Category Archives: Soundtracks

Soundtrack News: Ghost of Tsushima Original Soundtrack Available July 17

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Milan Records has announced that the original video game soundtrack for Ghost of Tsushima will be available on July 17th, 2020 and can be pre-ordered now. The album features music written by both Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi for the latest action-adventure game from Sony Interactive Entertainment.  Included in the album are tracks written by Eshkeri that serve as the sonic companion to the game’s narrative, as well as music written by Umebayashi for the exploratory, open world dimension of the game.

Of the soundtrack, composer Ilan Eshkeri says:

“Ghost of Tsushima is such a beautiful game set in a culture that has always fascinated me, with a powerful and compelling story. Everything about it touched me creatively and I learned so much on the journey. The score brings together Japanese music and instruments, with sounds I’ve performed and a symphony orchestra all led by melody. I hope together it creates an emotional world that touches you and draws you into the heart and spirit of Ghost.”

“When I was composing for Ghost of Tsushima, I was inspired by Japan’s nature, climate, traditional lifestyle and classical Japanese music. When players hear the music, I hope that they feel the hearts of the people of Tsushima – those who love the land, living and plowing with the natural bounties it offers, and those of the warriors who take their katanas and follow the way of the samurai,” adds composer Shigeru Umebayashi.

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA (MUSIC FROM THE VIDEO GAME)

TRACKLISTING –

1.       The Way of the Ghost*

2.       Jin Sakai*

3.       Komoda Beach*

4.       The Way of the Samurai*

5.       Lord Shimura*

6.       No Mercy*

7.       Lady Masako*

8.       A Reckoning in Blood*

9.       The Last of Clan Adachi*

10.    Heart of the Jito*

11.    The Tale of Sensei Ishikawa*

12.    Forgotten Song*

13.    Khotun Khan*

14.    Honour to Ash*

15.    The Fate of Tsushima*

16.    Sacrifice of Tradition*

17.    The Way of the Ghost feat. Clare Uchima*

18.    Tsushima Suite: I. Seion**

19.    Tsushima Suite: II. Shurai**

20.    Tsushima Suite III. Bushido**

21.    Tsushima Suite IV: Kodoku**

22.    Tsushima Suite: V. Seiiki**

In the late 13th century, the Mongol empire has laid waste to entire nations along their campaign to conquer the East. Tsushima Island is all that stands between mainland Japan and a massive Mongol invasion fleet led by the ruthless and cunning general, Khotun Khan. As the island burns in the wake of the first wave of the Mongol assault, samurai warrior Jin Sakai stands as one of the last surviving members of his clan. He is resolved to do whatever it takes, at any cost, to protect his people and reclaim his home. He must set aside the traditions that have shaped him as a warrior to forge a new path, the path of the Ghost, and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.

The soundtrack for Ghost of Tsushima is available for preorder now.

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Soundtrack News: ‘Driveways’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available Now

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The original motion picture soundtrack for Driveways, with music by Jay Wadley, is available now from Milan Records. Nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, Driveways is out now and available to watch on demand. Director Andrew Ahn’s Driveways tells the story of Kathy (Golden Globe® Nominee Hong Chau), a single mother, who travels with her shy eight-year-old son Cody (newcomer Lucas Jaye) to Kathy’s late sister’s house which they plan to clean and sell. As Kathy realizes how little she knew about her sister, Cody develops an unlikely friendship with Del (Golden Globe®, Tony® winner and acting legend Brian Dennehy), the Korean War vet and widower who lives next door. Over the course of a summer, and with Del’s encouragement, Cody develops the courage to come out of his shell and, along with his mother, finds a new place to call home.

Jay Wadley is a NY based composer and music producer. Upcoming releases include; Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, The Innocence Files directed by Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated, Apollo), Independent Spirit Award-nominated Driveways directed by Andrew Ahn (Spa Night), and the Sundance NEXT Audience and Innovation award-winning narrative debut, I Carry You with Me (Sony), written and directed by Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp, Detropia).

Of the soundtrack, composer Jay Wadley says:

“In my score for Andrew Ahn’s Driveways, I took an understated, paired down approach with textured analog production on a felted grand piano and chamber string ensemble.  The film is a delicate and subtle piece, so Andrew and I felt the score needed to take extra care not to step on or get in the way of story and character.  As I began the creative process, my way into Cody and Del’s sound was through an attempt to capture the mood of childhood experiences like tooling around in the yard and on the porch during long, lazy, hot summer afternoons. I find a certain dreaminess, comfort, and melancholy to those days that informed the music’s overall tone and character. To echo the simple yet profound nature of Del and Cody’s friendship, I used equally simple recurring melodic and harmonic material that often plays as intimate duets between strings and piano. These melodies thoughtfully blossom and mature throughout the film, deepening their associations, and help us connect to relationships that have shaped us and remind us of the beauty and tragedy of their impermanence.”

Driveways director Andrew Ahn adds:

“Jay’s score for Driveways is so human, full of character and soul. I loved working with Jay because, like an actor, he took the film on emotionally, letting the story and characters become a part of him. There’s a beautiful nostalgic quality to the score that feels so personal and intimate. For this reason, the score never hits a false note; it feels truthful and genuine in such an emotional way.”

DRIVEWAYS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)

TRACKLISITNG –

  1. On the Road
  2. Del
  3. Inside the House
  4. Cleaning Up
  5. Mouse Pad
  6. Can I Borrow a Shovel?
  7. Pretty Good
  8. Get Up
  9. Okay Bye!
  10. Shopping
  11. Thanatopsis
  12. Kathy Goes Out
  13. Invitation
  14. Rogers Team
  15. Wait List
  16. Hardwood Floors
  17. Move, Move
  18. Moving to Seattle
  19. This One
  20. Everything is Different

If you’d like to check out the soundtrack for Driveways, it is currently available.

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Soundtrack News: ‘Barkskins’ Original Series Soundtrack Available June 5th

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Milan Records is pleased to announce that the National Geographic Original Series Soundtrack for Barkskins will be available on June 5, 2020. Barkskins examines the mysterious massacre of settlers in the vast and unforgiving wilds of 1690s New France that threatens to throw the region into all-out war. The series tells a thrilling story of exploration, adventure and ambition among dreamers and fighters — some with a utopian vision of the world, others crass and conniving, but all navigating the perils of a treacherous new frontier. As tensions escalate, unlikely alliances are forged, old antagonisms deepen and new families are formed against the seemingly endless natural riches and hidden dangers of the new American continent.

 

The soundtrack for Barkskins was composed by Colin Stetson, who is a highly-coveted collaborator to Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits, LCD Soundsystem, The National and more. More recently, Stetson has focused on scoring a number of original soundtracks, including Color Out of Space (2019), Lavender (2016), which he co-scored with Sarah Neufeld, A24 production Hereditary (2018) and Hulu series The First (2018). He also contributed to the score for award-winning game Red Dead Redemption II (2018) and is set to score the new Adult Swim anime miniseries Uzumaki, an adaptation of Junji Ito’s renowned horror manga, which arrives in 2020.

Of the soundtrack, composer Colin Stetson says:

“The ‘sound of the forest’ was what I was first tasked with in generating the overall aesthetic and character of the score for Barkskins. Taken both literally and metaphorically, I based much of the sonic backbone on two pillars: Of an essence and feeling of wild and heavily wooded places, I combined the sounds of low bowed strings and my own voice, in unison and extreme glissando, to create an undulating melodic bed, deeply creaking and airy, as trees swaying in the wind. And literally, the actual sounds of the forest, those of red squirrels, finches, ravens, and I think a sea lion (whoops) all twisted and modified into a supporting sonic landscape within which to compose.”

BARKSKINS (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK)
TRACKLISTING –
1. Forest Fire
2. Company Man
3. The Tree
4. Renardette
5. True Warrior
6. English Scum
7. Lie Down
8. The Company Way
9. Marth Burns
10. Father Clape
11. A Proposal
12. Aftermath
13. With Death Upon You
14. First And Last Meals
15. The Letter
16. Retrieving The Dead
17. Punishment
18. Alive
19. Awake You Sleepy Hearts (feat. David Thewlis)

The official soundtrack for Barkskins will be available on June 5, 2020.

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Soundtrack Review: Spaceship Earth (2020)

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The soundtrack for the recently released documentary Spaceship Earth is now available from Milan Records. Spaceship Earth is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem called BIOSPHERE 2. The experiment was a worldwide phenomenon, chronicling daily existence in the face of life threatening ecological disaster and a growing criticism that it was nothing more than a cult. The bizarre story is both a cautionary tale and a hopeful lesson of how a small group of dreamers can potentially reimagine a new world.

Album Artwork - Owen Pallett

The soundtrack for Spaceship Earth was composed by Owen Pallett, who is a composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. They have released a string of critically praised solo recordings, winning the Polaris Prize in 2006. They currently release albums with Secret City Records and Domino Recording Co., and have performed as a solo performer with orchestras worldwide. Their chamber music work has been commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Bang On A Can, The Barbican, among many others. They also served as curator of the TSO’s New Creations Festival in 2017.

Of the soundtrack, composer Owen Pallett says:

This is my second collaboration with Matt Wolf, after 2019’s Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project.  The film Spaceship Earth chronologically spans from 1960 to present day— it is serious, it is comedic, it is retro, it is futuristic, it is scientific and it is highly human.  It is also distinctly American.  As a result, I was inspired by 60s sci-fi film scores, Nino Rota, as well as American 20th century music— John Adams and Aaron Copland.

All of those influences are evident in Pallett’s score for Spaceship Earth, which is among the most beautiful I’ve heard this year. The music for this documentary runs a huge gamut from nearly symphonic to an American style that is, as the composer indicated, clearly inspired by the music of Aaron Copland (“Synergia Ranch” in particular). I may have listened to a few of the pieces out of order, but I was instantly struck by a four-part piece organized under the title “Biosphere 2.” Played back to back, these four pieces reminded me of a symphony, with themes weaving together and coming back at the end of the piece. It’s not often I hear a symphonic piece of music while listening to a soundtrack, but that is indeed what the four parts of “Biosphere 2” reminded me of.

And it only got better from there. Most of the soundtrack is delightfully musical, with a sense of “sci-fi” lurking around every corner. If you didn’t know what this documentary was about, you could be forgiven for thinking it was about literal space travel. It would be interesting to know, specifically, which sci-fi film scores influenced Pallett, as their influence can clearly be felt.

But there was also a touch of weirdness (in a good way) as well. As I mentioned earlier, “Synergia Ranch” was clearly inspired by the music of Aaron Copland (it put me in mind of “Hoedown” in case you were wondering) and it definitely stands out from the music around it.

In conclusion, the soundtrack for Spaceship Earth is beautifully done, and I applaud Owen Pallett for creating such beautiful music to accompany the documentary. Let me know what you think about Spaceship Earth (and the soundtrack) in the comments below and have a great day!

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Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack Review: A Brief History of Time Travel (2018)

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Just recently I had the unexpected pleasure of looking over the soundtrack for the documentary A Brief History of Time Travel. As the title suggests, this documentary is all about a subject that has fascinated scientists (and regular people for years: time travel. The synopsis is as follows:

Time travel reaches far beyond the realm of science fiction. From early stories featuring heroes mysteriously falling into far-flung future worlds to countless appearances in literature, science fiction and video games, the idea of traveling through time has spanned cultures across the globe.

Through interviews with experts across a variety of fields – theoretical physicists, game designers, spiritual leaders to futurist authors, “A Brief History of Time Travel” explores how this idea has inspired some of the prominent intellectual minds of today, and how it has influenced their work.

The soundtrack for A Brief History of Time Travel was composed by Tracie Turnbull, an LA-based composer. Apart from her work on this documentary, Tracie also works as a scoring and tech assistant for Emmy award winning composer Jeff Russo. She has written additional music on projects including: CBS’s Star Trek: Discovery, Sci-fi’s Channel Zero, FX’s Snowfall, Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and the film, Mile 22.

The music for A Brief History of Time Travel was a lot of fun to listen to. Considering Tracie Turnbull is also a cellist, it’s not a surprise that the soundtrack features a healthy amount of that instrument. Indeed, a large portion of the soundtrack appears to be devoted primarily to the strings to create the warm, but quirky sounds that make up most of the score. Perhaps I was overly influenced by the title of the documentary, but it seemed to me that a lot of the music I heard reflected the passing of time. For example, I could’ve sworn I heard the ticking of clocks in several pieces. The idea occurred to me because Andrew Prahlow did something similar in his score for Outer Wilds. For that matter, speaking of the passage of time, the way most of these pieces “flowed” felt so appropriate given that they’re covering a documentary about time travel, in that time is often described as “flowing” from the past to the future.

As with most documentary scores that I’ve heard, the music for A Brief History of Time Travel is very easy to listen to; it’s gentle, it’s warm, and it draws no more attention to itself than necessary. By no means is that a bad thing, by their nature documentary scores aren’t generally supposed to stand out because that would make them a distraction to what the documentary is talking about. I think Tracie Turnbull’s score complements the topic of the documentary beautifully, allowing the imagination to run wild about the possibilities of time travel.

Track List:

1 Time Travel
2 Time Passing
3 Clock Slowed
4 Three Theories
5 Beyond Space
6 Back And Forward
7 Perspective Of A Computer
8 Space And Looking Back
9 Freeze People
10 Imagine Time Travel
11 Happens In The Future
12 Constraints Of Nature
13 If You Could Travel
14 History Of The Universe

The score for A Brief History of Time Travel can be purchased/downloaded from the following places:

Notefornote Website: https://bit.ly/36bS4DF

Let me know what you think about A Brief History of Time Travel (and the score) in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack Review: Betty (2020)

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The soundtrack for the HBO Original Series Betty is now available from Milan Records. Starring Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell, and Rachelle Vinberg, Betty follows a diverse group of young women navigating their lives through the predominantly male-oriented world of skateboarding, set against the backdrop of New York City.  

The soundtrack for Betty was composed by Aska Matsumiya, who is a LA based Japanese composer and producer who has excelled across Film, Television, Advertising and music production. Aska provided the score for the Amazon feature film, “I’m Your Woman” for director Julia Hart. In addition, she partnered with A24 and acclaimed director Kogonada on his film “After Yang”, collaborating with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto starring Colin Farrell.  

Of the soundtrack, composer Aska Matsumiya says:

“Writing the music for Betty allowed me to be in touch with a side of myself that remains youthful and raw and spontaneous. It was really so much fun and I tried to let that momentum carry the music.”

Wow, Matsumiya wasn’t kidding when she talked about getting in touch with her youthful, raw, and spontaneous side. The soundtrack for Betty is ALL of these things wrapped up together and it is pure joy to listen to. The melody is bouncing, alive, and just seems to dart from place to place. I don’t know why this surprised me, considering Betty is set in the world of skateboarding, this type of music is the perfect way to express that world where gravity is defied on a regular basis. I think my favorite track is “Betty”, the title track is bright, bouncy, and beautiful, like most of the soundtrack in fact.

TRACKLISTING –

  1. Betty
  2. Vibez
  3. Space Ride
  4. Why Not Bambi
  5. Anxiety Attack
  6. Chinatown Quest
  7. Strawberry Field
  8. The Sound
  9. Feeling Blues Cloud
  10. No Jordan
  11. No Chill
  12. Hypnotism – Bebel Matsumiya
  13. AMNSA – Rosehardt
  14. Strangers – Ruby Haunt
  15. One of the Girls – Otha
  16. Apocalypse – Cigarettes After Sex
  17. Djougou Toro – Volta Jazz

In all seriousness, the music for Betty is delightful, and I highly recommend checking the soundtrack out if you get the chance.

Let me know what you think about Betty (and its music) in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

TV Soundtracks

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Soundtrack Review: Outlander (season 5)

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The soundtrack for season 5 of Outlander, with music composed by Bear McCreary is available now. In Season 5 of Outlander, Jamie Fraser must fight to protect those he loves, as well as the home he has established alongside his wife, Claire Fraser, their family, and the settlers of Fraser’s Ridge.  This new mantle of responsibility sees him pitted against his godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, a leader of North Carolina’s Regulator Rebellion.  Claire Fraser is determined to keep her family safe by any means necessary, whatever the consequences… while Brianna Fraser and Roger MacKenzie struggle to find their respective places in this brave new world. 

Of the soundtrack, composer Bear McCreary says:

“From the bagpipes of Scotland, the baroque harpsichords of Paris, the blistering Afro-Cuban percussion of Jamaica, to the twangy banjos of the Appalachian Mountains, my score for Outlander has continuously evolved to keep up with Claire and Jamie as they traverse both time and space. For the series’ fifth season, I was presented with a new kind of challenge. For the first time, the geography and century would remain consistent with the previous season.  As a result, there was no longer a need to introduce new instruments and styles. Inspired by the drama, it was time to dig deeper into the music that had already been established.”

Listening to the soundtrack for season 5, the first thing that struck me was how cinematic it all sounds. It really felt like I was listening to the soundtrack of a movie, not a television series. And that reminded me of just how much music for television series have changed in the last few decades. It used to be that there was a noticeable difference between film music and television music, but not any longer. Now, especially with big productions like Outlander (and formerly Game of Thrones, just to name an example), the music sounds just like something you’d hear in a movie.

And certainly Bear McCreary does his all to give the music for Outlander season 5 a filmic feel. Actually there are certain portions that put me in mind of James Horner’s score for Titanic. You also definitely get the feel of 18th-century North America with this music. I have no better word to explain what I mean other than it just feels rustic, almost like something you would hear in that era. It’s really evident that Bear McCreary put a lot of work into this score to create the best music possible.

OUTLANDER: SEASON 5 (ORIGINAL TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK)
TRACKLISTING –
1. Outlander – The Skye Boat Song (Choral Version)
2. The New Fraser’s Ridge
3. As Long as We Both Shall Live
4. L-O-V-E
5. Blood of My Blood
6. Murtagh’s Oath
7. The Fiery Cross
8. The Battle of Alamance
9. Murtagh
10. Young Ian Returns
11. Clementine
12. A Red, Red Rose
13. The Fang Syringe
14. Justice for Bonnet
15. Journeycake
16. Lighting the Cross
17. Saving Claire
18. Outlander – The Skye Boat Song (Solo Vocal Version)

I genuinely enjoyed listening to Bear McCreary’s music for Outlander season 5 and I hope you enjoy listening to it as well. Let me know what you think about the season 5 soundtrack in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

TV Soundtracks

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Soundtrack News: ‘Capone’ Soundtrack to be Released on May 29th

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Milan Records announced today that the original motion picture soundtrack for Capone will be released on May 29th, 2020. Available for preorder now, the album features music written and produced by EL-P and co-produced by long time EL-P collaborator Wilder Zoby (Run the Jewels, Roma) for the new film starring Tom Hardy as the infamous gangster Al Capone. This marks the first complete film score from EL-P since 2004’s Bomb The System, and arrives on the heels of score contributions to Fantastic 4 (for which EL-P scored the end credits, which marked the beginning of his working relationship with Capone director Josh Trank) and 2016’s Bleed For This (directed by Ben Younger) as well as contributing to the soundtrack for 2018’s Oscar winning Roma (directed by Alfonso Cuarón).

Of the score, EL-P says:

“I grew up on film scores and they’ve always been a huge influence on me and I’ve been hoping to get the time and chance to do another, so I was thrilled to do Capone. Huge thanks to Josh Trank and Tom Hardy for bringing me in and of course to Wilder Zoby who was my right hand man through the whole score. I loved helping create and getting lost in this twisted little trip in to Al’s mind.  Much of the music on this score is directly from the movie and some of it is stuff that was created for the film but didn’t survive the final cut.  I’m excited to present it to the world in this form.”

Produced by BRON Studios and recently released by Vertical Entertainment, Capone is now available anywhere you can buy or rent movies, including, but not limited to, Apple TV, iTunes (where it hit #1 on the US and Canada new movie charts), Amazon, Google Play, FandangoNow, and Vudu.

Once a ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, Alfonse Capone was the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore. At the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia rots Alfonse’s mind and his past becomes present. Harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life. As he spends his final year surrounded by family with the FBI lying in wait, this ailing patriarch struggles to place the memory of the location of millions of dollars he hid away on his property.

CAPONE (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE)

TRACKLISTING –

1.                Italy theme

2.                something in the hall

3.                by car and by boat

4.                intruders

5.                we don’t use that name around here

6.                walking in to a dream

7.                give it up for Al

8.                mama’s hurt

9.                still a family…assassin!

10.             you’re a good man, Al

11.             Al hell breaks loose

12.             back from hell

13.             this is Al thats left (end credits)

Remember you’ll be able to pick up the soundtrack for Capone starting May 29th, 2020. Until then, let me know what you think about the film in the comments below and have a great day!

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Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

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Soundtrack Review: The Painter and the Thief (2020)

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Today Milan Records released the official soundtrack for The Painter and the Thief, with music composed by Uno Helmersson. The Painter and the Thief tells the story of a Czech artist, who, desperate for answers about the theft of her 2 paintings, seeks out and befriends the career criminal who stole them. After inviting her thief to sit for a portrait, the two form an improbable relationship and an inextricable bond that will forever link these lonely souls.

Uno Helmersson is an award-winning Swedish composer and a multi-instrumentalist whose credits include the worldwide hit TV series The Bridge, broadcast in more than 100 territories and for which he was awarded a Golden FIPA. Other major credits include the Emmy winning Armadillo documentary series following a group of Danish soldiers for 6 months in Afghanistan; Magnus, about the life of Norway’s Mozart of Chess directed by Benjamin Ree for Norway’s Moskus Film; Susanne Bier’s A Second Chance, additional score; Mikkei Norgaard’s The Absent One; and Zentropa’s Department Q film series.

Of the soundtrack, composer Uno Helmersson says:

“I am really happy with the music for The Painter and the Thief. I think that it is by all means emphasizing the uniqueness in this beautiful and unexpected story. Working with Benjamin Ree has been a true pleasure. With his enormous trust in the process of creating narration and his trust in my music, we have had a creative collaboration on my music for The Painter and the Thief. This film is truly a piece of art.”

Given that this documentary is about an artist who becomes friends with the thief who stole her paintings, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to listen to this soundtrack. While I rarely hear a soundtrack I don’t like, I still don’t listen to that many documentary soundtracks. That being said….the music for The Painter and the Thief surprised me in a way I wasn’t expecting. See, for the most part, the soundtrack is what you would expect from a documentary: soft, gentle tones that come across as thoughtful, polite, enough to fill the background but not dominate the action. Then came the track “Finding the Swans” and everything changed. This piece is loud, frenetic, and completely different from the rest of the soundtrack. I’m not sure of the context of this piece but it was a welcome diversion from the norm.

And then there’s “The Exhibition”, the final entry in the soundtrack. I think I may have liked this piece the best, because it literally comes across as the grand finale, complete with organ music. It’s quite the payoff given how quiet most of the soundtrack is.

In conclusion, if you like listening to soundtracks, you will find the music for The Painter and the Thief enjoyable, particularly towards the end. If you’ve never heard the music of Uno Helmersson before, I think this is a fine introduction to his work.

Let me know what you think about The Painter and the Thief (and its soundtrack) in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

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Soundtrack Review: White Lines (2020)

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I got the opportunity to check out the recently released soundtrack for the Netflix Original Series White Lines, with music composed by Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL). The series follows Zoe Walker (Laura Haddock), a young woman who travels to Ibiza after the body of her brother turns up…20 years after he vanished. The 10-episode premiered on Netflix on May 15, 2020.

Tom’s film scoring credits have grossed over $2 billion at the box office and include Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Black Mass, Alita Battle Angel, Divergent, Brimstone, The Dark Tower, Tomb Raider, Terminator: Dark Fate and most recently the record setting Sonic the Hedgehog. He has worked with directors including Peter Jackson, Robert Rodriguez, James Cameron, George Miller, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder and Tim Miller among many others.

Tom is able to draw on his extensive knowledge of classical forms and structures while keeping one finger planted firmly on the pulse of popular music. When this eclectic background is paired with his skill as a multi-instrumentalist (he plays keyboards, guitar, drums, violin, and bass and describes himself as a ‘full contact composer’) and a mastery of studio technology, a portrait emerges of an artist for whom anything is possible.

Of the soundtrack, Tom Holkenborg says:

“It was a delight to dive back into my electronic roots and revisit some amazing Ibiza memories when creating the score for White Lines. Though much of the music I made is not club focused, as they licensed a lot of original tracks from the late ‘90s and early 2000s, I think my work was able to capture some of the magic that makes club culture and the island so special. It was a really fun personal project to work on and I hope people love the series.”

There is, for sure, a sense of the club life to be found in Holkenborg’s music for White Lines. The electronic synthesizer at times creates a vague sense of dancing music. Not surprisingly, “In the Club” was one such track that reminded me of dancing and being in the club environment. Other times, to be honest, the synthesizer felt like a throwback to the 80s, at least that’s what it reminded me of. I was fascinated by how Holkenborg wove the music together, one moment it sounds like something from 30-40 years ago, in the next instant it’s a regular piece of music that twists and turns as it moves along.

Actually it surprised me just how slow and thoughtful the music for White Lines could be. Given the setting is in Ibiza, a place known for its party atmosphere, a lot of the music sounded like the complete opposite of that kind of environment. Perhaps that’s because the series is looking past the glitzy club-atmosphere to the reality that can exist in a place like Ibiza. That would certainly explain the semi-serious nature of most of the soundtrack. One of my favorite pieces in this vein is “Missing You”, it combines the piano with the synthesizer and the melody just aches with raw emotion at times.

Listening to the music for White Lines reminded me, yet again, that one should never pre-judge a soundtrack by the premise of the show or movie that it’s attached to. White Lines might not be everyone’s cup of tea for a story, but there’s no denying that some beautiful music has been created for this show. Hopefully my brief thoughts will persuade you to check the soundtrack out sometime in the future.

WHITE LINES (MUSIC FROM THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES)
TRACKLISTING –
1. Zoe’s Arrival
2. Times Gone By
3. Darker Night
4. Missing You
5. On The Road
6. Ibiza Bar
7. I’m Happy for You
8. Live Life
9. Manchester Life
10. In The Club
11. Boxer
12. It Was Ours
13. Infinity
14. The Past
15. Repercussions
16. Romance
17. Retrace The Path
18. My Goddess
19. New Day
20. Discoveries
21. Accident
22. Closure
23. Diving for Prizes
24. Family Troubles
25. Memories
26. Zoe

Let me know what you think about White Lines (and its soundtrack) in the comments below and have a great day!

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TV Soundtracks

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