My Top 5 Favorite Film Composers
Making a film is a huge task. Unless you're a major creator on the project your department most likely isn't getting the attention it deserves. Make-up artists, Cinematographers, even the Grips. Each is essential to crafting the vision of the director...or studio. One of my favorite discoveries when watching a film is how the score turned out. Giants that everyone know, such as John Williams and Hans Zimmer, are few in this field so I thought I'd celebrate and share some of my favorites while recommending one of their albums.
- Roque Baños
A Spanish composer who is quickly rising in the American market when it comes to composing quality films. His recent work has led him to compose Evil Dead (2013), Don't Breathe (2016), and the upcoming The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018). His work is epic and emotional. Taking all the good qualities of classic soundtracks with an orchestra and putting a modern flavor to it. From serene to epic he makes any film grander with his music.
Recommendation: In the Heart of the Sea
4. Steven Price
Tending to a darker atmosphere, and subject matter, Price takes hold of small emotional movies that expand the silver screen. With works from Gravity (2013), Suicide Squad (2016), and Baby Driver (2017) he dominates from behind the scenes with music that is alien, yet familiar. What starts out simple ends epically, and the only way I could ever describe listening to his music is as if you were watching light make love.
Recommendation: Fury
3. Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg)
Probably the most known on this list, Junkie XL is a composer from the Netherlands that dominates the blockbuster scene. His visceral music exploded with 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and Deadpool (2016). He has also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on The Amazing Spider-man 2 (2014) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The scores he puts out range from adrenaline fueled to head banging; his music propels the story just as much as the script.
Recommendation: Tomb Raider
2. Jóhann Jóhannsson
A frequent collaborator with director Denis Villeneuve, Jóhannsson's music is otherworldly and, in some ways, experimental. Giving life to anxieties, love, heartbeats, and all the other small silent sounds that craft existence, he paves the way for the movies he works on such as Prisoners (2013), The Theory of Everything (2015), and Arrival (2016) to crawl underneath the audience's skin and to experience the films along with their characters. Sadly, Jóhannsson passed away early this year, but he left behind a great many wonderful works and unforgettable themes.
Recommendation: Sicario
- Daniel Pemberton
What can I say? Pemberton is the most interesting, daring, and exceptional composer working today, in my opinion. His work is drastically different from one another, and all of them are delightful. From cool and suave with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), to classical All the Money in the World (2017), to an amazing blend of all of that and electronic to perfectly represent Steve Jobs (2015). All of his work is absolutely electrifying and his range is seemingly endless. Even my recommendation has things I never thought I'd hear in a big budget movie. (Seriously, look up Assassins Breathe and tell me you're not astonished that this ended up in a big budget movie).
Recommendation: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
This list was very personal to me, and doesn't even cover a fraction of the amazing talent of film composers out there. I hope what you take away from this post is a renewed appreciation for the music that accompanies the films you watch, and if you like the music enough please go out and buy their albums. Relive your favorite films through their music. Share your favorite composers, who did I miss?
