Archive for the ‘Movie Music’ Category
Award-winning Soundtrack: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
This week Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross earned a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Category for their soundtrack score The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Identical to the movie itself, this lengthy soundtrack with 39 songs paints a dark and deeply mysterious sound-scape by the two artist’s electronic score composed from an equally enigmatic viewpoint.
However when listening to this award-winning soundtrack outside the context of the movie, does The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo still earn the appreciation it deserves? This appears to be the case. The Social Network Soundtrack from 2010, which won a Golden Globe and Academy Award, is another prize movie score of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross earning this team well-deserved admiration of music buffs and moviegoers alike.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack by itself is a masterful collection of electronic music. Now given the prestige of award-winning status and the backing of the motion picture regarded as an epic thriller, this cinematic movie soundtrack by itself has become a success by progressing into the popular arena of a trendy modern classic.
The soundtrack with 39 songs is available in a 3 audio CD box set or mp3 digital downloads. The song video shown below is the 8 minute long Official Trailer with background score. Find The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo at Amazon.com. Cover courtesy Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Best Soundtrack Music Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross win GRAMMY® Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media by their film score album titled The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
The 55th GRAMMY® Award Winners in 81 categories were recently named during a live presentation ceremony. The show publicized as “Music’s Biggest Night” was aired live during a televised broadcast on the CBS Television Network.
The ceremony held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on February 10, 2013 included a series of show performances while honoring top artists for their achievements by one or more awards of 81 Best Album Award categories.
Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were presented with a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Category, determined by voting members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack earned Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross the prestigious, top Music Award.
The GRAMMY® Awards first inaugurated in 1959 was formed to recognize artists for their achievements in the music recording industry. To give you an idea how popular this awards presentation has become, the Annual Music Awards is ranked in viewership popularity as one of the highest rated television special programs.
Last year’s televised live Annual Music Awards ceremony reported 39.9 million viewers worldwide. The prime-time awards presentation in 2013 with an equally long list of popular celebrities who performed live during the presentation ceremony is expected to be another record breaking year for television viewership.
The five additional Nominated composers and their Soundtrack Scores in the 55th Music Awards for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media are: The Adventures Of Tintin – The Secret Of The Unicorn Soundtrack by composer John Williams, The Artist Soundtrack by composer Ludovic Bource, The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer, Hugo Soundtrack by composer Howard Shore, and Journey: Official Game Soundtrack by composer Austin Wintory.
Sample or purchase the album soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross titled The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo at Amazon.com. Read the complete list of prizewinning artists and albums in all 81 Best Album Categories at Grammy.com. Photos are courtesy Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Big Stock Photo – AnmFoto.
New Kitaro Album in 2013: Pre-release review for Tamayura by GRAMMY® and Golden Globe Award-Winning Kitaro.
International concert and recording artist Kitaro is a prolific new age artist whose music exceeds with each passing year during his three decades long career. This was proven to be the case with his theatrical score Tamayura, available on CD and DVD exclusively at Domo Music Group, with pre-orders being taken and a release date at Amazon on March 12, 2013.
With each release a fresh perspective of the artist’s personality is revealed, as is the unlimited expertise as composer, which isn’t easy to achieve even for the most accomplished artist. It’s clear after three decades of composing electronic and instrumental music, Kitaro pursues perfection and the all-important essential characteristic of creating the highest quality music.
Tamayura is a wonderful musical score by Kitaro which brings authenticity to the characters of a theatrical production by Kochi Tamano and Harupin-Ha Butoh Dance Theater from the year 2000. Available as a DVD, CD, and now digital downloads, Tamayura is indeed a quality release that exceeds over an hours of then new material in the genres of new age and international music.
In this case as most circumstances it is a challenge to write an accurate music review by listening to song samples only, but Tamayura does lend itself to an assessment in general terms simply by the unique departure from earlier releases. The 7 songs on Kitaro’s newest album are: Introduction, Magma, Mercury, Sitara, Nageki, Beam Wave & Uranus.
Sample and purchase Tamayura exclusively at the Domo Music Group Kitaro page. Special pricing and discounts are given on this release, available in compact disc, digital downloads or CD/DVD combo. Pre-orders are currently being accepted at Amazon.com until the March 12, 2013 release date. Fans and visitors may read my interview with Kitaro in 2012. Photo is courtesy domomusicgroup.com.
The 55th GRAMMY® Award Nominations for the entire 81 music categories, including the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media category, were announced during a televised live broadcast presentation and entertainment show on December 5, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The opening presentation by The Recording Academy® shown live on the CBS Television Network began the official countdown to the 55th GRAMMY® Awards Ceremony for 2013. The program for the evening show in Nashville publicized as “The GRAMMY Nomination Concert Live!! – Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night included past winners and nominees who gave a series of live entertainment performances.
The 55th GRAMMY® Awards Ceremony specified at Grammy.com lists the date of February 10, 2013, when they will reveal the award-winning artists in 81 Best Album Award categories. During the awards presentation scheduled for February 10, 2013, the CBS Television Network will again broadcast the official ceremony live at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at 8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
I have interviewed or written album reviews for a number of GRAMMY® Award/Nominated artists over the years. If you are new to this music blogspot there is more information about artists in this year and past years award competition in the Soundtrack, Americana, Instrumental, New Age, and World music genre categories.
The 6 Nominees for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (#57) are shown alphabetically. You may sample or purchase Nominated albums by direct links to each album at Amazon.com. Read more music news at Grammy.com and the complete category list of 81 Nominees at Grammy.com. Photos are courtesy each artist & Big Stock Photo – HelleM.
The 55th GRAMMY® Nominees – Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
1. John Williams composer – The Adventures Of Tintin – The Secret Of The Unicorn Soundtrack.
2. Ludovic Bource composer – The Artist Soundtrack.
3. Hans Zimmer composer – The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack.
4. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross composers – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack.
5. Howard Shore composer – Hugo Soundtrack.
6. Austin Wintory composer – Journey: Official Game Soundtrack.
Soundtrack Review: The Last of The Mohicans Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by cinematic composers Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, featuring a song by the group Clannad.
If you are a movie soundtrack music enthusiast, no doubt you have heard the original score for The Last of The Mohicans. The movie itself is a critically acclaimed masterpiece, and equally so for the 1992 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack score for The Last of The Mohicans by cinematic film composers Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman.
Many would agree the 16 songs on The Last of The Mohicans album is in the top 25 best soundtracks, if not one of the best cinematic movie scores ever produced. It’s hard to imagine the movie without the violin melodies and full orchestration like heard in the main title song Promentory composed by Trevor Jones, or the deeply moving song The Courier composed by Randy Edelman. Even the Irish band Clannad of Celtic pop, New Age fame aptly convey fine cinematic qualities on the final song by Clannad titled I Will Find You.
Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman are individually accomplished artists themselves, and top movie soundtrack composers with a long list of popular movie scores to their credit. The two film composers are equally famous for thrilling movie going audiences with their artful cinematic scores considered by many to be among some of the best movie soundtracks ever produced.
The passing of Native American activist and actor Russell Means, who played the leading role of Chingachgook, has brought renewed interest and meaning to his true to life role, the movie, and this excellent movie soundtrack, which survives today as one of the most fascinating music scores in the movie soundtrack genre.
Find The Last of The Mohicans at Amazon.com in CD and digital downloads, and visit the composers at TrevorJonesFilmMusic.com and RandyEdelman.com. Please Note: The YouTube video shows actual film scenes from the motion picture, which has an R Rating, so the video below is not suitable for younger viewers. The HD quality video is the song Promontory from Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. Big Stock Photo – PosterPuppy.
Hans Zimmer: Top Movie Soundtrack Composer.
When naming the best movie soundtrack composers, Hans Zimmer is one of the top movie soundtrack composers I and millions of people worldwide would think of right away. With an endless list of award-winning movies there are a number of top motion picture composers who have thrilled moviegoers with film scores considered their best movie soundtracks.
Hans Zimmer can claim an illustrious career having won numerous awards including an Academy Award, 2 Golden Globe Awards, 4 GRAMMY® Awards, a Classical BRIT Award and World Soundtrack Award.
Along with some of the best movie soundtracks by Hans Zimmer, top cinematic recording artists Danny Elfman, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Thomas Newman, Howard Shore, and John Williams, have kept moviegoers on the edge of their seats, including soundtrack recordings by Klaus Badelt, Ennio Morricone, Brad Fiedel and Philip Glass.
Even with the top recording artists listed above this is far from a complete list of who’s who in today’s movie recording industry. Many people would debate the fact there are many great composers who should be included, and I couldn’t agree more.
Hans Zimmer is a celebrated composer nearly everyone would agree upon. Famous worldwide for award-winning movie soundtrack scores in the electronic and orchestral category the song video is a selection of official scores from the movie soundtracks Inception, Modern Warfare, Madagascar, The Last Samurai, Pearl Harbor, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Da Vinci Code.
Songs by Hans Zimmer are Time, Mombasa, Safeguard, Code of Conduct, Zoosters Breakout, Spectres in Fog, A Way of Life, Tennessee, Brothers, Jack Sparrow & Chevaliers De Sangreal. The Best of Hans Zimmer is a 2 disc collection available at Amazon.
Coming soon is a new official site at HansZimmer.com. Until then you may visit a semi-official site at Hans-Zimmer.com.
Original Movie Music for Motion Picture Trailers and Advertising Campaigns by artists Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix of Audiomachine.
If you love official movie soundtrack music and theatrical movie trailers of your favorite blockbuster movies, Audiomachine is a fantastic music group who has recently made their extraordinary cinematic songs available to the buying public. Chronicles and Epica are two new albums by the artists, with another brand new cinematic project slated to be released soon called Helios.
Even if you don’t frequently attend the movie theater there is a good chance you have heard songs by Audiomachine since their original scores are utilized in radio and television advertisement for hundreds of official movie trailers, along with video game advertising promotions.
Audiomachine consists of artists Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix, who describe themselves as motion picture advertising producers began composing cinematic music for the motion picture, television and video industries in 2005.
The first release by Audiomachine is an excellent album in 2012 named Chronicles, which has 28 cinematic songs of their signature dynamic sound compiled from their first original movie marketing music. The songs are trailer scores of popular movies like Avatar, Harry Potter, Hugo, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Fighter, The King’s Speech.
Epica is the newest release in 2012 by Audiomachine. Featuring a live orchestra and choir, the 12 epic songs are akin to Chronicles, plus Epica is well – exceptionally epic and adventurous with equivalent dynamic compositions heard on Chronicles. Nearing release, Helios is said to have cues by a 175 member orchestra and choir.
In terms of the scores they produce, Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix cover many styles and genres, whether you categorize it as orchestral, instrumental, electronic, classical or 21st century. No matter how you classify their productions, you will find they constantly push the proverbial envelope by producing some of the best cinematic music today.
It’s a great sound, far more epic and dynamic than the majority of songs you hear every day, even by the standards of top music producers in the cinematic genre. In regard to the Audiomachine, I can guarantee two things about this specialty music production team to near one hundred percent accuracy. One is you will be hearing more music from them, and secondly you will be hearing a lot more about them.
When you visit Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix at Audiomachine check out their credits page, where you can see the impressive list of movie trailers and scores they have produced to date. Find a bounty of Audiomachine song samples at YouTube.
While you are there you can preview their newest tracks and watch movie trailers and sample their newest score for the movie trailer Leviathan. Currently their music is made available at major online music stores like Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes.
Visit Audiomachine.com for complete information, and find Chronicles & Epica by Audiomachine at iTunes.com. Both new albums are available on audio CD or digital downloads at Amazon.com. Cover artwork courtesy audiomachine.com.
If you are a fan of cinematic songs and official movie trailers, Audiomachine is taking the world by storm by “going rogue” it appears. As motion picture, television and video advertising producers, Audiomachine has recently made their cinematic songs available, which has resulted in a monumental and intensely loyal fan following. Chances are you have heard their cinematic music in a number of high profile movie trailers and television advertisements. It’s great news you can now buy their songs!
Audiomachine was also involved with the London 2012 Olympic Games by their song Eterna from their Chronicles album. The song Eterna by Audiomachine was part of the official music played during the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Another example of a song from Chronicles is presented is the song Breath and Life in an Audi television commercial being aired in China.
Next is a introduction of Audiomachine by an album review of Chronicles and Eterna. Visit the official Audiomachine.com and listen to to one of the 28 songs on Chronices in a Audi commercial airing in China. Cover courtesy audiomachine.com.
Best New Albums from the London 2012 Olympic Games Composer Vangelis – The Collection & Chariots of Fire (The Play).
Vangelis fans will be pleased to know there are 2 albums of new music by Vangelis in 2012, and the possibly of another new movie soundtrack by the famous Olympic composer Vangelis. For the millions of fans who can’t get enough new music from the legendary musician, the year 2012 has already turned out to be an exciting year by the international publicity derived from the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Vangelis – The Collection is a 2 disc selection of 31 songs total. Many are the most popular songs recorded from earlier movie soundtrack scores. It can be said this collection is the best songs from the best Vangelis albums available.
Vangelis – The Collection has the best soundtrack songs from popular movie scores like 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Blade Runner, Alexander, and Academy Award-winning movie score Chariots of Fire, plus additional film scores.
There are 4 Jon & Vangelis songs when recorded with former YES vocalist and lyricist Jon Anderson too. The four Jon & Vangelis songs are So Long Ago, So Clear, I’ll Find My Way Home, State Of Independence & I Hear You Now. Another song favorite on this special 31 song collection album is Anthem – 2002 FIFA World Cup Official Anthem (Synthesizer Version).
Chariots of Fire (The Play) by Vangelis, is another new album brought into news publicity by the release days prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is an exemplary release too, but I would say Vangelis – The Collection can be rightly called the ultimate selection of the greatest hit songs by Vangelis. Whether you call it instrumental music, electronic, orchestral, or new age music, Vangelis is a masterful film composer whose classic songs have endured throughout the years.
Vangelis fans and movie goers alike will also be pleased to know there is confirmation of a brand new sequel to the classic science fiction thriller movie Blade Runner. Thirty years after it first was released, the official Blade Runner Trilogy Soundtrack is still one of the best movie soundtracks ever produced by Vangelis. Now there is at least, an opening for another new Vangelis film score made specifically for the new Blade Runner movie sequel.
While a Warner Bros. based Alcon Entertainment press release confirmed they are indeed featuring the 1982 cult movie classic sequel, again with director Ridley Scott, there is at present no confirmation of who will be providing the movie score for the Blade Runner sequel. Another aspect to consider is that Vangelis may not agree to compose music for the sequel. However the possibility of another new Vangelis soundtrack has given fans another reason for enthusiasm in 2012 and 2013.
One thing certain to me and millions of Vangelis fans however. The original Blade Runner movie score by Vangelis is an integral part of the movie that in part, drove the Blade Runner motion picture to its present day cult-like status. There are many proponents who would agree that a Blade Runner movie sequel simply wouldn’t achieve the same phenomenal success without a new Vangelis Blade Runner soundtrack.
There are some people saying that even Vangelis himself, couldn’t compose a superior music score than the original soundtrack, but I tend to disagree. Only time will tell the answer to that question, and the primary question of whether there we will be rewarded with another new soundtrack by Vangelis in the year 2013, and the years ahead.
You can find Vangelis – The Collection at Amazon.com.uk and the London 2012 Olympics Games inspired newest Vangelis soundtrack Chariots of Fire (The Play) at Amazon.com. Both are available in digital audio CD or mp3 format at U.S. and UK Amazon stores.
Sony Classical has recently added two brand new music releases to the international music giants impressive all-star list of global recording artists.
The first new release from Sony Classical is an original motion picture soundtrack entitled The Trouble With Bliss, a movie score written by composer Daniel Alcheh.
The Hollywood, California based cinematic music composer Daniel Alcheh, in addition to his own esteemed career as a film composer, has worked with a number of famous cinematic film score composers, including Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, and John Williams.
The Trouble with Bliss Soundtrack has contemporary orchestrations performed by distinguished Greek artists. The animated movie score achieves a wonderful ethnic feel by the inclusion of accordion, bouzouki, clarinet, mandolin, saz, and a variety of guitars and stringed instruments.
The warm, upbeat music rhythms on The Trouble With Bliss Soundtrack is the perfect background setting for the romantic comedy-drama that is a recipient of several best motion picture awards.
Sony Classical Label’s second new release entitled Viva Brazil was made available on May 15, 2012. The live recording Viva Brazil (Live) features topnotch artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott, Sergio and Odair Assad and Joseph Gramley. The new release Viva Brazil is available at major digital retail outlets, and find Viva Brazil Live at iTunes. Sample or purchase The Trouble with Bliss digital music downloads at Amazon. Photo is courtesy sonymusic.com.
With all of the attention given to the state of Florida in U.S. politics, the time is right to revisit the television soundtrack to Miami Vice by Jan Hammer. While the TV show is history, Miami Vice Theme song, Colombia, & Crockett’s Theme song and entire Miami Vice Original Soundtrack have already won the popular vote.
Miami Vice: The Complete Collection is a soundtrack with 42 Jan Hammer songs. The entire collection is a classic, like the Original Miami Vice Theme, New York Theme, and my favorite, Crockett’s Theme. Wonderful harmony is heard in laid back songs Tubbs And Valerie, Rum Cay, & Crockett’s Return. The 42 songs on Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice Complete Collection is one of his finest albums.
Jan Hammer is a GRAMMY® Award winning artist recognized for his high octane electronic hit music, but there is much more to the composer, keyboardist Jan Hammer, than his chart topping hit songs and albums like the Miami Vice Complete Collection. Jazz fusion, pop, soundtrack and film music are mainstays, but the entire musical expression of Jan Hammer is pretty diverse, as is his professional associations with other legendary music icons.
Jan Hammer was a Mahavishnu Orchestra member, led by John McLaughlin. Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck, are some of his music associations. The fashion statement of wearing a sport coat with white tennis shoes may be out of style, especially for a politician, but Jan Hammer and popular hit songs in his Miami Vice soundtrack are still in vogue. The video is from The Best of Miami Vice twentieth year anniversary. During the interview style narrative with Jan Hammer, he and his fans discuss the impact Miami Vice Original Soundtrack made in music history, featuring song Crockett’s Theme. Visit JanHammer.com to sample or purchase, or visit Amazon.com. Album artwork is courtesy Jan Hammer.
Tron: Legacy Soundtrack by Daft Punk is an exceptional electronic and orchestral movie soundtrack that became the award winning music score for the movie Tron: Legacy.
The original film score by Daft Punk has high acclaim from many within the music and film industry, plus the YouTube video below of song Derezzed has been viewed over 8 million times!
Tron: Legacy Soundtrack won an award for Best Original Score by the Austin Film Critics Association, nominated for Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film from the Art Directions Guild. In addition, Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy reached the top 10 charts at Billboard.
The award-winning movie soundtrack by Daft Punk was nominated Score of the Year from the International Film Music Critics Association, and GRAMMY® nominated for Sound Editing.
Daft Punk is the GRAMMY® award-winning music duo comprised of French artists Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Recognized worldwide for their innovative electronic techno music, Daft Punk at present has been honored by 2 GRAMMY® Awards and 7 nominations.
Shown below is a YouTube video of the song Derezzed. You can sample or purchase the Tron: Legacy Soundtrack at amazon.com, or Tron: Legacy DVD at amazon.com, and visit daftalive.com. Big Stock Photo by AnmFoto.
David Arkenstone is the Grammy Nominated musician who recently composed the Echoes of Creation movie soundtrack for Emmy Award winning director Jan Nickman, and his inspiring nature film that bears the same name. The scenic backdrop for the landscape footage filmed in the U.S. is the Pacific Northwest, California, and Alaska.
The Echoes of Creation DVD soundtrack by David Arkenstone is a beautiful instrumental score that seems to bring out the very best of what director Jan Nickman had in mind while producing this equally stunning film. Together as a team they have produced an audio visual product that is beyond comparison!
For the award winning musician David Arkenstone, the Echoes of Creation soundtrack comes to be his most recent CD release in his already extensive list of popular orchestral albums. The instrumental songs on David’s soundtrack are Deep Beauty, The Most Sacred Art, Tides of Eternity, Riding the Invisible, Journey of Forever, The Inevitable, Embrace Everything & Echoes of Creation title song.
Below is the official Echoes of Creation video trailer.
Visit the davidarkenstone.com homepage to sample or purchase the CD soundtrack. Visit echoesofcreationmovie.com to order Echoes of Creation on CD, DVD or BlueRay formats. Cover art is courtesy echoesofcreationmovie.com.
Thief Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.
Movie Soundtracks & Film Scores have provided many classic moments in film history over the years by transforming a great movie into an extraordinary motion picture simply by utilizing the appropriate score to create theatrical excitement and drama to the actor’s character identity.
Tangerine Dream is after all a New Age music icon whose influence over the years should not be in doubt by anyone. With over 20 movie soundtracks alone to their credit, they have given much to the film industry by their electronic music.
Tangerine Dream’s influence is apparent today as it was in the year 1981 when Tangerine Dream provided the Thief soundtrack for the Michael Mann original motion picture Thief. The movie has an R rating, and is based on the book The Home Invaders by Frank Hohimer. The staring actors James Cann, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi and Willie Nelson portrayed their roles quite convincingly I might add.
During the movie score for Thief Soundtrack, the synthesizer and electric guitar laden song Diamond Diary was used extensively during the first 9 minutes of the opening scene. The song video below gives one an excellent feel of the movie atmosphere, plus there are few spoken words to interrupt the song taken from the actual movie scene. The police scanners even add a bit of excitement to the video.
Tangerine Dream band members performing on the Thief Soundtrack are Edgar Froese on keyboards, electronic equipment and guitar. Christopher Franke on synthesizers, electronic equipment and electronic percussion. Johannes Schmoelling on keyboards and electronic equipment. Craig Safan composed and performed the song Confrontation.
Visit the official tangerinedream-music.com and Amazon.com to sample or purchase the Thief Soundtrack.
Here is the YouTube song video of Diamond Diary with the opening scene from this classic movie.