Pacific Rim (Soundtrack) by Ramin Djawadi - Review

Category 7 ... out of 10

Review by Christopher Coleman

Big robots. Big monsters. Neither have had much critical success on the big screen in recent years. Put the two together and you could just be doubling up the level of fail. But under the skillful direction of Guillermo Del Toro? Well, that’s a different story... a different movie.

Del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM has, for some, become the darling of the 2013 Summer film season. It’s a movie that turned out to be just what it was promised to be... and even what it was marketed to be. What a concept! While this would have been enough to put an untainted smile on my face, PACIFIC RIM even went a bit further. It actually features a personality of its own and delivers a character or two to care about, which sadly can’t be said for all that many of it’s contemporaries.

Composer RAMIN DJAWADI may best be known for his memorable theme for GAME OF THRONES, but caught ears (for better or worse) with his rock-and-rolly original score for IRON MAN back in 2008. I happen to think it was very much for “the better.” Djawadi’s score for PACIFIC RIM is, in part, the spiritual successor to IRON MAN. His title theme, featuring the distinctive guitar work of Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), is the only track you’ll need to hear to make the connection.  But you shouldn't stop there...go on and listen to more ... of both scores.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

SoundCast Episode 63 - Pacific Rim

Episode 63 - Pacific Rim

Kristen Romanelli joins Christopher, Marius, and Helen to talk about Guillermo del Toro's latest film PACIFIC RIM and composer Ramin Djawadi's energetic score.  Each shares what they've been listening to lately and we dive into some listerner feedback from iTunes.

Episode Highlights

00:27 - Intro and Welcome...back
03:30 - Listener Feedback from iTunes
06:21 - Reach out and TuneIn
08:02 - WHYBLT? Turbo, Green Lantern Vol. 2, Skyrim, The Fountain
13:13 - WHYBLT? Lone Ranger, World War Z, Mama
17:23 - WHYBLT? The Wolverine, White House Down
20:51 - Pacific Rim: Movie Talk (spoilers)
27:00 - Pacific Rim: What We Liked (spoilers)
40:24 - Pacific Rim: What We Didn't Like (spoilers)
55:16 - Pacific Rim: How Score Worked in Film
61:54 - Pacific Rim: How Score Works on CD and Ranking
68:51 - Pay Money and Brand Awareness

Music Selections

00:00 - "Pacific Rim" (Pacific Rim) by Ramin Djawadi
08:33 - "Supersnail" (Turbo) by Henry Jackman
09:08 - "Igniting Ceremony" (Green Lantern/Animated Vol 2) by Fredrick Wiedmann
11:37 - "Dragonborn" (Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim) by Jeremy Soule
13:20 - "Absurdity" (The Lone Ranger) by Hans Zimmer
14:27 - "Philadelphia" (World War Z) by Marco Beltrami
17:32 - "A Walk in the Woods" (The Wolverine) by Marco Beltrami
18:42 - "Birdfeeder" (White House Down) by Thomas Wander & Harald Kloser
20:20 - "We Are The Resistence" (Pacific Rim) by Ramin Djawadi
54:43 - "For My Family" (Pacific Rim) by Ramin Djawadi
56:28 - "2500 Tons of Awesome" (Pacific Rim) by Ramin Djawadi
65:25 - "Driving with the Top Down" (Iron Man) by Ramin Djawadi
71:36 - "Pacific Rim" (Pacific Rim) by Ramin Djawadi

Other notes:

Kristen Romanelli
Twitter.com/watcherjunior

Support Tracksounds:

Buy the PACIFIC RIM soundtrack at Amazon.com
Buy the THE WOLVERINE soundtrack at Amazon.com
Buy the THE LONE RANGER soundtrack at Amazon.com
Buy the WHITE HOUSE DOWN soundtrack at Amazon.com
Buy the WORLD WAR Z soundtrack at Amazon.com
Buy the TURBO soundtrack at Amazon.com

Download the Episode

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Game of Thrones (Season 2) Soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi - Review

A Static Kingdom

Review by Richard Buxton

The second season of any major television series brings with it a mixture of raised expectations and fervent anticipation. Yet it is not rare for a show to suffer from something of a second season syndrome. Given the almost universal praise for the show in its second offering, GAME OF THRONES is seemingly suffering from no such ailment.

Heightened expectations not only concern story development and drama, but also musical development. Television presents a composer with the unique opportunity to really delve into the universe of the show, to flesh out the characters that dwell within. As a result, the weight of expectation bears down upon RAMIN DJAWADI and his score for GAME OF THRONES SEASON 2 ...

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Game of Thrones (Soundtrack) by Ramin Djawadi - Reviewed

A Score of Fire and Ice
Review by Richard Buxton

Due to a certain epic trilogy released in the first half of the last decade, the fantasy genre brings with it increasingly high musical expectations. Soaring themes of discovery, conflict and conquest are commonplace in a genre packed with memorable scores, and so it is understandable that a television series based on the critically acclaimed A SONG OF FIRE AND ICE novels will be expected to uphold such traditions.

From the opening moments of GAME OF THRONES pilot episode “Winter Is Coming”, all signs point to a series that has every intention of maintaining a faithful grip on the ambition held by author GEORGE R. R. Martin. The scale of spectacle that HBO has become renowned for is ever-present, giving the series that vital extra sheen of authenticity. The stellar cast lends itself well in creating a cast of compelling characters that inhabit the vast mythology on display in the Seven Kingdoms.

Seeing the likes of RAMIN DJAWADI in the role of composer should come as no surprise given his ever-growing experience in television scoring. His previous experience ranges from the gritty suspense of PRISON BREAK to the sci-fi drama of FLASH FORWARD. While both of these stand out as high-end productions for a composer, they offered little opportunity for DJAWADI to truly express himself and the universe of the shows. GAME OF THRONES is exactly that. A chance to be enveloped in a vast world of history, a chance that most composers surely dream of.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Medal of Honor - 8 Disc Limited Edition Soundtrack Collection Coming

If you have loved the music of the MEDAL OF HONOR video game franchise, then this press release is going to make you very, very happy!  Read on...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LA-LA LAND RECORDS IN CONJUNCTION WITH
ELECTRONIC ARTS TO RELEASE 8 DISC LIMITED EDITION
MEDAL OF HONOR SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION

Includes original scores from Michael Giacchino, Christopher Lennertz, and Ramin Djawadi

LOS ANGELES, CA – Electronic Arts (EA) continues to make new strides in video game music with the release of the MEDAL OF HONOR SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION. The limited edition eight disc collection includes original scores from the 14 MEDAL OF HONOR titles, previously unreleased material from the award-winning composers Michael Giacchino, Christopher Lennertz and Ramin Djawadi, a 40-page booklet with complete track information, and an introduction by game creator, Director Steven Spielberg. According to Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA, “the box set representing the 12-year-old franchise is an absolute milestone for video game scores. The millions of MEDAL OF HONOR fans around the world deserve nothing less. We are honored to partner with LA-LA Land Records.” The limited edition box set will be released March 1st.

In choosing an appropriate composer to convey the mood of the first MEDAL OF HONOR, legendary director Steven Spielberg was introduced to and impressed with young unknown composer, Michael Giacchino. “I did what anybody in their right mind would do,” said Spielberg. “I signed him up to score MEDAL OF HONOR—and the rest of Giacchino’s history belongs to him.” Giacchino’s video game score pioneered live orchestral recordings of videogame music.

After four highly successful video game scores, the baton was passed to Christopher Lennertz, who also composed the score for the Quantum of Solace game. Lennertz recorded MOH European Assault and Pacific Assault with the Hollywood Studio Symphony, which has recorded for legendary composers such as John Williams.

Last year the game was reinvented and for the first time in its 12-year history, MEDAL OF HONOR left World War II and entered the modern day warfare in Afghanistan. The most recent disc of the collection demanded an intense score that could bring the game into this brand new era, and Ramin Djawadi was brought on for the challenge. Known for his score for Iron Man and the Prison Break television series, Djawadi’s score matches the intensity of the soldier’s story and Tier 1 experience in 2010’s MEDAL OF HONOR.

The increasing demand of the MEDAL OF HONOR scores by soundtrack aficionados led to EA's musical compendium of the MOH music. The rising popularity of videogame music has created an outcry to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) to create a GRAMMY category honoring "Best Videogame Score." Currently, the Grammys recognizes video game music as part of the category “Best Score Soundtrack for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.”


Search Amazon.com for "Medal of Honor soundtrack"

Medal of Honor (Video Game Soundtrack) by Ramin Djawadi - Review

Honor Regained
Review by Marius Masalar

The mighty hammer of elite film score criticism seems perpetually poised over RAMIN DJAWADI’s head, coming down hard on scores like IRON MAN and CLASH OF THE TITANS. This seems unfair. The larger body of laypersons appears far more pleased with the man’s work, and his ability to address them so directly is a measure of skill as a film composer, even if his craft is less cerebral and meticulous than that of others in the industry. His latest work — a first venture into a major video game title — seems to bring the best of his abilities to the table, polished over a long production period. And you know what? It’s worthy of acclaim. Here’s MEDAL OF HONOR.

Read the full review here

SoundCast Interview: Ramin Djawadi (Medal of Honor)

Interview:  Ramin Djawadi
Recorded September 27, 2010
Published September 28, 2010


RAMIN DJAWADI shares about his first foray into the genre of video game music.  He talks about the unique challenges of penning the score for the modern-era-reboot of the famed MEDAL OF HONOR video game franchise.

Episode Highlights

00:30 - Introduction
01:59 - How did you come on to this project?
03:30 - Living up to the Medal of Honor lineage
05:00 - Modern Warfare 2 and Hans Zimmer
06:10 - How is working in video game music different?
08:30 - Twitter Question #1 - Music related to Clash/ Titans?
09:55 - Using vocals in Medal of Honor
14:49 - Twitter Question #2 - Samples VS Live Orchestra?
16:08 - Twitter Question #3 - Adapting to Game scoring
17:17 - Biggest creative challenge?
18:10 - Dealing with franchise pressures
19:09 - Looking forward to more game projects?


Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 - "WFO" (Medal of Honor) by Ramin Djawadi
07:30 - "Hunter Killer"  (Medal of Honor) by Ramin Djawadi
08:32 - "There is a God in You" (Clash of the Titans) by R. Djawadi
10:05 - "Falling Away" (Medal of Honor) by Ramin Djawadi
13:22 - "Heroes Aboard" (Medal of Honor) by Ramin Djawadi
21:27 - "Thirty Seconds Out" (Medal of Honor) by Ramin Djawadi

Download the episode here

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Ramin Djawadi Composes Original Music for Next Medal of Honor (Video Game)

At long last, an official announcement has been made regarding the original score for the next MEDAL OF HONOR video game.  This bit of info has been kept fairly well under-wraps for quite some time (I should know...I've been begging for this for many months...to no avail.)

With the lock-down on this one would think that John Williams was writing the score.  Well, not quite, but after Djawadi's work for IRON MAN and CLASH OF THE TITANS, I have to say that it could prove to be a good choice.  In fact, if you want to get a glimpse of what is to come, Amazon already has clips available.  Listen to them here!



Official Press Release

ELECTRONIC ARTS RECRUITS AWARD WINNING COMPOSER RAMIN DJAWADI TO SCORE MEDAL OF HONOR


Composer Behind Iron Man, Flash Forward and Clash of the Titans
Creates Modern Tier-1 Auditory Experience for Franchise Reboot


Soundtrack available Tuesday September 28th, 2010


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – September 23, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) has recruited award-winning composer Ramin Djawadi to create a deep and meaningful audio experience for the modern combat first-person shooter, Medal of Honor™. Known for his recent work on the Iron Man movie, the “Prison Break” television series and the remake of Clash of the Titans, Ramin Djawadi creates a score to match the intense soldier’s story and Tier 1 experience told throughout Medal of Honor, which takes place in the current war in Afghanistan. Medal of Honor score album will be available on iTunes Tuesday, September 28, 2010.


 "The new version of a landmark game always requires a next-level soundtrack," said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing. "But this 'reinvention' of Medal Of Honor demanded a composer who could create an epic score that brings the game into a whole new era. The intuition and skill that makes Ramin Djawadi one of Hollywood's top young talents in film scoring is exemplified in MoH. This is an incredibly intense score, and we're tremendously proud to have him in the EA family."


For the first time in its 11-year history, Medal of Honor leaves the World War II theatre and enters the modern day setting of war-torn Afghanistan told through the lens of a small band of fictional characters. Medal of Honor introduces players to the Tier 1 Operator, an elite warrior and relatively unknown instrument of the U.S. Military that operates under the National Command Authority, taking on missions no one else can handle. Composer Ramin Djawadi explains “The fact that it is modern day with various locations asked for a completely different approach both stylistically and thematically. The score is very wide spread from emotional orchestral to edgy modern action. Western and ethnic instruments are used to represent the different cultures.”


“Designing a score that defines both the scalpel-like quiet professionals that are the Tier 1 Operators and the bold execution of the sledge hammer big military, has been truly unlike any project I’ve had the opportunity to work on,” said Djawadi. “Between the fast paced action and the precise battle sequences, players will be kept on the edge of their seats the entire game.”


 “Ramin Djawadi has brought an incredible amount of creativity and emotion to his score for Medal of Honor,” said Paul Lackey, audio director for Medal of Honor. “His take on traditional middle eastern music with the incorporation of modern twists including sequences of heavy electric guitar and bass have helped create a unique and engaging composition that will help set the tone for the reboot of Medal of Honor.”


Medal of Honor launches on October 12, 2010 in North America and October 15 in Europe for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. Follow the game on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/medalofhonor or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/medalofhonor.


About Electronic Arts


Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.


EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO and Medal of Honor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Ramin Djawadi and Trevor Rabin: Tenerife International Film Music Festival (Fimucité)

If you happen to be in the Canary Islands in June, you won't want to miss the second annual Fimucité - Film Music Festival! Among other guest composers, both RAMIN DJAWADI (Iron Man) and TREVOR RABIN (Get Smart) will be featured. Below is the official press release. More details to come! Right now the official site is only in Spanish - but the festival itself will offer sessions in both Spanish and English.


PRESS RELEASE


RAMIN DJAWADI AND TREVOR RABIN WILL PRESENT THEIR ENERGETIC SOUNDTRACKS AS PART OF FIMUCITÉ

Iron Man’s composer will show the best of his filmography in Tenerife.
Rabin’s performance will be the finishing touch for the Second Tenerife International Film Music Festival.


Canary Islands, Spain. 19th May 2008


The German musician Ramin Djawadi will be one of the guest composers of the Second Tenerife International Film Music Festival (Fimucité), where the Tenerife Film Orchestra & Choir will perform his latest work: Iron Man’s soundtrack. The film, which adapts the adventures of Marvel Comics charismatic character, has become a worldwide box-office success after collecting more than 200 million Euros during its première’s weekend.

The Festival, to be held from 23rd to 29th June, will also be attended by the South-African American Trevor Rabin, film composer of works such as Enemy of the State, Armageddon, Con Air, Deep Blue Sea, Remember the Titans and National Treasure. Rabin is the renowned guitarist of the emblematic rock band Yes for whom he also composed songs like “Owner of a lonely heart”. His will be the final concert of this festival on its closing day at the Tenerife’s Auditorium.

Ramin Djawadi and Trevor Rabin will also be the protagonists of a panel, part of a series of activities parallel to the festival, called “Creating the Perfect Soundtrack” led by another of the great guests of this year: Doug Frank, President of Music Operations of Warner Bros Pictures.

The Second Tenerife International Film Music Festival is a unique one in Europe, directed by the Spanish composer Diego Navarro and sponsored by the Island Council and the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council Culture Commission.


The Official Site

Iron Man (Soundtrack) by Ramin Djawadi Review

Guitar Hero!
Review by Christopher Coleman

With Speed Racer, Indiana Jones, Prince Caspian and The Incredible Hulk, the Summer of 2008 will surely go down as one of the most "heroic" of the decade. Leading the way comes the hotly anticipated IRON MAN. Ever since the first teaser was released, comic-book fans have been rusting themselves stiff with drool. At the same time, some film music fans found themselves similarly rusty, but, in their case, it was due to a drizzle of tears. Director JohnFavreau saw relatively good success with composer JOHN DEBNEY in year's past, so it was a general expectation that Favreau and Debney would hook up again for the beloved heavy-metal-hero. There was great surprise when it was announced that composer RAMIN DJAWADI would be laying down the score for IRON MAN's first foray as a live-action adventure hero. The film itself has been met with critical acclaim and is shaping up to be one of the highest rated superhero films of the last ten years.

While sticking to the core of the Iron Man origin story, Favreau does contemporize his telling. Still he makes enough references to the many versions of the Iron Man origin story that fans of at least two generations should be well appeased. The all-star cast of Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Terence Howard go along way to solidify the film, but the quick and witty writing makes this a superhero film for the adult in us all. The final result is one of the better comic-book-to-feature-film-jobs to ever come out of Hollywood. IRON MAN sets itself apart by several means and among them is the contribution of composer RAMIN DJAWADI.


Read the full review here (plus 3 soundclips)

Interview with Ramin Djawadi (Iron Man)

Just a few days prior to the release of the highly-anticipated IRON MAN, composer Ramin Djawadi talks with Tracksounds about his experience working on the project with director John Favreau and with score producer, Hans Zimmer. He also shares about other recent and upcoming projects: DECEPTION, PRISON BREAK, and OPEN SEASON 2.

Check out the full interview here + 2 streaming tracks from the IRON MAN soundtrack.

New IRON MAN Trailer!

Ok...IRON MAN is fast becoming the most anticipated movie of the year...at least for me. If the movie ends up living up to the quality of its trailers...we are in for a true, superhero-treat this May! Let's hope that composer RAMIN DJAWADI's can live up to all the expectations as well.

Check out the latest IRON MAN trailer below or visit the myspace site for high-def versions. You'll be glad you did.

Iron Man Exclusive Trailer

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