MovieScore Media: "THE DJINN" music by Matthew James

MovieScore Media’s exploration of indie horror films yields another treasure trove that might very well come from a hidden lamp. Written and directed by David Charbonier and Justin Powell, The Djinn tells the story of a mute boy, Dylan Jacobs (Ezra Dewey) who gets trapped in his apartment with a sinister monster when he makes a wish to fulfill his heart's greatest desire. Complementing the haunting coming-of-age story is composer Matthew James’ 80s style score which combined vintage retro synth-wave aesthetics with haunting vocal and choral elements performed by the composer himself.

"The musical score for The Djinn explores the delicate innocence, reflection, mourning and sheer terror Dylan experiences,” explains composer Matthew James. “It was very important to make sure the musical score grew with him throughout the film. It was important to the filmmakers to use human voice, so I performed vocal and choral work for The Djinn's main theme that serves as a very crucial juxtaposition to Dylan's unique situation. This myriad of hymns/chants/whispers were effected and used throughout to cover the wide spectrum of emotions Dylan goes through. It truly set the tone for the entirety of the score. In addition to the traditional orchestral instruments element of the film, a key part of the score (very obviously so) is an homage to the synth era (late 80s) when the film takes place. I sampled famous synths from Yamaha, Arturia, Moog et all to send us back in time."

Originally hailing from Chicago, composer Matthew James has been working in Los Angeles since 2017. After scoring the Emmy award-winning PSA campaign Life After Hate, he kick-started his film scoring career as an assistant to composer Kurt Farquhar, contributing to the scores of shows like Being Mary Jane, The Quad, Stitchers and the CW’s hit super hero series, Black Lightning. His music can also be heard in the 2020 thriller Arkansas starring Liam Hemsworth and John Malkovich.

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Jeremy [Six Strings]