Odi et Amo This is perhaps the greatest piece by the late Johann Johannsson (next to The Sun’s Gone Dim and the Sky’s Turned Black). Odi et Amo (I Hate Love) is at once devastating and futuristic. Although I prefer the sonic heaviness of the […]
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Isolated System I love this instrumental piece by Muse. It worked perfectly as the theme song for Brad Pitt’s World War Z in 2013. Using it was a brilliant stroke — as it set a tenor of unease, right from the beginning of the film. […]
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Lily’s Theme Lily’s Theme, by composer Alexandre Desplat, is one of the most poignant pieces of music from the Harry Potter films. The song was composed by French composer, Alexandre Desplat, who scored both parts of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The haunting vocals […]
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If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk is a 2018 romantic drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins. The film follows a young woman in early 1970s Harlem — who seeks to clear the name of her lover, charged with a […]
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Bird Box I just watched Bird Box (Netflix) and I loved it. Obviously the film draws comparisons to The Happening and A Quiet Place but it still feels highly original. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross bring the melancholy and creeping dread with their typical sound. […]
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Hedwig’s Theme I love the Harry Potter music by John Williams, and I know the music has a lot of special meaning to the fans. I created this arrangement of Hedwig’s theme (specifically) from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I’ve lowered the key […]
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Life in 12 Bars Life in 12 Bars is a behind the scenes documentary of Eric Clapton’s musical restlessness and personal tragedy. Clapton’s quest to grow his artistic voice saw him routinely abandon successful relationships with bands and women. His solitary pursuit of his craft, […]
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Sendero I originally posed this song in 2012, but I’m much better at sound quality now and wanted to update Sendero for 2018. I love how Gustavo Santaolalla stays tight to the beat, almost like fingerstyle funk. As per usual, he’s only working with a […]
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The Wings The Wings completes my arrangements for the Oscar winning Brokeback Mountain Soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla. This song is what initially drew me into Gustavo Santaolalla’s film score work, way back in 2005. The film was very controversial then, and I remember cleaning my […]
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs I’m a huge Coen Brothers fan, and the The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Netflix) is one of their best. It’s really the Coen Bros unleashed — as Netflix doesn’t have the same constraints as a Hollywood studio. My favorite of […]
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Revelation I love this song. Revelation is so minimalist — specifically the “vinyl” version from the Boy Erased soundtrack. I used the vinyl version as a template for this guitar arrangement. The power of Revelation is in it’s subtlety; the unprocessed (unproduced) delicate way Troye Sivan sings. […]
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Brokeback Mountain 3 Brokeback Mountain 3 is an achingly beautiful piece of music from Gustavo Santaolalla’s Academy award winning Brokeback Mountain score – most of which was played on a single solitary acoustic guitar. ‘Wings’ is the most memorable theme from Brokeback Mountain. However, the […]
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