutters -- we hear the sound of their commotion made manifest in "O... Saya." It's a rumbling hybrid of Bollywood and hip-hop, a brand new collaboration between Rahman and M.I.A. It's the kind of cinematic moment where image and sound coexist. And that's only the first five minutes.

Filmed in the streets and slums of Mumbai, India, Boyle needed just the right music to compliment the film's cinema verité urban realism. He turned to internationally renowned composer A.R. Rahman (a huge star in South Asia--selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and 200 million cassettes--Rahman is one of the world's top 25 all-time top selling recording artists.) The film's score is central to the propulsive modern grit that pervades the story, but is also a nod to classic Bollywood productions where the music is front and center. And loud. Says Rahman, "We wanted it edgy, upfront. Danny wanted it loud."

M.I.A.'s appreciation for Bollywood music led her to record much of last year's Kala inside A.R. Rahman's studio in India, although the two had never worked together until now. Referring to him in URB magazine as "the Indian Timbaland," M.I.A. obviously jumped at the chance to work on "O... Saya" with the famed composer. Rahman says, "She's a real powerhouse. Somebody played me her CD and I thought, `Who is this girl? She came here and knew all my work, had followed my work for ages. I said, `Cut the crap, this "my idol" crap. You have to teach me.'"

M.I.A. crops up again, later in the film, with the remix of her worldwide hit "Paper Planes" seemingly made for Slumdog, as the lyrics pronounce, "Sometimes I feel like sitting on trains..." while a light blue locomotive chugs and hurls its way through India, young boys perched up top in the sepia sunlight scoping out for a scrap of food.

Other songs on the soundtrack include "Gangsta Blues," featuring hip-hop artist BlaaZe, which flutters with the rhythms of a film projector, capturing a bit of the madness of crowds as they disperse in a thousand directions to escape the claustrophobia of back alleys. And nothing quite prepares you for the triumphant climax, the overarching ode to joy that is "Jai Ho," closing out the film in a rousing sing-a-long that's had film audiences burst into spontaneous applause. As Rahman told Variety, "The energy of the film takes you through a roller coaster, and that's one of the main inspirations for the whole music."

Here's the TRACKLISTING of the CD:

1. O... Saya - Performed by A R Rahman & M.I.A.
2. Riots - A R Rahman
3. Mausam & Escape - A R Rahman
4. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
5. Paper Planes DFA REMIX - M.I.A.
6. Ringa Ringa - A R Rahman featuring Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun
7. Liquid Dance - A R Rahman featuring Palakkad Sriram & Madhumitha
8. Latika's Theme - A R Rahman featuring Suzanne
9. Aaj Ki Raat - Sonu Nigam, Mahalaxmi Lyer & Alisha Chinoi
10. Millionaire - A R Rahman featuring Madhumitha
11. Gangsta Blues - A R Rahman featuring BlaaZe & Tanvi Shah
12. Dreams on Fire - A R Rahman featuring Suzzanne
13. Jai Ho - A R Rahman featuring Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah & Mahalaxmi Iyer


The score's already available to buy in digital audio form in the iTunes music store.

PHILIPPE ROMBI | new CD releases for late 2008 / early 2009

After the much celebrated gorgeous score for Angel last year, 40-year old French composer Phillipe Rombi returns with 2 new CD releases.

First is Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis coming from Naive Records France on a 28-tracks CD released on 28-oct-08. Here's the CD info quoted from Screen Archives Entertainment:

1. Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (générique)
2. Valse des Ch'tis
3. Mutation
4. C'est le Nooord
5. Le Départ
6. Le Plat Pays
(Jacques Brel)
7. Arrivée à Bergues
8. Deux ans...
9. Le vieux Lille
10. Le carillon d'Antoine
(par Stefano Colletti)
11. Les corons / clair de lune à Maubeuge
(par le public du stade de Lens / l'Harmonie de Bergues)
12. Les chars à voile
13. La tournée (1ère partie)
14. Le P'tit Quinquin
(Alexandre Desrousseaux, par Jenny Clève)
15. La tournée (2ème partie)
16. I just called to say I love you
(Stevie Wonder, au carillon par Stefano Colletti)
17. Julie chez les Ch'tis
18. Nocturne du carillonneur
(par Stefano Colletti)
19. Philippe parle à Julie
20. Les adieux
21. Générique de fin
22. Le carillon d'Antoine
(par Stefano Colletti)
23. La tournée (orchestral)
24. Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (générique version film)

And the plot outline:

" Although living a comfortable life in Salon-de-Provence, a charming town in the South of France, Julie has been feeling depressed for a while. To please her, Philippe Abrams, a post office administrator, her husband, tries to obtain a transfer to a seaside town, on the French Riviera, at any cost. The trouble is that he is caught red-handed while trying to scam an inspector. Philippe is immediately banished to the distant unheard of town of Bergues, in the Far North of France. Leaving his child and wife behind, the crucified man leaves for his frightening destination, a dreadfully cold place inhabited by hard-drinking, unemployed rednecks, speaking an incomprehensible dialect called Ch'ti. Philippe soon realizes that all these ideas were nothing but prejudices and that Bergues is not synonymous with hell... 2008 "

Click for the link for the release on the label's official site.

Second release is Un homme et son chien coming from Zig-Zag Territoires, 2009, 18 tracks, 44'48" on a CD release on 10-jan-2009. Here's the LINK for the CD.

Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available!

Friday, November 28, 2008

CARTER BURWELL - Twilight [CD]


What i humbly consider as a fairly ridiculous trend that has gotten out of proportions through emo/vampire/goth kids and a vast part of our beloved females (but not only), is Twilight. The vampire romance as they call it (v-porn as I do) deals with the story of a teenage girl who risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire :sigh: and has apparently taken the hearts of thousands by storm.

On the music-side of things though, we find the gifted 54 year-old American composer Carter Burwell.

Here's what he has to say about the movie's music which he composed, quoted from his official website linked above:

"Regarding sheet music: Hal Leonard Publishers will be releasing the score to "Bella's Lullaby" some time before the end of the year. They may also release other parts of the soundtrack to the film. When I have more information it will be listed here.

Carter's Notes

"Bella's Lullaby," as it appears in this film, was not written to be a lullaby but to speak of love - ecstatic, tormented love. Here's that story.

Years ago I was in love with an amazing and challenging woman named Christine Sciulli. She left me, I was heartbroken, and I wrote a piece of music that tried to express the thrill and pain of having my heart pierced. She wouldn't speak to me, so I sent her the music to speak in my place.

Years later (April 2008 to be exact) I came to Oregon to meet Catherine Hardwicke and see some of the film she was shooting, Twilight. She mentioned that the producing company, Summit Entertainment, had just requested that a new scene be added to the film. The scene existed in the novel but hadn't originally been part of the screenplay (films are not one-to-one translations of books). In this scene Edward would play piano for Bella. I wasn't officially working on the film at that point and they didn't know what Rob Pattinson (Edward) should play during the shoot. This is not an unusual situation - many films have an actor sitting at a keyboard, swaying back and forth, pretending to play music that was only written after the film has been shot and edited. This case was unusual in that Rob is a fine musician, and fully capable of playing the piano or probably any other instrument.

CB+Mitch

My concern, as a composer, is to make the film as a whole compelling, dramatic, emotional and cinematic. But in this case other extraneous concerns quickly started to pile on, all driven by the fans of the book. The piano scene was added because Summit realized fans wanted to hear Edward play the melody referred to as "Bella's Lullaby," and each of those fans has their own idea of the tune. Because I hadn't started writing yet there was a musical vacuum into which other music started to be pulled. Rob improvised a tune for the shoot. Matthew Bellamy, of Muse, sent in his idea of "Bella's Lullaby." And countless readers and musicians sent in their own ideas or posted them on the internet. None of this made my job easier.

When I finally began writing music for Twilight, in early July, I moved myself, my family and my studio from New York to Los Angeles to work more closely with Catherine and the editorial team - Nancy Richardson the film editor and Adam Smalley the music editor. I began the score with Bella and Edward, specifically the scene in which he carries her into the treetops. I wanted to capture the excitement but also the challenge of this love which spans barriers of time and species. The film had been edited so that the piano scene followed the treetops scene, and the whole montage had very little dialogue so it was a good canvas on which to paint Bella and Edward's love theme.

Edward+Bella

After trying many different approaches with mixed success I put the tune I wrote years ago for my ecstatic and tormented love against the picture and it seemed quite perfect. It has an "A" theme which is a bit ambiguous, like two people trying to find a common ground, climbing to a high, then tumbling down, and a "B" theme that is forthrightly joyful (at least as joyful as my music gets).

I showed it to Catherine Hardwicke and she found it "thrilling, exhiliarating." And so this unnamed tune became “Bella’s Lullaby.” It's worth noting, though, that neither Catherine nor I ever called it that. We always referred to this tune as the "Love Theme" and I think it makes much more sense if you think of it this way. It's more complex and emotional than any lullaby I've ever heard.

I started using this theme for Bella and Edward's relationahip as it develops in the film - starting from the biology class in which he first speaks to her. The more we lived with the "Love Theme" the more Catherine longed to reshoot the piano scene so that Rob's fingers would match the music. Summit Entertainment, who were paying for the film, would have to approve the cost of this.

Edward+Bella

I usually start writing at the piano and then move to computers where I can make a "demo" or "sketch" that sounds as if it were played by the actual instruments - in this case piano, strings, woodwinds, guitars and percussion. I always play these sketches for the director so he or she can picture the final sound of the score while I'm writing. Because Catherine needed Summit's approval for the reshoot we arranged to play the sketches for the Summit executives as well as the film's producers.

The executives assumed that since I've written 60 or more film scores (I don't know exactly) I must have been through that process before. But in fact I've never had to sit in a room and play my work for executives . Typically I work with the director and if anyone else is going to be involved I ask that they talk to the director, then the director talks to me. That way the film still reflects a singular point of view - that of the director - even though we all know it takes an army to make a film.

To our surprise, one of the executives wasn't in love with the "Love Theme." In particular he objected to the opening note of the melody, which he correctly noted is dissonant (the high note is a B flat, over A and B natural in the harmony). The dissonance is immediately resolved to a consonance, but he couldn't get the initial note out of his head. Music is enormously subjective: For Catherine and myself the tune was wonderfully romantic and moving. For him it was off-putting.

Rob Fingers

As a film composer it's nothing new to be asked to throw compositions away, or rewrite them. It happens all the time. However I felt this tune was one of the best I'd written, perfect for the film and the scene, and so I didn't take Summit's complaints very seriously. The wrinkle in this case was that Catherine wanted to reshoot the piano scene in about a week and she needed Summit to approve what Rob would play.

I had reached the end of my stay in L.A. and was packing up to go on a short vacation in Maine with my family (whom I hadn't seen much while I'd been writing), then back to New York to start the school year. The day before we left L.A. I started getting desparate calls from Catherine and producer Wyck Godfrey. They told me that Summit would not approve the reshoot with the current "Love Theme". Then the head of production at Summit called and confirmed that it was his call - the B flat was not acceptable - he would not "sign off on it." He said that the teenage girls that were the audience for the film would want something sweeter, simpler.

Lullaby orig
The beginning of the original melody

In his defense, I think part of the problem was that Catherine and I saw this as Bella and Edward's "Love Theme" whereas he saw it as "Bella's Lullaby." And indeed, for the 30 seconds during which Edward is playing piano it is the "Lullaby." But the theme also has to play the romance that drives the story, and I thought that was a much more important role.

There were other issues for me as well. The suggestion that teenage girls would want a sweet tune was somewhat condescending, and that was something I tried to avoid in this score. Also I don't believe it's possible to know how music will affect someone else, even though film composers claim to. The unpredicability is what makes it interesting (although I understand that's not what the investors want to hear). And can you imagine what it would be like - as it was occasionally on this project - trying to compose music to satisfy a director who's trying to satisfy a male executive who's trying to satisfy ten million teenage girls?

Edward+Bella

My equipment was packed up, I was getting on a plane to Maine, and suddenly they needed a new love theme in a matter of days. Everyone (other than me and my family) thought I should stay in L.A. I told the folks from Twilight that I'd understand if they hired another composer and got on the plane.

Once I landed in Maine I was a bit less upset and offered to try some variations on the "Love Theme", writing at night so it wouldn't interfere with my family's days. It turned out that removing the B flat also removed all the interest from the melody. Eventually I had 5 or 6 variations, ranging from vapid to acceptable, and I sent them to Catherine. I don't know how many she played for Summit. One was approved, and I put it on paper for Rob to play (which he did very well). Catherine and I tried to come up with a title for the piece that would more accurately convey its purpose, but Summit insisted it be called "Bella's Lullaby," and I'm happy to think of it as such. The opening piano melody is the original version I wrote so many years ago (I kept it in the movie despite Summit's objections), and the melody Rob plays toward the end is the variation that Summit approved. You will hear both peppered throughout the film. I comfort myself that the original tune predominates, because, for me, it's more memorable. Which one do you remember?

Lullaby var
The beginning of the variation melody

I should mention that Christine, the woman for whom I first wrote the melody years ago, is now my amazing and challenging wife. In my heart the tune will always be ours, but now it’s yours (and Bella and Edward's) as well. "

WARNING:
THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THE ORIGINAL LINK (HERE) THAT ALSO CONTAINS SOUND CLIPS FROM THE SCORE. ALL MATERIAL'S COPYRIGHT BELONGS TO CARTER BURWELL.
Amazon.com, HERE, also has info and Sound Clips / Tracklisting from the score release on CD.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

GEORGE FENTON in Concert


GEORGE FENTON in CONCERT

Friday 28 November
BBC Radio 2, 7.30pm

Friday Night with George Fenton

In a unique celebration of his music for TV and Film, multi award winning composer George Fenton conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra and directs the first performances of The George Fenton Band.

The BBC Concert Orchestra are joined by The George Fenton Band (who are playing for the first time) and singers to include Lizzy Loeb and Nicola Emmanuelle.

There will be new versions of songs from Anna and the King and Living out Loud, a new suite from the TV series Planet Earth along with newly arranged music from Fenton classics such as Dangerous Liaisons, Valiant, Fool’s Gold and the spectacular finale Cry Freedom.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/fridaynight/

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

BEAR McCREARY: TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [CD]


As previously reported on this blog, via the composer's official blog, the TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles score is finally getting a release on CD.


Below you're find specific Info and Tracklisting, quoted from the composer's own website:

It’s finally official! My soundtrack for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles goes on sale December 2nd! (Perhaps a perfect holiday gift for any sci fi fans you know??)

The behind-the-scenes details of this album held us up for a while, but I’m thrilled to report that the discs are off to the manufacturers and are being prepared for distribution at this very moment. Autographed copies will be available directly from La La Land Records on December 2nd, however I suspect they’ll go quickly. The CD is already available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

I’ll write a detailed entry about the album next week and post some audio clips. In the meantime, here’s the OFFICIAL TRACK LISTING. Remember, you heard it here first! :)

1. Samson and Delilah - ‘Samson and Delilah’
Performed by Shirley Manson
Written by Reverend Gary Davis
Arranged and Produced by Bear McCreary
2. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” Opening Title
Includes “The Terminator Theme” by Brad Fiedel
3. Sarah Connor’s Theme - ‘Pilot’
4. Cromartie in the Hospital - ‘The Turk’
5. Andy Goode’s Turk - ‘Queen’s Gambit’
6. Central America - ‘Queen’s Gambit’
7. John and Riley - ‘Automatic for the People’
8. Derek Reese - ‘Queen’s Gambit’ and ‘The Demon Hand’
9. Ain’t We Famous - ‘Automatic for the People’
Performed by BrEndAn’s Band
Written by Brendan McCreary
10. Motorcycle Robot Chase - ‘Gnothi Seuton’
Featuring Captain Ahab
11. The Hand of God - ‘The Demon Hand’
12. Prisoners of War - ‘Dungeons & Dragons’
13. Miles Dyson’s Grave - ‘The Turk’
14. Atomic Al’s Merry Melody - ‘Automatic for the People’
15. The Reese Boys - ‘What He Beheld’
16. Removing Cameron’s Chip - ‘Vick’s Chip’
17. Ellison Spared - ‘What He Beheld’
18. I Love You - ‘Samson and Delilah’
19. Catherine Weaver - ‘Samson and Delilah’
20. Derek’s Mission - ‘Dungeons & Dragons’
21. There’s a Storm Coming - ‘Dungeons & Dragons’
22. Highway Battle - ‘Queen’s Gambit’
23. Perfect Creatures - ‘The Demon Hand’
24. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” End Credits

Listen to: LARGO WINCH [CD] | Composed by ALEXANDRE DESPLAT


In the link below you can listen to the score in streaming audio form, more info on the release in this blog at this very link, HERE.

SOUND CLIPS from LARGO WINCH:
http://www.largowinch-lefilm.com/main.html

Listen to: ZBIGNIEW PREISNER | Anonyma - Eine Frau in Berlin [CD]


53 year-old Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner is widely known both for his concert works through the years but also his vast film music repertoire and notably his long-time collaboration with celebrated director Krzystof Kieslowski.

Preisner has just completed scoring Anonyma, a German-Polish co-production, directed and scripted by Max Färberböck.

According to the composer's official website, recording took place in Poland in May.

The film is based on 'A Woman in Berlin' ('Eine Frau in Berlin'), a published diary of the period from 20 April to 22 June 1945 in Berlin.
The author was a well-known German journalist, and at her request the diary was published anonymously for her protection. The book details the writer's experiences as a rape victim during the Red Army occupation of the city. Only after her death was she identified.

The diary describes with objectivity the occupation of Berlin by the Soviets at the end of World War II, and explains many of the horrors that the protagonist faced and the struggle of the inhabitants to survive. The role of Anonyma is played by the leading German actress Nina Hoss. The film is premiered in Koln on 14th October and in Berlin on 15th October and is released in cinemas in Germany on 23rd October.

For more details about the movie visit www.anonyma.film.de


Screenarchives.com has SOUND CLIPS of the official CD release of the score.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT | Largo Winch [CD]


LARGO WINCH soundtrack details.

The upcoming, much anticipated new score by the French composer Alexandre Desplat is for the comic-book French adaptation, Largo Winch the movie. The film, directed by Jérôme Salle, will be released in France on December 17, 2008.

The original score by the composer will be released by Varese Sarabande is out as an iTunes exclusive on December the 16, 2008. News about a possible CD release will be available after the film's US release in 2009.

You can click HERE to view the front cover, HERE for the back cover and below you'll find the tracklisting for the CD. You can view the score's CD page over at Varese Sarabande.


Tracklisting:

1. Largo Winch (3:07)
2. Lea’s Theme (1:47)
3. Dimna Yudda Performed by Chet Nuneta (2:01)
4. Chosen One (5:48)
5. Nerio’s Theme (2:38)
6. Chase Latino (1:28)
7. Two Brothers (1:41)
8. The W Building (2:47)
9. Mato Grosso Escape (1:55)
10. Meyer’s Ear (1:42)
11. Croatian Sorrow (4:14)
12. The Orphanage (2:26)
13. Hidden Souvenirs (2:51)
14. Dugi Otuk (1:26)
15. Vision In The Waves (1:08)
16. Largo Jumps (1:34)
17. Anna’s Death (3:48)
18. Melina (3:13)
19. The Deal (2:16)
20. Korsky (3:12)
21. Freddy's Betrayal (1:43)
22. Ferguson (1:30)
23. Hong Kong Chase (1:24)
24. On The Run (3:18)
25. Roof Fight (2:27)
26. Epilogue (2:01)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

ALBERTO IGLESIAS' "CHE" [CD]


Celebrated 1955 - Spanish born composer, Alberto Iglesias, celebrated for his long collaboration with director Pedro Almodóvar and charmingly colorful, refined and emotional sound identity, is responsible for the original music accompanying latest Steven Soderbergh Biography-Drama, Guerilla.

The movie is the second feature in a two-part movie production about Che Guevarra, first (Guerilla) being released in November 2008 and the 2nd, The Argentine, a month later.

Here's the plot summary and info from Msn Movies:

"Nearly 40 years after Che Guevara's execution in Bolivia, director Steven Soderbergh retraces the life of the iconic Cuban revolutionary across the span of two feature-length films -- The Argentine and Guerrilla. The Argentine begins on November 26, 1956, as Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) sails into Cuban waters with 80 rebels in tow. Among those rebels is Argentine doctor Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), a man who shares Castro's dream of overthrowing corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. As the struggle gets under way, Guevara proves an indispensable part of the revolution due to his firm grasp on the concepts of guerilla warfare. Guevara is heartily embraced by both his comrades and the Cuban people, and quickly rises through the ranks to become first a commander, and ultimately a revolutionary hero. Part two of the saga, Guerrilla, begins with Guevara at the absolute peak of his fame and power. Disappearing suddenly, Guevara subsequently resurfaces in Bolivia to organize a modest group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits in preparation for the Latin American Revolution. But while the Bolivian campaign would ultimately fail, the tenacity, sacrifice, and idealism displayed by Guevara during this period would make him a symbol of heroism to followers around the world. Though The Argentine and Guerrilla were screened together at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, they were set to be released separately in U.S. theaters later that same year."

Amazon.com posted the CD with the original score by Alberto Iglesias, marked with a December 9, 2008 release date, HERE.

DANNY ELFMAN's "MILK" [CD]


Gus Van Sant's latest bio-drama is Milk, tells the story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by San Francisco Supervisor Dan White.

The original score to the much-hyped new drama is by composer Danny Elfman, who already gave us the adrenaline-packed Wanted this year along with the Philip Glass-esque Standard Operating Procedure, and Hellboy II.

The Score CD page over at amazon.com, HERE, features info, tracklisting and sound clips from the upcoming release.

New interview with DANNY ELFMAN

"In an exclusive interview for Stage and Screen Online, one of the world's most popular film composers, Danny Elfman talks to Tommy Pearson about his life and career so far. Danny was in London to record his score for the up-coming biopic, Notorious (about the rapper Notorious B.I.G); in the interview he talks about his work with Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Nightmare Before Christmas, PeeWee), writing music for remakes and superheroes, composing TV themes (The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives), dealing with obsessive fans, and gives his views on The Dark Knight and the Academy Awards, the Simpsons Movie, why everyone steals from his Edward Scissorhands score at Christmas, what he thought of having his head chopped off in Family Guy, and why he paid for a TV spot to warn Americans about Sarah Palin.

A rare treat for all Danny Elfman fans."

Click HERE for the full audio-visual article.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD | Defiance [CD]


James Newton Howard, the 58 year old American composer has crafted a uniquely beautiful and refined score for Daniel Craig's upcoming WWII drama, Defiance.

The score is led by the beautiful violin soli of virtuoso and very popular violinist Joshua Bell, in what's one of the most emotional score by the composer and certainly one of the most notable music releases for 2008.


The Pop & Hiss, The L.A. Times music blog had this to say about the moving musical work:

"Pop & Hiss goes to the movies: James Newton Howard gets violin-happy with 'Defiance'
10:30 PM PT, Nov 14 2008

Composer James Newton Howard made headlines this week. With Hans Zimmer, Howard worked on one of the more acclaimed scores of 2008, the strikingly tense, vividly aggressive music for "The Dark Knight," which, as industry trade Variety reported, would be ruled ineligible for Oscar consideration on a technicality.

But don't expect the news to take Howard out of Oscar talk. Still to come is his violin-heavy score to "Defiance," Edward Zwick's World War II film starring Daniel Craig. The music is streaming on the Paramount Vantage website, and an official soundtrack will be released Dec. 9, which is in advance of the film's limited release on Dec. 31.

Pop & Hiss hasn't spent enough time with the score to offer a review, but initial listens reveal a nuanced work, a piece that flirts with classical stylings but drifts into more moody terrain. See the rhythmic bursts that give way to a romantic swing in "The Police Station," or the mournful counter melodies of "Tuvia Kisses Lukia." Additionally, much of the score is a showcase for noted violinist Joshua Bell, who was part of the Oscar-winning score to "The Red Violin."

Speaking at Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter's Film & TV Music Conference, Howard said, "The score is essentially a minimalist score, with a substantial amount of what you'd call ambiance to it."

Howard was appearing as part of a Friday afternoon discussion with Zwick, which was moderated by Billboard senior editor Ann Donahue. Howard and Zwick have previously worked together on 2006 film "Blood Diamond." Howard praised Zwick as a filmmaker who can subtly intertwine scores into his films.

"The music," said Howard, "in all of Edward's work has been a very strong component.... The spotting, where the music is used, how its used, is restrained."

For "Defiance," which, as this Times article detailed, tells the true story of Jewish refugees who fought Nazi invaders in the forests of what is now Belarus, the pair almost avoided a violin-heavy score. Tapping into classical Eastern European sounds, said Zwick, seemed too obvious ("a world of cliches that we live in fear of," Zwick said).

Ultimately, however, Zwick noted that the pair "both concluded that the violin, even though it wasn't the first time it'd been used in this context, was the right way to go."

Howard discussed some of the paths the score almost took, which he composed with a relatively small orchestra of 50 to 60 musicians (most major Hollywood scores feature an orchestra of a hundred or more players), and was recorded at London's Abbey Road studios. "I looked at the possibility of the cello. I looked at the possibility of a clarinet. I even toyed with the idea of Klezmer music," he said, referring to a more traditional Jewish sound.

No one, however, asked Howard for his opinion on the music division of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The score to "The Dark Knight" has been taken out of Oscar consideration because too many names were listed on the official music cue sheet for the film.

--Todd Martens"

Also, be sure to check out the Official website of the movie, HERE, to check out the samples from James Newton Howard's work for Defiance.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

The Cinematic Sound Radio Show On-Demand | INDIANA JONES TRILOGY

Erik Woods, the host and producer of the soundtrack radio show CINEMATIC SOUND heard "On-Demand" just uploaded his latest program about the Indiana Jones Trilogy.

Go to the RADIO SHOW's website, HERE, to hear the show.

THIS JUST IN is a new one hour segment where Erik presents the newest film music albums as they come in. On this special two hour episode you will hear the previously unreleased music from THE INDIANA JONES TRILOGY.

Note: If you have any problems listening the show please e-mail Erik at cinematicsound@yahoo.com.

DARIO MARIANELLI | The Soloist [CD]


Dario Marianelli, the 46 year old Academy Award winning Italian composer of Atonement and Pride and Prejudice is responsible for the original score for the upcoming drama, The Soloist.

The movie is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School. Ayers becomes homeless in the streets of downtown Los Angeles, playing the violin and the cello.

You will find information on the original score CD release, CD cover and tracklisting on the Amazon.com page HERE.

JOHN POWELL | Disney's "BOLT" [CD]


American composer John Powell, possibly the brightest "graduate" of Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Studios, has a new animated feature by Disney being released shortly, entitled Bolt.


If you click on the movie's title just before you'll get the relative info whilst the score, released on November 18, 2008 by Disney and features 19 score cues. You can view the artwork, listen to sound clips and find more info on the relative Amazon.com page, HERE.


On a side-note, be sure to check out the excellent and heavily informative unofficial website on John Powell, HERE.


HANS ZIMMER | Frost/Nixon [CD]


The celebrated German composer returns with one of his two most anticipated upcoming releases, Frost/Nixon, the other being Angels & Demons.


The original score by Hans Zimmer, which is cited as "striking minimalist score led by piano and cello" in the releasing label's page about the CD release, will get released on December the 16th, 2008 and features the tracklisting, artwork and info which you can view HERE, at the Varese Sarabande wensite.


The official website of the movie (HERE) also features music that appears to be from the film itself.
On relevant news about Hans Zimmer, he is confirmed in his representing agency's website to provide the original score for another upcoming movie, Rango, the new animation movie by Gore Verbinski, which will be released in 2011.


TYLER BATES | The Day the Earth Stood still [CD]


Tyler Bates, the American composer behind 300, Doomsday, Rob Zombie's Halloween, Dawn of the Dead and Slither after having created much controversy over the direct lift-offs from Elliot Goldenthal's Titus, used in his 300 score - a story which went the route of justice, returns with his most recent major assignment, The Day the Earth Stood Still.


The 2008 science fiction film, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name is directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Keanu Reeves, dealing with Cold War themes like nuclear warfare updated to more contemporary ones, such as "humans vs. nature" and humanity's generally violent nature towards itself.


Tyler Bates is responsible for the score which has a Release Date of 12/16/08 and for which you can view the artwork, info and tracklisting over at the releasing Label's website. Click HERE for the score CD release page by Varese Sarabande.





Friday, November 14, 2008

HANS ZIMMER and JAMES NEWTON HOWARD | THE DARK KNIGHT 2CD Special Edition

Hans Zimmer's and James Newton Howard's much celebrated original score for The Dark Knight gets a special treatment with a special 2CD release that has been much-talked around since its announcement.

Here's what amazon.com has to say about the edition:

"The Dark Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' returns with the ASCAP-winning composers from Batman Begins- Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard for a powerful orchestral score. The Special Edition features the complete score on two CD's plus four bonus remix tracks; it also contains an 8x8x40 page hardbound book."

Also, if you head over to the official website for the soundtrack, you'll find the following info:

"Package contains a 40-page handbook, 50 additional minutes of unreleased music from the movie and 4 unreleased remixes by the Crystal Method, Paul Van Dyk, and others.

For more info and score-related material such as Videos from the recording sessions, please click HERE and HERE.

GEARS OF WAR 2 | New interview with STEVE JABLONSKY

GEARS OF WAR 2, the long-awaited upcoming tactical thid-person shooter video game by Epic Games and Microsoft Game studios, carries a similarly expected original score by the composer of Transformers, The Island, D-Wars, Steve Jablonsky.

Music4Games.net now features a very interesting new interview with Steve Jablonsky himself and Epic Games audio director, Mike Larson, including photos from the production of the score.

For more info on the release of the soundtrack, you can always visit its Amazon page.

Click HERE to view the whole article.



Thursday, November 13, 2008

New Hans Zimmer interview at Hollywood Reporter


Hollywood Reporter features a very extensive article on a new interview they've done with much celebrated composer Hans Zimmer, featuring lots and lots of information for those interested.

Here's the intro from the original article:

"You'd think after all his accomplishments Hans Zimmer would want to take it easy. You'd be wrong. In the last year alone he's composed the music for six features: the low-budget Mexican production "Casi divas," Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight" (with James Newton Howard), the animated hits "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" for DreamWorks/Paramount, 2929 Prods.' "The Burning Plain," and, last but not least, Ron Howard's ambitious holiday release "Frost/Nixon" for Universal. Despite all this, the composer took the time to sit down with The Hollywood Reporter's Kevin Cassidy for a typically wide-ranging discussion of his life and work."

Click HERE to read the whole interview and also click HERE to read about the tour in Zimmer's Remote Control Studios in CA, USA (3 parts).

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [CD]



The long-awaited Eric Roth fantasy-drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences and comes out Christmas 2008, bearing a stellar cast (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) and gifted by an original score by French composer Alexandre Desplat.

The release, which is considered as one of the most important film music releases of this year, will come out 2 days before the official release of the movie, i.e. December the 23rd via Concord Records and will feature 80 minutes of original score over a 2-CD set.

You can view the complete tracklisting and pre-order the CD at the official website of the record company. The link also contains Sound Clips.

Stay tuned for more!

BEAR McCREARY: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [CD]


Celebrated 30 year-old American composer Bear McCreary, the gifted mind behind such brilliant moderns scores like the BattleStar Galactica Trilogy among others, has crafted a unique original score for the Terminator TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Conor Chronicles via Fox.

There has been talk for a possible CD release of the original score for the series by Bear McCreary and with a relative post on his official blog, he sets things clear around the hot topic:

Bear McCreary:

"PS: I want to address the upcoming Sarah Connor soundtrack album. I know a lot of you are asking about it, and I apologize for the lack of information. The record label and I did everything in our power to prepare the album for an October release. But, the album is currently tied up in the bureaucratic red tape that makes the entertainment business occasionally maddening. But, I promise it will come out. We’re looking at a mid-December release, before the holiday. I’ll post the official track list in the next week or so. And I can also promise it will be worth the wait."

You can read the whole article at his official blog, here.

Complementary to that, the page above holds a lot of insider information and photos from the production of the soundtrack for the TV series which make for a very interesting resource nevertheless.

News on the upcoming release will be featured here as soon as they become available and in the meantime you can always check the Amazon CD Page for the said release.

Cheers,
D

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Audio clips from SEAN CALLERY's "24:REDEMPTION" [CD]


A two-hour broadcast special of 24 it's what the release is about, i.e. a T.V Film based on the real-time television series "24" (2001), which chronicles a day in the life of Federal Agent Jack Bauer (Sutherland). Now, i was never a fan of either the American-cliched series nor the childishly bad synthy music that accompanied it but this has obviously gotten up to huge proportions. Below you'll find Information (that might NOT be spoiler-free) about the release and the film it accompanies, plus SOUND CLIPS from the CD release of the score through Varese Sarabande.

Click to listen to SOUND CLIPS from COLOSSEUM.DE

INFORMATION FROM COLOSSEUM.DE:

"The pulse-pounding countdown gets a jumpstart as 24: REDEMPTION, the unprecedented feature-length event premiere. 24: Redemption bridges the gap between Seasons 6 and 7, and is the first new material from 24 producers in over a year-and-a-half. A two-hour broadcast special.

Audiences last saw Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) literally standing on the precipice of a mountain cliff grappling with the reality that for all his heroics, he'd once more lost the woman he loved. 24: Redemption catches up with Bauer four years later, on the African continent, where he has sought solace in missionary work. As the action unfolds on the day of the U.S. Presidential Inauguration, he finds himself in the midst of a bloody uprising in the small fictitious African nation of Sangala, where a ruthless dictator is drafting innocent children as soldiers in his army. As the vicious warlord descends on an orphanage in search of recruits, Jack enters into a one-man crusade at the behest of a friend to rescue the children and get them to safety."



Audio clips from KLAUS BADELT'S "POUR ELLE" [CD]


Klaus Badelt's latest score to get a release is this new drama, Pour Elle (english title "For Her") and the score comes from VareseSarabande.com

Here's the info on the score and sound clips which you can hear over at Varese's European brother:

Click for COLOSSEUM.DE SOUND CLIPS

MOVIE INFO: Lisa and Julien are married and lead a happy and uneventful life with their son Oscar. Their lives are turned upside down one morning when the police arrive to arrest Lisa for murder. She is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Convinced of her innocence and faced with the failure of legal means, Julien decides to help her to escape.

Director Fred Cavayé about his work with Klaus Badelt:

“It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to work with such a big name for the first time. Klaus is a man who has worked with Terrence Malick and Michael Mann, and this is the first time that he has composed music for a French film. He liked the screenplay as soon as he read it and he accepted task of composing the soundtrack. On a personal level, it is a joy to work with him. His music is part of the intensity and the emotion of the action and takes it to a higher level. His music embodies and conveys all the implicit details which were at the fringes of the action. Suddenly, it was as if the stage directions were recreated on screen. The fact that we had so little time made us look at the heart of the matter. Klaus is a person who works without involving his ego, he dedicates himself to the film and gives everything to benefit the story. We made the recording at Abbey Road with key musicians and I confess that I felt a shiver go down my spine when I found myself confronted by forty violins playing the theme tune, there, right in front of me.”

MovieScore Media releases LET THE RIGHT ONE IN by JOHAN SÖDERQVIST


MovieScore Media, Mikael Carlsson's prolific film music label, just released a new score by the particularly gifted composer JOHAN SÖDERQVIST, the 42 Swedish composer behind the emotional musical trips of After The Wedding and the successful brodding score for Brothers. For more info, i've included the original MovieScore Media press release on the score below:


LET THE RIGHT ONE IN


Music Composed by
JOHAN SÖDERQVIST

Sound clips and more info:
http://www.moviescoremedia.com/lettherightone.html

CD distributed by Screen Archives Entertainment:
http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=10784

Download album in 320kbit mp3 format here:
http://www.filmmusicdownloads.com

Download album on iTunes here:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSt … 9&s=143441

"Johan Söderqvist's orchestral score enhances the different yet coherent moods with brio." - European Films

"Perfectly pitched score" - Fangoria

"A suitably moody soundtrack..." - Twitch

"Discreet but evocative score..." - Matt Riviera


One of the most acclaimed feature films of 2008, Swedish horror drama Let the Right One In has won over a dozen international film awards, including top honours at the Tribeca Film Festival, Woodstock and Sitges. Following the US premiere of the film on October 24, MovieScore Media releases the strikingly original orchestral score by acclaimed Swedish composer Johan Söderqvist (Things We Lost in the Fire, Brothers, After the Wedding), who has crafted a very personal score.

The music effectively juxtaposes elements of melodic beauty with dark and ominous textures (including the use of the unusual instrument, the bass waterphone).

"Writing the music for Let the Right One In gave me a rare opportunity to write a score that consists of both darkness and light. The filmmakers weren´t looking for your typical horror soundtrack. The most important quality of the music in this film had to be melody and harmony, so even if the overall tone of the film and the score is dark and atmospheric, there is always a sense of hope and beauty," composer Johan Söderqvist says.

MMS08022 LET THE RIGHT ONE IN - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Music Composed by JOHAN SÖDERQVIST
Online release date: November 11, 2008.
CD release date: November 18, 2008.

CD EDITION LIMITED TO 500 COPIES.

[Author: Mikael Carlsson]