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Tonino Baliardo Lead Guitarist of the GIPSY KINGS [Interview]


Okay I am thrilled and happy to bring you all something different, though in the world of music. I bring you the great Tonino Baliardo Lead Guitarist of the GIPSY KINGS...who I got the great pleasure to talk with this week as the "GIPSY KINGS" come to town this weekend Sun, June 1, 2014 Chicago, IL at The Chicago Theatre [CLICK HERE FOR ALL TOUR DATES]... as they Celebrate the 25th Anniversary together, thank you Tonino and Anne for helping getting this in on their busy schedule.
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: How do you see the world from each tour, what are some of your favorite places?

Tonino Baliardo: I see the world from a bus or a plane. Although it is not the best way to see it, I am blessed to be able to go and tour all over the world. I also get to play my music to people and share our culture with them. it is a great experience gives us the energy to be able to travel like we do. Some of my favorite places are San Francisco, Barcelona , Miami and the Caribbean. I love warm places, although the coldest winter was a summer in San Francisco!


Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: Please tell me who you are and your contributions to "Gipsy Kings"?

Tonino Baliardo: I am Tonnino Baliardo, lead guitarist, co-writer and producer of the band. 


Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: How do you feel you all have grown with the latest release "SAVOR FLAMENCO" on Knitting Factory Records?

Tonino Baliardo: We are happy to be able to finally create a project from the ground up. we conceived, wrote, produced, played and recorded the project entirely on our own. We took as much time as we needed and was able to naturally create what we wanted to. It was a great experience and are so completely happy with our results.

Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: What is the oddest and greatest item/gift you personally received from a fan?

Tonino Baliardo: The greatest gift was happiness from our fans. They create the atmosphere in which we are able to play. They get so moved by our music, it is the greatest gift one can give. I wish everyone could experience that once in their life, I think the world would be a better place if they did. we are lucky to be able to experience that.

The weirdest gift was a gold fish in my hotel room. I woke up one day after a date and saw a gold fish in my room, in a small bowl. I loved that fish and didn't want to leave it behind. So I brought it down to check out and the hotel asked me what I was doing. I told them that I received this fish from I guess a fan and wanted to bring it with me. They informed me that they put a fish in everyone's room and that I could not take it with me. I was embarrassed and left my friend at the front desk. Two trains passing in the night!


Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: When on stage looking into the crowds, what do you find to help staying calm?

Tonino Baliardo: When I see the audience smile, I get calm right away. Until then I am all nerves.

Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: Looking back at 25 years, what do you hope the people will take away from the "Gipsy Kings" experience?

Tonino Baliardo: I hope that their troubles are taken away for those few hours. It's pretty hard traveling every day, riding in all sorts of ways, trying to get to a show. We do it because we love it and is the only way we know, however if we can just make life easier in those two hours, it makes all the difference in the he world. It's good for the soul.

GIPSY KINGS

La-La Land Records: Son of Batman [2014] - Frederik Wiedmann


La-La Land Records and Warner Bros. Animation proudly present the original score to the all-new DC Universe Animated Movie SON OF BATMAN. Acclaimed composer Frederik Wiedmann (GREEN LANTERN THE ANIMATED SERIES, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX) finds the perfect pitch for the Caped Crusader with a vigorous orchestral score that chronicles Batman's fight against Gotham crime with his son Damian (the new Robin). Wiedmann expertly mines both sides of Batman, musically capturing the complex character's heroic feats as well as his dark, conflicted psyche. Produced by the composer and MV Gerhard, and mastered by James Nelson, this limited edition of 1500 units contains two exclusive tracks not available on the digital download version. The CD booklet is infused with great pics and includes brief comments from the composer and the film's animation director. The Gotham-infused art design is by Dan Goldwasser.
 
Just Announced!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Varèse Sarabande: Strike Back [2014]


VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS TO RELEASE
Cinemax's: STRIKE BACK

Featuring Original Music By Scott Shields
And The Main Title Theme “Short Change Hero” By The Heavy
 
Varèse Sarabande Records will release STRIKE BACK – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, available digitally and on CD May 27, 2014.  The soundtrack features the hard rocking original score composed by Scott Shields (the UK rock band GUN) for the third and fourth seasons of the show.  The album also features the main title theme song “Short Change Hero” performed by The Heavy.

STRIKE BACK launched by BBC in the UK and season one ran in the US as STRIKE BACK: ORIGINS on Cinemax (starring amongst other people THE WALKING DEAD’s Andrew Lincoln).  “The sound now reflects the edgy kind of music that our heroes would listen to and gives a very contemporary feel to the show,” said Shields.

Scott Shields is a composer, producer, and songwriter known for his work on many popular feature films, television dramas and album recordings.  Scott has been the musical mastermind behind STRIKE BACK from its premiere season; the popular Cinemax television series is now in production on its final season, slated to air later in the year.

“In the 5 years that I have been scoring STRIKE BACK, I have followed the progress and growth of the characters, and the music developed organically with them. At the start of the series, we used an orchestral brass section, cellos, and military percussion and gave it a very British feel. In seasons three and four, we used the high intensity approach that we now have.”

As a multi-instrumentalist and renowned rock musician, Scott has written, produced, and played with established acts such as Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, KT Tunstall, The Beautiful South and GUN. It was through his collaborations with the iconic Strummer that Scott first ventured into the world of film in 2001, when he was invited to co-write the soundtrack to British comedy GYPSY WOMAN.

Further television programs Scott has scored include the ITV drama series THE FIXER, and Series 8 of the BBC1 drama WAKING THE DEAD. Together with Ilan Eshkeri, he composed Lynda La Plante’s TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION. Scott also collaborated with Magnus Fiennes on ITV drama series INJUSTICE, Series 4 and 5 of MURPHY’S LAW, THE LAST ENEMY, and HBO drama 5 DAYS.

A high-octane, globe-spanning thriller with storylines ripped from today's headlines, STRIKE BACK focuses on two members of a top-secret intelligence agency known as Section 20: Michael Stonebridge, a British sergeant on the elite counter-terrorism team, and Damien Scott, a former U.S. Delta Force operative who was discharged on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Stonebridge, Scott and the rest of Section 20 criss-cross the globe on the trail of a deadly international terrorist named Latif, who is planning a major attack involving a cache of WMD that could have global repercussions.

“The battle sequences are driven forward with modern rock instruments, aggressive beat programming, cinematic percussion and complex synth textures, while the exotic locations used by the show allow me to experiment with ethnic vocalists and instrumentalists,” Shields explained.  “I then like to blend the traditional with the modern sound of the series to create this hybrid score.”

Cinemax presents STRIKE BACK, returning for a fifth and final season later in the year.  The STRIKE BACK –Original Television Series Soundtrack from Varèse Sarabande Records will be released digitally and on CD May 27, 2014.
 


Just Announced!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

La-La Land Records: THE PEACEMAKER [2Cd] - Hans Zimmer


La-La Land Records, UME and Paramount Pictures present a remastered and expanded 2-CD SET of renowned composer Hans Zimmer's (BLACK RAIN, THELMA & LOUISE, BROKEN ARROW, MAN OF STEEL) original motion picture score to the 1997 Dreamworks dramatic action/thriller feature, THE PEACEMAKER, starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, and directed by Mimi Leder. At long last, one of Mr. Zimmer's most notable 90's action scores roars back to the forefront in a deluxe presentation that boasts a running time over two and a half hours and includes such bonus cues as original album edits, an alternate Lisbeth Scott vocal, and the original trailer music. This is expert action-thriller scoring - powerful, thematic music that propels the action with muscle, while never losing sight of the humanity at stake. Produced by Dan Goldwasser and mastered by Doug Schwartz, this limited edition of 3000 units includes exclusive, in-depth liners by Tim Greiving and tactically-sharp art direction by Goldwasser.
 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Lakeshore Records: Gambit [2014] - Rolfe Kent


Lakeshore Records will release the GAMBIT – Original Soundtrack digitally and as a disc-on-demand on May 13, 2014. The album features original music by Rolfe Kent (Labor Day, Sideways).  “It's quite a jazzy/swing score,” Kent described.  “That came mostly from the way Harry [Colin Firth’s character] moves around the Savoy Hotel; it had such a fun, quirkily nimble flair, and it pushed me in a sort of Mancini direction.”

The unexpected textures and sounds of instruments are the hallmarks of musician Rolfe Kent, composer of more than 40 films, including the 2014 releases of Labor Day, The Vampire Academy, and Bad Words, along with Sideways (Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominated score), About Schmidt, Election, Mean Girls, Nurse Betty, Legally Blonde, Wedding Crashers, Just Like Heaven, The Matador, Thank You For Smoking, Reign Over Me, The Hunting Party, 17 Again, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Men Who Stare At Goats, and Up In The Air.  Kent received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme for the hit Showtime series Dexter.

Rolfe Kent has the distinction of attracting and sustaining relationships with directors as popular and diverse as Alexander Payne (The Descendants, Sideways, About Schmidt, Citizen Ruth, Election), Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Just Like Heaven, Freaky Friday, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Mr. Popper’s Penguins), Richard Shepard (Reign Over Me, The Matador, The Hunting Party, Mexico City, Oxygen, Mercy) and Jason Reitman (Labor Day, Thank You For Smoking, Up in the Air).  Kent was honored at the 2010 Vision Awards – also honored that year were Dan Rather, Steve Jobs, and Buzz Aldrin.  In 2012 Kent was awarded BMI’s Richard Kirk Award for outstanding achievement in film and television music. 

GAMBIT will be available on DVD and Video on Demand on May 27, 2014. GAMBIT – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Lakeshore Records will be available digitally and as a disc-on-demand on May 13, 2014.
 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Intrada: Night Crossing [1982-2014] - Jerry Goldsmith


Intrada's latest release revisits its first Disney project --  the 1982 Jerry Goldsmith score to Night Crossing. Covering a dramatic range of ideas, Goldsmith's score expresses both the menace and aggression of the East German locale and the soaring aspirations of two families hoping to escape from it. The score is one of Goldsmith's busiest and throughout the action material the strings, woodwinds and piano are given an abundance of swirling, running figures that race over, under and around the thematic material. Comprised of three primary themes, the first introduces the theme for the oppressive East German military machine, a driving line of powerful brass and snarling string figures unfolding over the percussion motif and then in the trombones and tuba. The use of accordion introduces the second theme with a gentle and distant feel -- a delicate waltz setting for the families that hope to build a balloon and escape from their cold environment. The third and primary theme, tackles the central subject of the film: building, testing and launching the balloon needed for the escape. The melody appears in a wide range of instrumental colors, from a delicate flute solo over harp figures to a glorious and impassioned musical finale for the entire orchestra at the close.

To restore the entire score, Intrada revisited the original ½” 15 I.P.S. Dolby A-encoded three-channel session masters engineered at EMI Abbey Road by Eric Tomlinson, making new digital stereo mixes of every sequence. In addition to a few alternates appearing for the first time, an important change between this new CD and the earlier release should be noted.  This change comes with those all-important pauses that occur between the many bars of solo percussion.  The earlier release included numerous edits of both the percussion and intervening silences and lent a degree of forward momentum to the respective cues, but also truncated the important, rhythmically timed pauses that generated much of the suspense. This particular “percussion and pause” motif, including the meticulously timed silences between the phrases, occurs throughout the score. As such, for this release Intrada retained Goldsmith’s original unaltered cues, including the exact timings of the silences integral to the musical effect. Listeners familiar with the earlier edition will probably have to become used to the longer, more deliberate pacing of these “percussion and pauses” sections of the score, but—once having done so—will no doubt find rewards in the rhythmic architecture of Goldsmith’s original structure.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 280
For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
[CLICK HERE]
 
Just Announced!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Intrada: Shiver [2012] - Richard Band


Composer Richard Band has a long history of providing thrilling scores for horror films, many of which were presented previously on the Intrada label.  One of his latest works is to Robert Weinbach's 2012 film Shiver. As Weinback states, "His lushly orchestrated music evokes intense emotional responses of pathos, suspense and terror, conveying a special style and tone to the film. It further underscores the portrayal of character traits not altogether obvious from other elements of the film."  Band was Weinbach's first and only choice to score Shiver.  More melodic and colorful than your usual horror music fare these days,  Band has created a fresh score that should please his followers.

Shiver is an award-winning horror-thriller starring Danielle Harris (Hatchet II and III), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) and John Jarratt (Wolf Creek). The film follows the ordeal of Wendy Alden (Harris), a young secretary lacking in self-esteem who becomes the target of a savage killer but, somehow, finds the courage to fight back and escape. Obsessed with killing Wendy, the brilliant psychopath Franklin Rood (Jarratt) stays one step ahead of pursuing Detective Delgado (Van Dien), circling ever closer to the target of his deranged fantasies. Wendy confronts the monster of her living nightmare with her own desperate, indomitable will to survive.

INTRADA MAF 7133
For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
IS THAT YOUR HEAD IN A JAR OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME?

Just Announced!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST rights the wrongs in more ways than one!

This review is going to contain big time spoilers, folks.  In fact this review is not about the film itself but the spoilers themselves and how important they are.  If you haven't seen the new X-Men movie (Quick review:  It's AMAZING) then go see it and then read my review.......If you get bored enough of course.

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is a rare kind of film.  When I say rare I do believe a movie like this has never ever been done before in the whole history of movies.  Maybe I am wrong but I am not going to bother to do the research to find out.  What DAYS does is go back and correct some of the really bad story decisions that were made in the weaker entrees of the franchise.  That's right, folks.  If there was something you didn't like in X-MEN : THE LAST STAND or in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE this movie tries to correct it.  How unique and never done before is that?  DAYS sets a new possibility in future fantasy movies.  If you mess something up just make a sequel dealing with time travel to fix it.  Hopefully the STAR WARS movie makers are paying attention.  (*cough*THE PREQUELS NEVER HAPPENED*cough*)

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST!!!

Jason

GODZILLA (2014) A Beast to be Feared and Loved!

Gareth Edwards and all involved in the making of this film have given us a truly remarkable GODZILLA movie!  I am a big fan of the GODZILLA franchise so my review will be a bit too over glowing.  The past films were a part of my mental development as a young child.  Godzilla and all the monsters he fought were a source of inspiration for my wild imagination.  I colored and drew many pictures of him/her in grade school.  Often I would glue many pages of notebook paper together so I could draw him as big as I could fighting the giant Sea Monster or Ghidorah the Three-Headed Dragon from space.  There would always be planes, ships and helicopters buzzing about shooting, getting blown up or having pilots ejecting as their craft crashed into the massive beast.  Good times.  I wasn't into sports in case you were wondering.  As much as I love Godzilla I will admit that I haven't seen most of his films.  My favorite though was GODZILLA 1985.  If I remember correctly it was the first film since the original that had a more serious tone.  The death of people wasn't so easily brushed aside like most movies in the franchise.  Charred bodies were left behind in his destruction.  Buildings were no longer just mere models on a stage with a rubber suit monster stepping on them with fire crackers being shot from toy tanks at her.  The new GODZILLA is closer to that 1985 movie than any other.  I have waited a long time for a Godzilla movie like this.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST!!!

Jason

Chicago Comic Con [2014] and the Howlin' Wolf...


Join tens of thousands of fans as they converge at the Donald E. Stephen Convention Center (Rosemont) at Chicago Comic Con Wizard World Convention to celebrate the best in pop culture. Chicago Comic Con brings it all - Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles, Anime, Manga & More! Chicago Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!

Wizard World Chicago

LOCATION:
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (Rosemont)
5555 North River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018

Yes, this is another we hope to be able to cover this year... fingers crossed!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Interview with Composer... Michael Mollo


Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: Tell us about your current project "Strider" and how did you become involved in it?

Michael Mollo: ‘Strider’ is a side-scrolling game that was original released by Capcom in 1989. It was fairly popular as a NES game and in the arcades as well. The new version was developed by Double Helix Games and supervised by Capcom Japan. My involvement began in November 2012 when I was working on the film ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness.’ I was doing some synth programming and arranging with composer Michael Giacchino at the time. Michael had worked with the Head of Studio for Double Helix, Patrick Gilmore on the ‘Medal of Honor’ series and when Patrick reached out to him for some help, he forwarded Patrick to me. I went down to Orange County and met the team and then spent a few weeks demoing some new materials for the game. Double Helix had a very specific vision for the music for ‘Strider’ and since the franchise already had a distinct sound it was important or me to really nail the music.


Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: How does this project differ from previous ones?

Michael Mollo: For me, this is my first video game score so in that way it was quite different than anything else I’d previously done. Also, this is the first time I’ve worked with existing materials for a score. I had to take into account the music from the previous games in both the arrangements and the new music I was writing. It was a great learning experience both in terms of the technological requirements to make the music interactive but also from a genre perspective. I listen to and write a lot of electronic music, but this score really needed to harken back to the early days of video game music. I spent a good deal of time listening to early chip tune music and really analyzing how it was put together.

Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]: What is a typical day for you, how does it start?

Michael Mollo: Well first I gotta get my little girls off to school. Then if I’m lucky I can get in a quick workout before getting to the studio. I’m a guitar player so I usually spend a bit of time riffing and experimenting with either new sounds each day, but it really depends on what kind of project I have going. I try to stay on top of the latest technology as well in terms of samples, or hardware synths so theres always new libraries, patches or synths that I can spend a bit of time testing and learning. You never know when you’ll stumble upon a cool new sound that might just be right for the project at hand. I try to make sure I write at least a bit of music everyday, but some days I can get bogged down the business end of writing music for film and games. But on a good day I can start working on a new tune in the morning and before I know it the sun has gone down.

For more information of Michael Mollo:
http://michaeljohnmollo.com/

Sony Music: X-Men - Days of Future Past [2014] - John Ottman


Sony Music announces the release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of X-Men: Days of Future Past, featuring music composed by BAFTA Award winner John Ottman. The soundtrack will be available digitally on May 19 and on CD June 3. The composer is no stranger to this epic movie series and to the superhero genre. As both composer and editor, Ottman is the musical right-hand man of Bryan Singer, with whom he collaborated on The Usual Suspects, Jack the Giant Slayer and Valkyrie, and for whom he wrote the soundtrack of X2, the second in the X-Men series.

In Ottman’s own words: "It’s great to be back home with my favorite characters after being away from them since X2.  With the story being focused on a young and broken Charles Xavier, I was given a musical opportunity to underscore his journey of rekindling the hope he’d lost.  Charles Xavier finally gets his own theme."

John Ottman graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. One of his early assignments was to provide original music for the computer game I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. In 1996 he won a BAFTA award for editing The Usual Suspects, and was later nominated for an Emmy Award for his score to the ABC series Fantasy Island. Ottman has written the music for such iconic films as Superman Returns, Fantastic Four and its sequel, and Valkyrie. His range of composition takes in the dark comedy of The Cable Guy, the nightmares of Gothika and Orphan, the animated notes of Astro Boy and Non-Stop.

With six films already released, X-Men is one of the most successful franchises in film history. It started in 2000 with the original X-Men movie, directed by Bryan Singer. X-Men: Days of Future Past is the seventh in the series and the third directed by Singer. The outstanding cast of actors includes Michael Fassbender and Ian Mc Kellen in the role of Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Hugh Jackman as the mutant Logan/Wolverine, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, and Halle Berry playing Ororo Munroe/Storm. It is a dual sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: First Class, and also follows up the story of The Wolverine.

X-Men Days of Future Past: The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The beloved characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from the past, X-Men: First Class, in order to change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save our future.

The film stars Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Also starring are Evan Peters and Omar Sy. The film opens nationwide on May 23.

 
Just Announced! It must be me, I really get excited about film like this... where it's coming out soon and then see it... followed by wanting the score. Well as miracles have it I have the score first and I will follow up seeing the film. It's a great return for John Ottman back to the series of X-men films as he scored the second film... following along with the director to score Superman Returns as they both left. Now both back to helm the "Days of Future Past"... fingers crossed. The score is awesome as you can imagine, now just need to hear it pieced into the film.
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Sparks and Shadows: Da Vinci’s Demons Season II [2014] - Bear McCreary


Sparks & Shadows announces the release of the DA VINCI’S DEMONS: SEASON 2 Original Television Soundtrack, featuring original music by Bear McCreary.  The album from the second season of the hit STARZ Original series, produced with BBC Worldwide and Adjacent Productions, will be available through all digital providers on May 27th.  A 2-CD collectors edition version will be released later this year.

“DA VINCI’S DEMONS Season 2 is adventurous, ambitious storytelling that required a dynamic, thematically-layered score,” said McCreary.  “The season-premiere plunges the audience right back into the chaos from the first-season cliffhanger, and the tension never lets up.  The score was an immense challenge but among the most creatively rewarding experiences of my life.”

"With the first season, Bear managed to create an indelible and beautifully thematic score that defined the show as much as the writing and performances,” said series star Tom Riley (Leonard Da Vinci).  “With the second he has not only built on that incredible achievement, but in matching the new season's globe-trotting narrative, has added depth and textures from all over the world which have helped inform what ends up on the screen as well as drawing from it.”

“I feel very lucky to have worked with Bear for the second year running,” Laura Haddock (Lucrezia Donati) explained.  “The way he tells a story, highlights an emotion, complements a mood through his music is incredible."

Following the season one finale, Florence is thrown into chaos in the wake of the Pazzi conspiracy, and Leonardo da Vinci must push the limits of his mind and body to defend the city against the forces of Rome.  When the dust settles, friends are buried and rivalries inflamed.  While the Medicis go to unthinkable lengths to deal with new threats, da Vinci continues on his quest to find the fabled Book of Leaves and uncover the secret history of his mother.  He’ll come to realize that he has lethal competition in his quest—new enemies who may be even worse than the forces of Pope Sixtus.  His search will take him to faraway lands and force him to reevaluate everything he knew about the world and his own history.

The voyage takes Da Vinci to exotic places, including the new world.  “The sounds of Peru were a huge influence for me,” explained McCreary.  “The challenge was to take all the Renaissance instruments and themes I'd accumulated during the first season and add a whole new sound to them. As always, I strove for authenticity. The Peruvian vocals throughout the season are genuine pre-Columbian indigenous chants that we recorded with singers who trekked down from the mountains to a recording studio in Lima specifically to perform on this score. When Da Vinci sees Machu Picchu on screen, the score quotes a song from the region that is over five hundred years old. It is not often that a television show offers this kind of creative opportunity!”

“It is the most exciting form of collaboration - where one inspires the other and vice versa,” said Riley of McCreary’s music for DA VINCI’S DEMONS. “You know you're onto something special when you find one of the best ways to get yourself into the mindset of a scene is by actually humming your character's theme."

Composer Bear McCreary was first launched into pop culture with his groundbreaking score to the hit series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA that was lauded by Variety as “the most innovative music on TV today.”  It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR).  Io9.com ranked McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of All Time, and recently WIRED Magazine declared him one of only five “Secret Weapons” of the television industry.

McCreary is currently scoring ABC’s hit series MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., collaborating with visionary Joss Whedon on Marvel’s first foray into network television.  Bear’s many other credits include AMC’s record-shattering global phenomenon THE WALKING DEAD.  Bear works with David S. Goyer (co-writer of THE DARK KNIGHT trilogy, MAN OF STEEL) to score DA VINCI’S DEMONS, the epic historical fantasy that broke ratings records for STARZ and earned Bear his first Emmy Award, for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music (the theme is a carefully-constructed palindrome that sounds the same forwards and backwards!).  Bear also scores STARZ’s hit pirate drama BLACK SAILS, for executive producer Michael Bay.  Later in 2014, Bear will return to STARZ, collaborating once again with BSG showrunner Ronald D. Moore on his highly-anticipated series adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling OUTLANDER novels.

STARZ presents DA VINCI’S DEMONS,airing on Saturday nights.  DA VINCI’S DEMONS: SEASON 2 Original Television Soundtrack, featuring 19 tracks and almost 2 hours of original music composed by Bear McCreary, will be available through all major digital providers on May 27th.

Other releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary's soundtracks for the first season of DA VINCI’S DEMONS, BLACK SAILS, the multimedia science fiction epic DEFIANCE, and the feature film soundtracks for EUROPA REPORT and KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM.
 

Just Announced! I can say... if you are a fan of composer Bear McCreary, you will want this it's glorious!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Screamworks Records: Deep In The Darkness - Matthew Llewellyn


Directed by Colin Theys, Deep In The Darkness follows the journey of Dr. Michael Cayle (Sean Patrick Thomas) who leaves the chaos of New York City for the quiet town of Ashborough, hoping to bring his family closer together. Soon after arriving, however, he discovers the town’s deepest secret: a terrifying and controlling race of creatures that live amongst the darkness in the woods behind his home.

After releasing Matthew Llewellyn’s Dead Souls two years ago, ScreamWorks Records  and Kronos Records teams up with the composer once more to unleash one of the year’s most impressive horror scores. Llewellyn’s sweeping, ominous music for Deep In The Darkness evokes classic drama and horror, combining traditional and contemporary orchestral textures. The score was recorded with the Slovakia National Symphony Orchestra.

Screamworks Records digital release of the score co-incides with the theatrical release of the film, and the CD release follows the airing of the film on Chiller (a division of NBC Universal).

Matthew Llewellyn’s musical background is grounded in the traditions of symphonic music for cinema as well as the modern movie making experience. He has been an integral member of composer Brian Tyler’s team working on high profile projects such as Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Now You See Me, The Expendables 2, and Final Destination 5. As a composer Llewellyn wrote additional music for Far Cry 3 and John Dies At The End. He also provided musical arrangements for the video games Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Branching out with his own composing career, Llewellyn has scored three feature films for the Chiller Network, a division of NBC Universal, including Remains, Dead Souls and Deep In The Darkness. MORE INFORMATION: SCREAMWORKS [CLICK HERE]
 
Great score and if you have not read my interview with composer Matthew Llewellyn [CLICK HERE]!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Kronos Records: RED KROKODIL - Alexander Cimini


RED KROKODIL
Music by ALEXANDER CIMINI
KRONCD045
 
Red Krokodil portrays on the big screen the story of a Krokodil-addict that suddenly finds himself alone in post-nuclear city reminiscing of Chernobyl, whose physical decay caused by the massive intake of drugs develops parallel to that of his inner world.   This neorealist hallucinatory film by acclaimed visionary director Domiziano Cristopharo was inspired by an unpublished tale written by Francesco Scardone.

The music by Alexander Cimini is dreamy and melancholic, it's nightmarish, yet emanating hope and longing, a trip through the feelings of "Him" (as the main character is referred to), his reality and visions, his crumbling world and self.  Cimini transports us though the psyche and the visuals of the film with his beautiful and inspired music.  The CD also features the piece "Capuccetto6" by composer Gabriele Verdinelli.

In addition to the score of Red Krokodil the CD also features a bonus track composed by Cimini for Domiziano Christopharo's Hyde's Secret Nightmare, (also available from Kronos Records and composed by Kristian Sensini) which was not included on the Hyde's Secret Nightmare CD.

Both the score and the composers are a true discovery.   Not to miss!

Release date (CD): June 3, 2014
Samples/Pre-order: CLICK HERE!

As I find I am being introduced to a world of new composers everyday as we here at the Howlin' Wolf cover every day... well here is another score. It's beautiful, it's chilling and grabbing you in... holding you tight... go listen to those samples!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Movie Score Media/Kronos Records: MY NIKIFOR - Bartek Gliniak


MÓJ NIKIFOR (MY NIKIFOR)
Music by BARTEK GLINIAK
MMS14011/KRONCD043

Nikifor is a film about Polish painter Nikifor Krynicki, who painted over 40,000 pictures - on sheets of paper, pages of notebooks, cigarette cartons, and even on scraps of paper glued together.  Underrated for most of his life and achieving recognition as a primitivist painter in his late years.

The soundtrack is the work of young Polish composer Bartek Gliniak, who penned the perfect score to go along this unioque character.  In the artist's own words.  "For the film about Nikifor, I tried to write music that would help view this figure with affection and treat his faults and imperfections with understanding, while emphasising at the same time his talent, temperament and great individuality."

Kronos Records and Moviescore Media are proud to present this soundtrack for this multi award winning film.

Awards
2005 Crystal Globe (Grand Prix) - the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
2005 Gold Hugo (Grand Prize) - the Chicago International Film Festival
2005 Orly - Polish Film Awards - 11 nominations, 6 awards
2005 Athens (the Panorama of European Cinema Film Festival)-FIPRESCI Award
2005 Denver International Film Festival - Krzysztof Kieslowski Award
2006 Hollywood Eagle Award - Los Angeles Polish Film Festival

Release date (CD):     June 3, 2014
Release date (digital): June 3, 2014
Samples/Pre-order: CLICK HERE!

Just Announced! Without seeing the film as I have only heard good things about the film, I recommend the score for it is a draw you in type of music. My only complaint is I wish it were longer, though I have listen to it several times and is the one I have chosen to pick for a starting point.
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Movie Score Media/Kronos Records: TRANSIT - Christoph Zirngibl

 
MMS14012/KRONCD044
Truck driver Martin (Clemens Schick) is almost being dismissed since he fails to deliver his load on schedule even though he already exceeds the driving time required by law. Martin is totally exhausted, but he needs the job. Carrier Roland (Andreas Hoppe) grudgingly gives him one last chance. At a motorway station, a young East European, Ramona (Annika Blendl), asks him to give her a ride. Martin doesn?t know yet that Ramona is a prostitute fleeing from her pimp (Bernd Michael Lade) who is closer on her heels than she thought.

TRANSIT depicts the odyssey of two people who must stand their ground in the strange "freeway" cosmos every day. Mobility has become their personal prison: Martin is confined to his truck and Ramona to a grubby caravan where she has to receive her clients. Surrounded by dreary solitude and marooned in a network of concreted lifelines, these two individuals are connected to each other by their fears and hopes.

Christoph Zirngibl's score is the perfect companion to both picture and drama.  It puts you there in Martin's truck, in Ramona's head and on the asphalt of the highway.  It's warm where it needs to be warm and cold when called for.  A very sensible, genuinely beautiful and evocative score.  This is our second release for young and promising German composer Christoph Zirngibl, a very respected and requested composer in his country and it is our honor and pleasure to "export" his name to the rest of the world.

The first 20 orders of the CD will be accompanied by a bonus DVD-R version of the score in 5.1 Dolby Mix (compatible with most consumer dvd players and home cinema systems).

Release date (CD):     June 3, 2014
Release date (digital): June 3, 2014
Samples/Pre-order: CLICK HERE!

Just Announced! I can tell you for the samples that I have got the pleasure to listen to, it's a very good listen... compelling and moving score!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Magnet Releasing: JOURNEY TO THE WEST [BLU-RAY-DVD]


In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong. Adhering to his firm belief in giving of one’s self for the greater cause, he embraces the demons as his disciples. However, in order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them must embark on a journey to the West that’s full of challenges. 


Update: Okay, you like this style of film... you will like this film. I liked it and cannot really explain it, though I love the wild creativity of the characters, creatures and the story. 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Millennium: The Legend of Hercules [BLU-RAY-DVD]


In ancient Greece, King Amphitryon of Tiryns invades the shores of Argos. The two massive armies face each other, prepared for battle. Amphitryon strikes a bargain with the rival King Galenus: the two will fight to the death, to the victor goes his adversary's kingdom and army. The two engage in combat and Amphitryon easily defeats Galenus and seizes his kingdom. That night, Amphitryon is visited by his estranged wife, Queen Alcmene. He boasts he won the kingdom for her; she protests he won the kingdom for himself and its gold. Alcmene is disgusted by her husband's thirst for power and warmongering. She prays to Hera for guidance. A woman appears declaring herself to be Hera, wife of Zeus, and prophecies that Alcmene will bear the son of Zeus and he will be the savior of her people. The only other witness to this is Chiron, the queen's loyal adviser.


That night, as Amphitryon celebrates his victory, Alcmene is visited by Zeus. She is discovered by Amphitryon who believes the Queen has taken a mortal lover. Alcmene soon gives birth to a healthy baby boy named Alcides, but she secretly acknowledges his true name: Hercules. Twenty years later, a strong and handsome Hercules/Alcides rides along the countryside with his love, Hebe. They frolic along the shore of a secluded lake. Alcides admires Hebe's necklace which was given to her by her mother; she in turn bestows the necklace to Alcides. The two are discovered by Alcides' older brother, Iphicles. A search party was dispatched to look for Hebe, a princess of Crete. Hebes returns to the palace along with her guard while Alcides and Iphicles follow. Along the way the two are attacked by a lion. Alcides wrestles with the lion, strangling it. Iphicles takes all the credit and arrives at the royal banquet wearing the lion's pelt as a cloak. He attempts to humiliate Alcides, calling him a coward but Hebe sees right through him. At the banquet Amphitryon announces the engagement of Hebe and Iphicles. The two lovers are devastated and decide to run away together. They are chased down by the royal guard and Hebe nearly drowns before being saved by Alcides. Alcides is taken back to the palace and is sent away by his father to join a campaign of soldiers to Egypt.

If you throw out the Myth, throw in the Man... or just people getting killed in some horrible ways, then you might enjoy this film. I am a huge fan of films that can become corny getting it's effects in the way of the storyline... this does both. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, though I think the industry needs to start cutting back on the effects and give us depth in story. It kept to a simple nature and gave us good versus evil.
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Lionsgate: I, Frankenstein [DVD/BLU-RAY]


I, Frankenstein is a 2014 Australian-American fantasy action film written and directed by Stuart Beattie and based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. The film stars Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney and Kevin Grevioux.

In 1795, Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young) creates a monster (Aaron Eckhart), a soulless creature patched together from corpses, and then rejects it. In a fit of rage, the creature kills Victor's wife Elizabeth (Virginie Le Brun) and Victor chases it to the Arctic to get revenge, but succumbs to the weather. The creature buries his creator and is then attacked by demons before being rescued by the gargoyles Ophir (Mahesh Jadu) and Keziah (Caitlin Stasey), who bring it before the gargoyle queen Lenore (Miranda Otto) and their commander Gideon (Jai Courtney). Lenore explains that they were created by the Archangel Michael to battle demons on Earth and protect humanity. They name the creature "Adam" and invite him to join them, but he declines and departs after being given weapons that allow him to "descend" demons (destroying their bodies and trapping their souls in Hell) as they have the symbol of the Gargoyle Order carved on them.


Throughout the centuries, Adam fends off the demons that pursue him. During a modern-day confrontation at a nightclub, a human police officer is killed. While Adam is summoned by the gargoyles once more, the demon Helek (Steve Mouzakis) reports that Adam is alive to his leader, the demon-prince Naberius (Bill Nighy), who is disguised as billionaire businessman Charles Wessex, and his right-hand man, Dekar (Kevin Grevioux). Wessex has employed scientist Terra Wade (Yvonne Strahovski) to conduct experiments with reanimated corpses, and sends a group of demons led by his most formidable warrior, Zuriel (Socratis Otto), to attack the gargoyles' cathedral and capture Adam so he can unlock the secret to giving life.

Strong cast of actors, great idea for a film... did they pull it off, I am not too sure that it received the attention they wanted to from a director's view or even the film company. Me personally I liked it for half the film, then it just started looking like everything "Underworld"... and that is a good thing, cause those are the people who made it.
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Anime Central | May 16-18, 2014


What is ACen? Anime Central (ACen) is Chicago’s and the Midwest’s largest anime, manga and Japanese popular culture convention. The convention is currently held in Rosemont, IL, less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago.

As part of its mission, ACen brings fans together with guests from the Japanese and US sectors of the anime and manga industry, as well as gaming, cinema, and Asian culture personalities. The event includes a huge exhibit hall, a massive video game room, concerts, dances, educational panels and workshops, premiere screenings, autograph sessions, 24-hour video rooms, tabletop gaming and much, much more!  

One of the biggest Anime Shows all year, the other conventions of great too... but this is just HUGE. We are going to this and we are going to have one... great... time! I recommend if you are in the neighborhood you do check this out: http://www.acen.org/
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

COME TO THE WHITE ZOMBIE PREMIER!!!

How cool is this?  The fine talented crew of RagNbone Productions are having their premier for WHITE ZOMBIE on July 12, 2014 at the Twin City Opera house in McConnelsville, Ohio.  Apparently the opera house is haunted so when you go there have fun but just don't get ghost on you.  Trust me.  You do not want to bring back some unwelcome guests into your home.  Below is the link to their promo on THE YOUTUBE with more information.  Premiers for horror movies at real haunted locations are the best.  I worked on the web series SHADOW BOUND and we had the premier at the Pythian Castle where we shot some of the scenes for the show.  It is a thrilling and unique experience to say the least.  You do not want to miss out on that kind of opportunity.  Check out RagNbones other feature THE HOUSE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.  You can find a link to the DVD below.  Be sure you tell your friends and share it on THE FACEBOOK.  Thanks.

Jason



Click here to go to the YOUTUBE PROMO for WHITE ZOMBIE!!!

Click here to check out THE HOUSE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS on AMAZON!!!

Intrada: Judith [2Cd] - Sol Kaplan


The 1965 Paramount film Judith gave composer Sol Kaplan a rare opportunity to score a big-budget epic. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, scored the same year and released recently by Intrada, was an espionage thriller who's chilly realism had called for a spare, bleakly moody score. In striking contrast, Judith’s bold melodrama required something big, which Kaplan handily provided. His robust score, performed by the Sinfonia of London, features two primary themes: a powerful, anthem-like theme for Judith, and a hora—a traditional Israeli folk dance— for the kibbutz and its people.

RCA Victor released a re-recorded LP album of Judith featuring 38 minutes of music, a fairly generous presentation for the period (sourced here from ¼″ stereo tape album masters and presented on disc two). But Kaplan recorded well over an hour of music for the film and this Intrada presentation of the score (courtesy ¼″ mono tapes from the Kaplan Collection at the University of Wyoming and featured on disc 1) reveals the composition’s full scope and variety for the first time.

Judith centers on events leading up to the partitioning of Palestine and the formation of the State of Israel during 1947 and 1948. Sophia Loren plays concentration camp survivor Judith Auerbach, who is smuggled into Palestine by the Haganah, the Israeli underground army, to help identify her former husband, Gustav Schiller (Hans Verner). Schiller betrayed Judith and her son to the Nazis to cement his position in the Party during the war. Now, the Haganah suspects he is training Arab tank commanders in Syria for an attack that will take place when the protective British Army forces withdraw. The fiery Judith takes the assignment, but she really intends to kill Schiller for causing the death of her son.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 277
For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
[CLICK HERE]
 
Just Announced!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Intrada: Solar Crisis [1990-2014] - Maurice Jarre


For the 1990 film Solar Crisis, the filmmakers chose a composer by then known for his unique blend of synthesizers and acoustic instruments. With such varied projects as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Solarbabies and Enemy Mine in his recent canon, Jarre seemed a logical choice for another big-budget sci-fi fantasy like Solar Crisis. But the score as heard in the film often bears little resemblance to the score as it was originally recorded. Because post of production tinkering, scenes were either rearranged or cut, disrupting Jarre’s original musical intent. In addition, entire sequences, including the film’s opening, were re-scored by Michael Boddicker. All of this makes finding Jarre’s vision (which is presented on this disc in its original order) within the film an exercise in futility. But certain moments stand out—some for their inclusion and some for their exclusion. One of the biggest omissions occurs right at the beginning—Jarre’s original “Prologue.” Jarre’s contribution sets up numerous musical elements that will be used throughout the score—an ominous low brass theme, trademark oscillating French horn chords, and a C-minor theme for clarinet and bassoon that comes to full orchestral fruition in the finale’s majestic choral passage.

Even in its truncated form within the film, Jarre’s distinctive musical voice still manages to shine through. But heard on CD in its complete, original form, Jarre’s score can be discovered for what it is—a prime example of his period blend of acoustic and electronic instruments, and a unique musical vision that shines in its originality. This premiere release of the score is presented from the two-track stereo session mixes of the print takes made by Shawn Murphy and preserved on two DATs

In the film, when a solar flare threatens Earth’s destruction, Captain Steve Kelso (Tim Matheson) leads a mission to detonate an anti-matter bomb within the sun before it’s too late. Along for the ride are Kelso’s admiral father (Charlton Heston), a test-tube hottie (Annabel Schofield), an evil corporate mogul (Peter Boyle) set on sabotaging the mission, and the HAL-like Freddy the Bomb (voiced by Paul Williams).

For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
HELLO SUN, WON'T YOU COME!

Just Announced... Awesome!
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

'Epic Music' Pioneers Immediate Release Genre Defining New Album Trailerhead: Nu Epiq

 
'EPIC MUSIC' PIONEERS IMMEDIATE RELEASE GENRE DEFINING NEW ALBUM TRAILERHEAD: NU EPIQ

EMMY® Award Winning Music Producers Redefine Epic Music Genre with Visionary Fourth Volume in Groundbreaking Album Series

Premiere label dedicated to 'Epic Music' genre, Imperativa Records presents "NU EPIQ" released on CD and digitally May 27; distributed in North America by Entertainment One
 
Santa Monica, California (May 13, 2014) - Imperativa Records, the world's leading independent record label specializing in the 'Epic Music' genre, presents IMMEDIATE's genre-defining new album, Trailerhead: NU EPIQ, the fourth volume of the highly successful Trailerhead album series devoted to the power and emotion of epic orchestral music. Led by pioneering Emmy® award-winning composer and producer Yoav Goren, who first introduced original 'Epic Music' for blockbuster movie trailers over twenty years ago, IMMEDIATE are widely recognized as Hollywood's per-eminent producers of original music for major motion picture trailers. IMMEDIATE continue to evolve the sound of modern epic music, taking the genre in new musical directions and elevating the art form to new creative heights. Trailerhead: NU EPIQ will be available for streaming, digital download and CD on May 27. 
 
IMMEDIATE's music has generated over 5,000 placements in film, television, trailers, commercials, and video games, including high profile worldwide marketing campaigns for - "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", "Maleficent", "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", "Call of Duty: Ghosts", "Iron Man 3", "Thor: The Dark World," "The Wolverine", "Rush", "Star Trek: Into Darkness", "After Earth", "Oblivion", "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", "The Dark Knight Rises", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pts. 1 & 2", "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At Worlds' End", "Assassin's Creed", "The Chronicles of Narnia", "X-Men", "Avatar", McDonalds, PlayStation, UEFA Championship, Olympics and many more.

Ranging from anthemic orchestral soundtracks to symphonic rock, contemporary classical, and power pop, the 'Epic Music' genre is unified by the incorporation of real orchestra and choir recorded in some of the best sounding halls and studios in the world. The music, while spanning a variety of styles, shares similar emotional values which encapsulates the contemporary music category known as 'Epic Music'.

With the release of the original Trailerhead album in 2008, Imperativa Records and IMMEDIATE launched the 'Epic Music' genre as a bona fide contemporary music category, with CD sales and digital downloads far exceeding those of most film soundtracks. The subsequent volumes in the Trailerhead series, SAGA (2010) and TRIUMPH (2012), further consolidated the growing appeal and widespread popularity of the 'Epic Music' genre in popular culture by featuring compositions from trailers for the biggest films in Hollywood and even spawning the first-of-its-kind 'Trailer Music Live' concerts both in the United States and Europe.

Forging the next evolution in the 'Epic Music' genre, with Trailerhead: NU EPIQ, IMMEDIATE builds on the mold of previous albums, infusing a new modern sound and evolved compositional approach while continuing the tradition of featuring modern orchestral and choral compositions blended with contemporary electronics, rock and synthesis. NU EPIQ is IMMEDIATE's biggest and boldest creative statement yet, featuring 19 original tracks of incredibly anthemic, emotional cinematic music that transcend the medium, existing independently as a legitimate form of artistic expression with a rapidly growing and fervent fan-base, as well as featuring in the latest trailers for Hollywood blockbuster movies.

NU EPIQ is produced by Yoav Goren and was recorded in the finest concert halls and studios worldwide, including the famed Abbey Road in London, and features performances by members of the London Symphony Orchestra and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Trailerhead: NU EPIQ will be released for streaming, digital download and CD on May 27 by Imperativa Records and distributed at North American retail through Entertainment One. For more information on IMMEDIATE and Imperativa Records, please visit www.imperativarecords.com.

Listen to album sampler here.

MSM/Kronos: JFK: A President Betrayed [2014] - James T. Sale


MovieScore Media takes a trip to the past by releasing the original score for JFK: A President Betrayed, one of the several documentaries produced about the legendary president upon the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Written and directed by Cory Taylor, the film is one of the handful of projects that’s not focused on the conspiracy-filled murder of the world leader, rather it aims to present his foreign policy in new light based on new evidence. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, JFK: A President Betrayed reveals how JFK embarked on secret back channel peace efforts with Khrushchev and Castro and was determined to get out of Vietnam despite intense opposition inside his own government...

The colorful musical accompaniment is provided by composer James T. Sale, a frequent collaborator of Mark Mothersbaugh for whom he orchestrated and conducted scores like both Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs films or The Lego Movie. As a composer, he worked extensively in the field of documentaries, he had previously worked with director Cory Taylor and producer Darin Nellis on The Power of the Powerless, a moving tribute to post-WWII Czechoslovakia narrated by Jeremy Irons. Sale is currently working on yet another Cold War documentary entitled Back to the Shadows: A CIA Officer's Story.

The score for JFK: A President Betrayed offers an imaginative tapestry for Cold War politics that doesn’t shy away from recasting the key players as expressed in tracks like the reflective cue for “JFK” or the ominously percussive music for “Introducing Castro”. As the composer explains: “The challenge of writing music for this film was to create themes and musical ideas that not only depicted Kennedy the man but supported the story of Kennedy's foreign policy challenges without resorting to cliches or references to previous scores. The other challenge was to be able to drive the story along without interfering with the constant dialogue of the narration or interviewees."
 
 CD EDITION: Kronos Records
http://www.kronosrecords.com/
DIGITAL: MovieScore Media
http://moviescoremedia.com/

Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

MSM/Kronos: The Last Mentsch [2014] - Dürbeck and Dohmen


Coinciding with the film’s German premiere on May 8, 2014 MovieScore Media releases the moving original score for Der letzte Mentsch (The Last Mentsch) by the composer duo of DÜRBECK & DOHMEN.

The team originally started their musical career in a band, playing drums and the guitar respectively. After eight years, three albums, seven singles and 400+ gigs across Europe, the duo started their own enterprise of writing film scores using their own sample library (CINEMATIQUE INSTRUMENTS) to achieve a unique sound. Since then they have been writing scores for numerous films and documentaries. MovieScore Media had previously released the music for the duo’s gay-themed police drama entitled Freier Fall (2013) and we’re happy to have them with us on this movie as well.

Starring Mario Adorf (Die Blechtrommel) in the title role, Der letzte Mentsch tells the harrowing tale of Marcus Schwartz, an old man who has been hiding his real identity of Mena’hem Teitelbaum since the day had survived the horrors of Auschwitz. Now that he wants to get buried in a Jewish cemetery, Marcus must prove that one single thing he tried to deny for so many decades. On a journey to his roots back to Satu Mare (a town near the Hungarian-Romanian border), Marcus is accompanied by Gül (Katharina Derr), a young German girl of Turkish heritage, who, just like Marcus, tries to come to terms with her past...

”The score reflects the inner life of the main character, Marcus” explains co-composer René Dohmen. ”He is not only on a road trip but also his mind is transforming.” The music is picking up this inner journey. Even though the music takes elements from Jewish klezmer music, the sound still aims to be completely original and unique.” Characterized by a memorable violin solo for Markus ethnic heritage and morose, reflective passages for the memories of Nazi atrocities, Der letzte Mentsch manages to present a haunting, sometimes somber portrayal of survivor guilt. With the inclusion of Gül as a companion to Markus, the score also has several themes filled with youthful vigor as a new generation aims to define itself in terms of ethnic identity in post-reunification Germany.
CD EDITION: Kronos Records
http://www.kronosrecords.com/
DIGITAL: MovieScore Media
http://moviescoremedia.com/
 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Screamworks: Hellbenders [2014] - Jeff Grace


MovieScore Media / Screamworks Records issues their tenth collaboration with Jeff Grace by releasing his score for Hellbenders, J.T. Petty’s revitalization of the exorcist subgenre based on his own graphic novel. The film tells the story of the Augustine Interfaith Order of Hellbound Saints, a team of unorthodox, blasphemous ministers who live in a constant state of debauchery, trying to drag the worst demons back to Hell where they belong! Featuring the cast of Clancy Brown, Dan Fogler, Macon Blair and Robyn Rikoon, this damnation-ready team of demonic ghostbusters provided one of the funniest / bloodiest films of 2012 and Screamworks Records is thrilled to release this score by our old friend, Jeff Grace.

The career of Jeff Grace is incredibly varied, his beginnings in film music date back to the early 2000s when he worked as an assistant to Howard Shore projects like The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or The Gangs of New York. Since then, he worked as an orchestrator with people like Angelo Badalamenti or Lady Gaga just to mention two extremes of the spectrum. As a composer, his scoring credits include such thrilling titles as The Roost (2005), Joshua (2006), The Last Winter (2006), Trigger Man (2007), I Can See You (2008), The House of the Devil (2009) I Sell the Dead (2008), Stake Land (2010) and The Innkeepers (2011) - all released by MovieScore Media and Screamworks Records.

Jeff Grace introduces his score: “When J.T. came to me with Hellbenders, he had already used El-P's "Tasmanian Pain Coaster" into several strategic places. The song has a great mood and sound, so my job was to come up with a score that could address the film's varied moments (part comedy, part full-on horror) while also being cognizant El-P's track. Just as the film throws its variety of different things at the audience, the score has a variety of sounds: orchestra, beats, guitars, synths, and even quirky organs. The real trick became bringing all of that into a cohesive whole.  With JT's direction I had a lot of fun trying!"

 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]

Varese Sarabande: Calvary [2014] - Patrick Cassidy


Varèse Sarabande Records will release CALVARY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available digitally on May 13th and on CD May 20, 2014.  The soundtrack features original score by Patrick Cassidy (KILL THE IRISHMAN, CHE GUEVARA). CALVARY won the Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2014 and was nominated for a total of six awards at the Irish Film and Television Awards, including Best Original Score for Patrick Cassidy.

“I felt it was important to set the right mood with the prologue being so dark, the contrast of the mountain and the beach over the opening is visually dramatic and demanded a big musical statement,” said Cassidy.

CALVARY stars Brendan Gleeson as Father James, a priest who has a week to put his affairs in order after being told he is marked for murder during a confession. Set against the stunning beauty of Ireland’s West Coast comes a darkly comic thriller from writer director John Michael McDonagh (THE GUARD) starring Brendan Gleeson (THE GUARD), Kelly Reilly (SHERLOCK HOLMES), Domhnall Gleeson (ABOUT TIME), Chris O’Dowd (BRIDESMAIDS) Dylan Moran (BLACK BOOKS) and Aidan Gillen (GAME OF THRONES).

Fox Searchlight Pictures in conjunction with Entertainment One presents CALVARY, in theaters August 1, 2014.  The CALVARY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, from Varèse Sarabande Records, will be available digitally on May 13th and on CD May 20, 2014.
 
Jeremy [Howlin' Wolf]