Movies about Synthesizer
In many of our favorite films and shows, it is easy to overlook the underlying music that accompanies the story. Even the subtlest of musical overtones can put us into a trance without realizing it, captivating us into each and every scene. This is usually a sign of a great film score or soundtrack, as the music is not meant to stand out on its own, but to engage our mood into whatever is taking place.
Something great about synthesizers is the wide range of unusual sounds that can be created, being conducive for the way the music blends into a scene. Below, we have compiled 10 of our favorite synth scores and soundtracks, all of which are available on Netflix.
1. Turbo Kid (2015)
Turbo Kid is a post-apocalyptic, 80’s-esque sci-fi thriller that takes place in 1997. The soundtrack was written by electronic act, Le Matos, with each track being featured on their album, Chronicles Of The Wasteland.
2. XOXO (2016)
XOXO, released in 2016, revolves around a group of young adults who begin to discover rave culture, alongside a young producer who wants to make it. Ultimately paying homage to EDM, its soundtrack features great artists like Dada Life, Disclosure, Skrillex and many more.
3. divnější věci (2016 -)
One of the more popular items on this list, Stranger Things features an amazing synth soundtrack that just makes each scene hit you. Written by electronic band S U R V I V E, we were fortunate enough to ask them a few questions.
4. Následuje (2014)
Následuje is a psychological thriller and horror film that definitely keeps us on the edge of our seats; it’s one of those films that keeps making us ask ourselves, what the hell is going on? The film score was written by electronic act, Disasterpiece, and you can listen to the full tracklist via their Bandcamp.
5. Buďme zlí (2016)
2016 horror film, Let’s Be Evil, turns augmented reality into an absolute tech nightmare. While the film hasn’t received the most glowing of reviews, the synthy, modernistic soundtrack is still very poignant. The soundtrack was written by Julian Scherle and you can listen to it přes iTunes.
6. Mandarinka (2015)
Tangerine is definitely one film that deserves to be on this list, featuring an extensive synth soundtrack composed of a variety of artists. Also, it was filmed entirely with iPhones! You can listen to the soundtrack below.
7. Kung Fury (2015)
2015 martial arts film, Kung Fury, has one of the best synth soundtracks among the films released in recent years. The setting takes place in 1985, bringing a modern audience back into the realm of 80’s action films. The music definitely contributes to this, and was scored by Swedish synthwave musicians Mitch vražda and Lost Years.
8. ARQ (2016)
ARQ, another Netflix film with a surprisingly phenomenal synth score, was composed by Bryce Mitchell and Keegan Jessamy, and you can watch the trailer below.
9. Hvězdné oči (2014)
Starry Eyes, a retro 80’s style horror film, has been receiving much of its attention from the nostalgic synth soundtrack composed by Jonathan Snipes. Released on vinyl, it has been sold out for quite some time; however, you can listen to two tracks below.
Go behind the scenes into Snipes’s studio session while writing the music for Starry Eyes.
10. Velké nesnáze v Malé Číně (1986)
The incredibly talented and passionate John Carpenter was the man behind the synth soundtrack for Velké potíže v malé Číně, as well as directing the entire film! You can catch the classic martial arts film on Netflix.
We hope that you found an item or two from this list to be helpful during your next Netflix browsing session! If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, you might check out our exclusive Q&A with S U R V I V E, the band who has scored the show thus far.
10 of the most incredible synth film soundtracks from Hollywood history
It’s hard to imagine how low-budget horror and sci-fi would have survived if film composers didn’t have the eerie, otherworldly and, crucially, relatively inexpensive sounds of synthesisers at their disposal.
On the other hand, pretty much every technological advancement in music technology can be traced back to an early pioneer working in the realms of film and TV sound creation, many of whom were often decades ahead of their counterparts in pop music. In celebration of this symbiotic relationship, we’ve rounded up nine of our favourite synth-led film soundtracks, starting with the GOAT.
1.Blade Runner
Composer: Vangelis
Vangelis’ Blade Runner score might just be the pinnacle of synthesiser soundtracks. It seamlessly blends orchestral elements with vintage synth sounds (and the occasional sax solo) to create a mood that treads a line between old-fashioned noir suspense and bleak, dystopian futurism, perfectly mirroring the retro-futuristic feel of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic.
The core of the soundtrack was primarily composed using a Yamaha CS-80 and Roland VP-330, interspersed with elements played on a Fender Rhodes to add an element of classic romanticism to the sound. Fittingly, there are almost as many different versions, edits and bootlegs of the soundtrack kicking about as there are re-cuts of the film itself.
Also deserving of honourable mention here is the soundtrack to the 2017 remake, Blade Runner 2049. Composed by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, it pays homage to Vangelis’ score by focusing on the use of synthesizers, including the CS-80, over orchestral textures.
2. Apokalypsa nyní
Composers: Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola
The soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam epic is probably most commonly remembered for its iconic uses of Ride Of The Valkyries and The Doors’ The End. But behind these moments of inspired synchronisation lies an impressive and imposing synth-driven soundtrack created, for the most part, by Coppola himself and his composer father Carmine.
Their compositions for the film are both otherworldly and threatening; a strange concoction of ethereal atmospheric noises and bursts of intrusive, Moog-like synth chords. It all helps to build a sense impending doom, detaching the narrative from reality as the film makes its increasingly hallucinatory journey up river.
3. The Fog
Composer: John Carpenter
Essentially we could include just about any John Carpenter film in this list. His self-composed, home-recorded synth soundtracks are as much a defining characteristic of his filmmaking style as any of the cinematic or narrative tricks he’s known for.
Assault On Precinct 13, Escape From New York and Halloween all feature impeccable soundtracks composed in his distinctly lo-fi, drone-inspired style. The Fog is a personal favourite of ours however, featuring some of his most moody and atmospheric sonic creations. Plus, the commercial release opens with the same campfire ghost story as the film itself — and everyone loves a ghost story, right?
4. Řídit
Composer: Cliff Martinez
Former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez has, since stepping away from the rock music world in the late-’80s, emerged as one of Hollywood’s finest modern composers. While he’s a number of impressive soundtracks to his name — his score for Steven Soderbergh’s version of Solaris is a definite career highlight — his work on Drive stands out as one of the finest cinematic synthesiser moments in recent years.
Martinez’s score blends classic soundtrack instrumentation with unashamedly retro synth chords and arpeggiated basslines. It all perfectly matches the nostalgic-feeling soundtrack contributions provided by French producer College and Johnny Jewel’s bands Chromatics and Desire, creating a weirdly retro, nocturnal feel to match Nicolas Winding Refn’s stylized filmmaking.
5. Monstra
Composer: Jon Hopkins
Scottish electronic musician Jon Hopkins has worked with Brian Eno and is a vocal fan of Cliff Martinez, and you can hear the influence of both coming through on his brilliant soundtrack to indie sci-fi movie Monsters.
The film’s score is perhaps less overtly sythesiser-driven than others on this list — as is the case with Hopkins’ albums, there’s an earthy, natural quality rooted in acoustic percussion and piano parts. Yet at its core the whole thing is based around subtle synthesised drones and looping delay effects that reveal Hopkins’ impeccable skill for creating gorgeous, humanised electronic music.
6. Sociální síť
Composers: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
With their ambient-leaning, electronic soundtrack for David Fincher’s account of the creation of Facebook, Nine Inch Nails mainman Reznor and English musician Ross do an excellent job of building a sense of impending doom through simple repeated motifs and menacing, droning synths.
The soundtrack also features a synthesised reworking of Edvard Grieg composition In The Hall Of The Mountain King, an idea that apparently came from Fincher directly, as a tribute of sorts to Wendy Carlos’ work on A Clockwork Orange. Speaking of which.
7. Mechanický pomeranč
Composer: Wendy Carlos
Wendy Carlos (actually credited as Walter Carlos here, being pre-sexual reassignment at the time) is a true synthesiser pioneer.
Her contributions to Kubrick’s controversial masterpiece have their roots in her earlier work, Switched-On Bach, which saw Carlos piecing together renditions of pieces by Bach performed on a (then-barely known) Moog synthesiser. In a similar manner, her soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange is focused around weird and alien-sounding electronic reworkings of well-known classical pieces. It acts as a strangely logical bridge between main character Alex’s disconcerting obsession with the work of ‘Ludwig van’ and the fantastical, futuristic look of Kubrick’s film. The soundtrack also features one of the first ever recordings of a vocoder.
8. Day Of The Dead
Composer: John Harrison
Filmmaker and composer John Harrison’s soundtrack to Romero’s zombie classic is a real product of its time. It’s packed with early synth-pop motifs, weird funk basslines, shuffling percussion and undertones of eighties power-balladry. It, perhaps, sounds a little naff to our ears now, but it’s still hard not to love it.
9. American Gigolo
Composer: Giorgio Moroder
Wikipedia informs us that the Italian bloke off the Daft Punk album used to do music himself back in the ’70s and ’80s, including the odd film score.
As with many of the other composers on this list, Moroder has plenty of impressive soundtrack work to pick from. The Chase, from Midnight Express remains one of his most influential works, whilst his contributions to Scarface (and by proxy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City) are iconic sonic embodiments of overblown ’80s excess.
American Gigolo is probably our favourite of Moroder’s OSTs though. Aside from the fact that it spawned his excellent Blondie collaboration Call Me, the film’s soundtrack is packed with a mixture of sleazy synth horn sections, weird bleepy atmospherics and funky disco basslines that provide the perfect soundtrack to the downfall of Richard Gere’s creepy, narcissistic male escort.
10. Under The Skin
Composer: Mica Levi
Jonathan Glazer’s extraordinarily unsettling adaptation of Michel Faber’s novel Under The Skin sees an extraterrestrial Scarlett Johansson roaming the Scottish countryside in search of unsuspecting prey. It’s fitting, then, that Glazer chose Mica Levi to compose the soundtrack, a musician and composer who — at the time — was something of an alien in the world of film music.
Bringing their oddball sensibilities and an experimental perspective to the project, Levi composed a sparse and disturbing collection of themes that merge synthesized abstraction with harrowing strings, blurring the boundaries between digital and organic sound.
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Odesláním svých údajů souhlasíte s Podmínkami a Zásadami ochrany osobních údajů a jste starší 16 let.
I’m Editor-in-Chief of Music Technology, working with Future Music, Computer Music, Electronic Musician and MusicRadar. I’ve been messing around with music tech in various forms for over two decades. I’ve also spent the last 10 years forgetting how to play guitar. Find me in the chillout room at raves complaining that it’s past my bedtime.
- Matt Mullen Tech Editor
Movies about Synthesizer
Datum příspěvku:
Fri, 06/15/2018 — 16:04
The best part of synthesizers is obviously tinkering with them or, if you don’t own them yourself, listening to them in action. However, fans of synthesizers also love learning more about these fascinating instruments. There are a lot of resources for expanding your synthesizer knowledge, but if you just want to kick back and relax, you’ll find that there are some nice synthesizer documentaries floating around as well. Here are just a couple of documentaries on the subject that are worth making the time to watch.
The Rise of The Synths
Official Website: http://theriseofthesynths.com/
There is no denying that 80s nostalgia is at a peak thanks to television shows such as Stranger Things and the popularity of Synthwave soundtracks. The Rise of The Synths is an upcoming documentary that explores the universe of sounds created by pioneers of synths, such as John Carpenter, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream as well as the artists that they influenced. Check out the official teaser below and keep an eye on the release date for The Rise of The Synths. Those who are impatient can also check out the companion record that features artists such as Carpenter Brut, Lazerhawk, Mega Drive, Voyag3r and others.
Synth Britannia (2009)
Official Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n93c4
Synth pop fans should definitely check out the BBC4 documentary, Synth Britannia, that was released in 2009. It features a couple of very informative interviews with some of the biggest names in the genre, which is something that fans will really appreciate. Hearing from Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Annie Lennox, Gary Numan and other artists is a blast and it is fascinating to see how synth pop grew in the eighties. The documentary is more about the artists than their equipment, but it still offers plenty of great insights.
I Dream of Wires (2014)
Official Website: http://idreamofwires.org/
For a closer look at the rise, demise and ultimate resurgence of the modular synthesizer take a look at the 2014 documentary, I Dream of Wires. It features interviews with everyone from inventors and enthusiasts to musicians including the likes of Trent Reznor, Chris Carter, Cevin Key, John Foxx, Bernie Krause, Vince Clarke and Gary Numan. I Dream of Wires can be purchased on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/i-dream-of-wires/id996316256) and you can also rent or buy it from Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/idreamofwires). Fans who can’t get enough should also seek out I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition, a 4-hour cut of the film that is out on Blu-Ray.
Bright Sparks. The Documentary
Official Website: http://brightsparks.movie/
For a more laid back documentary experience, we recommend the 2015 title, Bright Sparks. It features a nice mixture of insights from synthesizer makers such as Herb Deutsch, John Bradley, Alan Robert Pearlman and Ken Freeman as well as players like Alessandro Cortini, Will Gregory and Adrian Utley. The two hour documentary is available for purchase from the official Bright Sparks webshop (http://brightsparks.movie/shop/) or you can rent it via Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/brightsparks). The documentary was created by two vintage synth aficionados, Dave Spiers and Chris Macleod, who also happen to be the owners of GForce Software, a company that is known for their classic synth software plugins.
The Alchemists of Sound (2003)
Official Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007hsr6
Synthesizer fans will know what an important role these instruments played in the scores and special effects of numerous cult classic BBC shows. These new sounds for shows such as Doctor Who and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy were the result of the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop. In this 2003 documentary, The Alchemists of Sound, viewers get a glimpse of the inception of the workshop back in 1958, right through its golden years and the eventual closure in 1995 due to budget cuts. It is crammed with interviews, archive footage, as well as closure, looks at the synths that were used.
Discovering Electronic Music (1983)
The oldest documentary on this list by far is Discovering Electronic Music, which was released way back in 1983. It was written and directed by Bernard Wilets and aimed at people who were interested in the analog synthesizers of the eighties. What makes this documentary so unique is that synthesizers were still very modern when it was released, which is an interesting contrast to modern documentaries that look back at these instruments. It also features music from Rory Kaplan, Douglas Leedy, Jean-Claude Risset and other early pioneers who don’t always get the recognition that they deserve.
Zbytek
The five documentaries mentioned above are not the only ones that are available about the subject either. What The Future Sounded Like (2007) is also an interesting watch and fans of Suzanne Ciani should definitely not miss out on A Life in Waves (2017.) Analogue Heaven, the documentary about the Museum of Synthesizer Technology, is also worth tracking down and while Moog, the 2004 documentary about the legendary Bob Moog, fell short of expectations, it is still an interesting effort.
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