CHRISTOPHE BECK’S SCORE EXPLORES BOTH THE HILARITY AND SERIOUSNESS OF “TOWER HEIST”
Score album available on Varese Sarabande
LOS ANGELES Award- winning composer Christophe Beck creates a score that explores and extracts the hilarity behind Universal Pictures' “Tower Heist”. Directed by Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour” series), the film follows Queens native Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) and a group of hardworking employees at the high rise Columbus Circle, who discover they have fallen victim to the Ponzi scheme by the tenant of the penthouse suite. Kovacs bands together with his fellow employees, bringing in an outside sleight of hand to get the job done before the biggest white collar crime slips under the rug. The film opens November 4th; score album available on Varese Sarabande. Selections from the score can be heard at www.christophebeck.com Additionally, Beck recently scored “The Muppets.”
Christophe Beck, known for his ability to tell the story of the film through music, creates the tone for this movie. He stated in an interview, “It is storytelling through music and collaboration with another storyteller … the function of the music might change scene to scene, which happens a lot with comedies. Music is there to let the audience though that it is ok to laugh”. Brett Ratner said in an interview with the LA Times, “I love the tone of it [“Tower Heist”] - that’s what I’m most proud of” and this tone could be attributed to the environment in which Beck has cast these characters in through his score. .
In 2000, the cheerleading comedy "Bring It On" launched Beck's prolific film scoring career. His credits include "Under the Tuscan Sun," "Red," "Burlesque," "Year of the Dog," "What Happens in Vegas," and "The Hangover," the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time. One of the best reviewed films of 2010, “Crazy Stupid Love” was transformed into a heart warming film by Christophe Beck, with his varying tones throughout the film that reflected a spectrum of emotion. The same year, he received the HMMA Award for Best Original Score for the powerful documentary “Waiting for Superman”.
The Montreal native graduated from Yale with a degree in Music before moving to L.A. to attend USC’s prestigious Film scoring program where he studies with notable composers Jerry Goldsmith and Christopher Young. A recommendation from the legendary Buddy Baker, led to his first assignment for the TV series, "White Fang.” Soon thereafter, he was asked to score a new TV series, “Buffy,” based on the movie “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” for which he received the Emmy.
Watching films of the Far East and listening to their scores can often be a frustrating experience for someone in the West. The magnitude of the musical talent on offer in the likes of Japan, China and South Korea is astounding, yet it is a rare occurrence for their ability to grace the sounds of a Western film and thus depriving a significant portion of worldwide audiences of outstanding musical material.
In this Top 10 I have chosen my favourite East Asian scores for live-action film and television after the year 2000. Choosing 10 from over a decade of spectacular film scores was difficult to say the least. Having to leave out the many NHK Taiga drama scores, Tan Dun and Kousuke Yamashita among others was certainly a difficult decision, and the likes of Taro Iwashiro and Naoki Sato could quite easily fill this entire list by themselves. Such is the talent available in the Far East, a number of these score would be in contention for a worldwide top 10, and are therefore most certainly worth your attention.
10. Gō: Himetachi no Sengoku by Ryō Yoshimata
Ryō Yoshimata is TV’s first representative in the top 10 and paves the way with a superbly unpredictable score. Yoshimata’s compositions range from calming string passages, to unrelentingly dramatic action cues. Yoshimata curiously ventures into a Latin soundscape at times, making this score a refreshing change from the stringent routine so many follow today.
9. Year One in the North by Michiru Oshima
Listening to Oshima’s score for Year One In The North will likely leave you in a state of confused frustration. The undoubtedly beautiful themes on offer here convey a feeling of restraint and suspicion that Oshima could have produced even greater things. Nonetheless, Year One In The North is an often breathtakingly evocative score and well worth listening to.
8. Haru No Yuki (Spring Snow) by Taro Iwashiro
Perhaps the most unique score within this list; Haru No Yuki is a wonderfully restrained, but unequivocally beautiful experience. Truly appreciating Taro Iwashiro’s score might require more than a single play through, but the time spent is certainly worthwhile as the heartbreaking orchestral music on offer here is unequalled in emotion.
7. Umizaru 3: The Last Message by Naoki Sato
The Last Message is often uncharacteristically brooding affair by Naoki Sato that results in some wonderfully timed moments of orchestral catharsis. The Last Message is one of Sato’s more Western sounding scores, with more than a little Remote-Control present, but is still a fantastic musical offering.
6. Gaku (Peak: The Rescuers) by Naoki Sato
Peaks and Valleys would be an apt for description for Naoki Sato’s rollercoaster of a score. Moving from gorgeously delicate horn and woodwind melodies, to unyielding percussive action, to soaring orchestral themes, Gaku is a score that grabs the attention and never lets go. Written for Television, Gaku’s score would be equally at home on the big screen such is the depth of the sound on offer here.
5. Curse of the Golden Flower by Shigeru Umebayashi
Perhaps the most internationally known film in this list, Curse of the Golden Flower presents an unmissable opportunity to hear Shigeru Umebayashi at his very best. His combination of traditional orchestral might and ethnic instruments is at times achingly beautiful, particularly in the outstanding two closing tracks of the soundtrack. Not to be missed if you yearn for a more traditionally Eastern sounding score.
4. Legend of the Four Gods by Joe Hisaishi
The third TV series in the list, and the sole appearance of South Korea. Regardless of the country of origin, Hisaishi’s score is one that will hook listeners instantly with the beautiful opening rendition of the show’s main theme. Primarily known for his music heard in the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Hisaishi shows he can shift between animation and live-action seamlessly. No doubt, this is among the very best of Hisaishi’s career.
3. Red Cliff by Taro Iwashiro
A Japanese composer for a Chinese historical epic and the most expensive Asian financed film to date. The formula certainly works, as Taro Iwashiro’s score is instantly gratifying with a tremendously catchy main theme that is reshaped beautifully throughout the score. Both Chinese soundtracks (Parts 1& 2), and the US soundtrack are rounded out by stunning vocal performances by Chinese vocalist Alan.
2. Space Battleship Yamato by Naoki Sato & Yasushi Miyagawa
Relentless. One word to describe Naoki Sato’s assault on the emotions during Space Battleship Yamato. The Japanese special effects extravaganza may have been a feast for the eyes, but the score does wonders for the ears. Naoki Sato’s outstanding talent for fleshing out onscreen emotion and excitement is in full-effect here and results in a consistently thrilling listen. His third appearance in this list, confirming that I am indeed a Naoki Sato obsessed.
1. The Promise by Klaus Badelt
The Promise is quite easily the highest point in Klaus Badelt’s career so far, and would compete for that honour in the back catalogue of numerous composers today had they composed it. The use of a German and Hollywood famed composer for a Chinese film may have seemed a curious decision, but has yielded unforgettable results. From the heart-wrenching love theme to the breathtakingly beautiful opening vocal piece, The Promise is a stunning score of the absolute highest calibre, and is among the best scores in recent years of not just Chinese and East Asian cinema but worldwide.
So what do you think? Tell us some of your favorites scores from this largely unexplored sub-genre of music!
Composer Sascha Dikiciyan and Writer/Director George Krstic join Chris, Marius and Tom to talk video game scores. The battle continues to rage of The Chemical Brothers score for HANNA. Several weigh in on their early TIN TIN impressions...and beware of the Cylon podcast invasion!
Episode Highlights
00:32 — Welcome and Intro: Sascha Dikiciyan, George Krstic
03:15 — Space Marine Gush session and Contest!
07:45 — What have we been listening to?
46:40 — Music to Play By! Talking video game scores
89:15 - Conclusion
Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)
00:00 — "Intro (Party Every Night)" (The Best Music) by George & Jonathan
03:16 — "Valkyrie Run" (Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine) by Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco
08:05 — "Flynn Lives" (Tron: Legacy)" by Daft Punk
09:34 — "Main Theme/End Credits" (The Thing) by Ennio Morricone
14:12 — "Planting the Beans" (Puss in Boots) by Henry Jackman
17:20 — "Main Title" (Straw Dogs) by Larry Groupe
20:06 — "Escape 700" (Hanna) by The Chemical Brothers
29:30 — "Battlefield 3 Main Theme" (Battlefield 3) by Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki
41:45 — "A Distant Sadness" (Battlestar: Galactica S3) by Bear McCreary
56:45 — "Lair Main Title" (Lair) by John Debney
58:04 — "Manor House Rally" (Medal of Honor: Frontline) by Michael Giacchino
81:15 — "Toy Factory" (The Best Music) by George & Jonathan
Howard Shores epic work for THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy easily stands as the best film music to be produced in this new millennium. It certainly has garnered more attention, discussion, and dissection than any other work composed for film since the turn of the century, and even more accurately, in the last 25 years. This has happened with good reason as HOWARD SHORE’S work contains the depth and detail worthy of attachment to director Peter Jackson’s trilogy, not to mention J.R.R. Tolkien’s encyclopedic mythos.
Thankfully, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is hardly without proper soundtrack representation. There is the single-CD, original soundtrack releases, limited edition soundtracks, the respective Complete Recordings, the Rarities CD included in Doug Adams’ book, THE MUSIC OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and a plethora of re-recordings and compilations sprinkled throughout retail and online music stores everywhere. All of these releases have coming in less than ten years speaks to the appreciation and value of Shore’s compositions and, of course, its continued marketability.
Now there is one more musical channel from which the Lord of the Rings music has been exhibited. Live concert performances of Shore’s scores have been held all over world. One of them was recorded as recently as February of 2011, performed by the 21st Century Symphony and Chorus, under the direction of maestro Ludwig Wicki. It was this performance that has come to comprise the latest Lord of the Rings musical venture: Howe Records release of THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY: SIX MOVEMENTS FOR ORCHESTRA & CHORUS.
Before diving into the some of the details of this release, the most obvious question should be first posed, “Is yet another release even needed?”
Given the volume of music from the trilogy released thus far, one might immediately be inclined to answer that question with a Mumakil-sized, “No.” If that would be your answer, then I’d beg to differ on a few counts. First, if you one of those who have listened to the original and extended releases countless times, know every nuance of every note from the Shire to the Grey Havens, then a new take on those same notes may feel like grey-rain curtain washing across Shore’s score... revealing them anew with fresh appreciation. Second, if you engage in soundtrack-evangelism then how does one introduce a would-be convert to Shore’s twelve-hour thematic deluge without scaring them off? I’d suggest that THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY is a solid representation of Shore’s music which is delivered in a very digestible, double-CD format - perfect for such evangelistic efforts...
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and WaterTower Music are pleased to announce the November 1 release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score by award-winning composer Inon Zur. The soundtrack will debut day and date with the Action RPG video game, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. After three highly acclaimed performances of the music at E3, Inon Zur has continued the tradition of iconic The Lord of the Rings music and crafted an epic and beautiful nineteen track score to the game, recorded at famed Abbey Road studios in the U.K.
"Composing the music for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was a very inspirational, creative process," said Zur. "The story is very compelling, and this had a direct influence on my music. As a long time fan of The Lord of the Rings, I always dreamed to be a part of this franchise, and when this dream came true, I was extremely motivated to tell the emotional story of this dark heroic adventure and its captivating characters. Bringing on board the London Philharmonia Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road studios magnified the music to new heights. I am so grateful to Warner Bros. for their support and I'm very excited to have you, the players, be a part of this musical experience and hope you will be as engaged as myself."
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score will be available at all digital retailers and the CD will be available at Amazon.com on November 1, 2011.
The track listing is as follows:
Echoes Of Angmar
Between Hammer And Anvil
Sons Of Forgotten Kings
Nordinbad
Ghosts Of The Grey Mountains
The Savage Ettenmoors
Before The Citadel Gate
Into The Heart Of The Storm
Realm Of Ancient Kings
A Gathering Storm
The Savage Peaks
Men Of Carn Dûm
Trolls!
Beast Among The Ruins
In The Footsteps Of Kings
The Forges Of War
Halls Of Valor
Shadow On The Ettenmoors: Reprise
Against The Darkness
If you listened to our latest SoundCast episode, you heard Richard mention that Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe are crafting, at the least, the main theme for the upcoming ASSASSIN'S CREED: REVELATIONS video game. After a tiny bit of research (ok...a quick Google search), I not only found the original contest video with Hans and Lorne, but the official video profile on the winner, Madeline Bell (which you see above.).
She has a nice voice, although not so ground-breakingly different from many of the established vocalists utilized in the world of video-game music. On the other hand, it's nice to see some undiscovered-talent get to participate on a A-list game and perhaps see their career get a lift.
So what do you think of what you've heard or this sort of contest?
Richard joins Christopher and Marius to talk about their expectations for final films and film scores of 2011. Of course, the WHYBLT (what have you been listening to) segment and SIDETRACKS are back as well.
Episode Highlights
00:00 — Opening Montage and Space Marine contest
04:24 — What have we been listening to?
17:43 — Sidetracks: Hunger Games teaser track, NinoKuni, 8 min. Dark Knight prologue
36:12 — Preview of the Autumn Hallows - Part 2
62:10 - Conclusion
Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)
02:40 — "Valkyrie Run" (Space Marine) by Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco
04:45 — "City of Jerusalem" (Assassins Creed) by Jesper Kyd
09:29 — "Mind Battle: Red Cliff" (Red Cliff Part 1)" by Taro Iwashiro, perf. Alan
10:50 — "The Fire of Life" (Tales of Earthsea) by Tamiya Terashima
14:35 — "Main Title" (Straw Dogs) by Larry Groupe
15:35 — "A Bad Kitty" (Puss in Boots) by Henry Jackman
16:12 — "Luke, I am Your Father" (Severe Clear) by Cliff Martinez
17:43 — "Focus Beam" by Marius Masalar
39:12 — "Discombobulate" (Sherlock Holmes) by Hans Zimmer
41:13 — "Birth of Mumble" (Happy Feet) by John Powell
49:13 — "Theme From Mission- Impossible" (Mission: Impossible) by Danny Elfman
64:28 — "Official Hunger Games Instrumental"
Just in case you have forgotten just how amazing Hans Zimmer's score for INCEPTION is, we give you this making-of piece. If you don't think you'll appreciate this score even more, well, you're just dreaming.
THE DEMISE OF THE COMPACT DISC Lukas Kendall (FSM) and Joe Sikoryak (designWell) join Christopher and Tom to talk about the state of film music in the new digital age.
Episode Highlights
00:00 — Opening Montage and Intro
03:18 — What have we been listening to?
22:25 — The Demise of the Compact Disc
66:48 — Conclusion and Space Marine Contest details!
Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)
03:41 — "Main Title" (The Cape) by Bear McCreary
06:35 — "Arrival To Earth (From 'Transformers)" from Silvascreen
16:40 — "Captain America We Did It" (Captain America) by Alan Silvestri
18:59 — "Main Title" (Angels In America ) by Thomas Newman
67:44 — "Prelude to War" (Space Marine) by Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco
Composer Brian Tyler talks about working on his latest television project, TERRA NOVA. He also shares about the impact of Steve Jobs on the world of film and music, gives his take on the Superhero-film-trend, about his unreleased project, COLUMBUS CIRCLE, and addresses the MODERN WARFARE 3 rumors...in a way.
Episode Highlights
00:43 — Introduction: Brian Tyler
02:45 — Transformers Prime soundtrack update
05:00 — Revisiting the Superhero phenom
10:58 — Steve Jobs' impact on film and film music
16:07 — Columbus Circle
24:14 — Terra Nova
39:32 — Modern Warfare 3???
43:25 — Upcoming Projects
46:16 — Conclusion and Space Marine Contest details!
Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)
00:00 — "Main Theme" (Terra Nova) by Brian Tyler
15:26 — "Emerging" (Columbus Circle) by Brian Tyler
20:02 — "Main Title" (Columbus Circle) by Brian Tyler
21:21 — "Emerging" (Columbus Circle) by Brian Tyler
23:42 — "Getting to the Portal" (Terra Nova) by Brian Tyler
33:40 — "Theres Millions of Them" (Terra Nova) by Brian Tyler
45:55 — "Main Theme" (Terra Nova) by Brian Tyler
46:55 — "Prelude to War" (Space Marine) by Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco
We finally get a peek at what Paul Haslinger has prepared for the next incarnation of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. As you can hear in this pre-released track, they've taken it in a very "piratey" way, if you catch my mainsail. As we predicted in our Autumn Preview episode of The SoundCast, we knew Haslinger would have to go outside of his norm of dark, electronic, intensity. Sounds like he's done just that, albeit into waters we may have swum through before.
So you say you are a fan of our site? Prove it...and win!
You can win one of the best video game soundtracks of 2011, WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE by composers Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco! All you have to do is become Tracksounds' TRUE FAN OF THE MONTH! Be the fan with the most points at the end of October and that will earn you the title of True Fan of the Month!
SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS RELEASES
WARHAMMER® 40,000®: SPACE MARINE®
THE SOUNDTRACK
Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Score Composed by
Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco
New York - September 15th, 2011 - Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc. proudly presents Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine® - The Soundtrack featuring the original music score from Relic EntertainmentTM's critically acclaimed 3rd person action/shooter published by THQ Inc. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - The Soundtrack is scheduled for release on September 20th, 2011 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com, Amazon MP3, iTunes® and other digital music sites.
In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine you are Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, humanity's last hope for survival in a war-ridden future. Step into the armor of this superhuman warrior and use a lethal combination of deadly weapons to crush overwhelming alien forces. Fight against the savage Orks and the unholy forces of Chaos in a brutally violent world based on one of the most popular science fiction fantasies.
Inspired by the stunning cinematic visuals and visceral gameplay of Space Marine, the renowned duo of composers Sascha Dikiciyan (TRON: Evolution) and Cris Velasco (God of War Series) crafted an expansive emotional score featuring anthemic orchestral compositions and contemporary Hollywood music production, reflecting the epic scale of this rich, sci-fi fantasy.
