Killing Small Animals, directed by Marcus Svanberg, premiers at Göteborg Film Festival. It was part of the program “I Dare You”.
Score by Oscar Fogelström.
The soundtrack will be released shortly on N10Y Records.
The soundtrack to Yam Laranas’ Nightshift was just released. Here is a short interview regarding the production of the score for the film.
How did you get involved with the project?
Via long term collaborator Yam Laranas. It’s our third film together, and we are just about to start working on our fourth film ”Rooftop”.
What were you asked to bring to the film and its music?
For this particular project we were looking to get a modern ”noir” feel. The entire film has a sort of noir vibe, with a mystery that deepens the longer the film progresses, and gets more and more existentialist in a sense. The entire film and score is propelled forward by an unrelenting motion towards an inevitably bleak and gloomy end
Who made the musical decisions and how did the communication process happen?
As always with Yam, it truly is a collaboration. We start by sending demos back and forth and talk about the general feel/mood of the film. Then we narrow it down to specifics, both in terms of storytelling and instrumentation etc. Since we live on different continents, there’s a lot of Skype and emailing going on:)
Could you introduce key thematic elements of the score?
The most prominent theme is the main theme that is introduced in the opening cue ”Nightshift”. It comes back many times and in many iterations throughout the score. You could say that that theme symbolize the protagonists search for answers or the truth, and it gets more and more twisted as the mystery unfolds. The main theme appears in many other cues inc "03 The Demon”, ”05 Darkness”, ”06 What Happened?”, ”07 Dr. Alex”, ”12 The Earthquake” etc. There is also a second theme, a ”love” theme. That appears most prominently in the last cue called ”Dayshift”. That theme also appears most prominently in ”03 The Demon”, ”02 First Encounter and Blackout”. Additionally, there is also a third theme which is a B theme of the main theme, it’s sort of a question mark, played mainly by the woodwinds.
Do you have a favorite scene you'd like to talk about in greater detail?
My favorite scene/cue is actually the opening music ”Nightshift”, because it sets up the rest of the film in a great way. It really sets the tone and the mood, and the camera work is stunning. It’s like one big open ended question thing, but still with a motion forward, it really draws you in.
Was there a scene that was really hard to get right?
Well, the cue called ”13 Follow Them” was a challenge, and also a lot of fun. There is a lot of stuff happening in that scene, different moods, action etc that I obviously had to work with. It’s like the culmination of the film with a lot of stuff unfolding, so it is very intense. I can’t say too much, but there’s a lot of suspense and other things going on in there.
What could you tell me about the recording process?
The recording process this time around was a mix of different techniques. As usual a lot of the sounds are recorded in my own studio, ”Oceanview Studio”, analogue synth effects, electric guitars etc. For orchestra I wanted both a bigger sound and an intimate sound. So I went with FAMEs Orchestra in Macedonia for the big lush cues, but also recorded a string quartet with my long time collaborator Mattias Bylund for the more intimate scenes. On top of that I had some remote sessions with a few other musicians, inc Kristin Naigus who played some amazing winds and John Robert Matz who recorded brass. In the cue ”Dayshift” I also recorded some vocals with fabulous singer Christine Hals. Additionally, my daughter Solveig sang a few variations of the main them that is used throughout the score in various iterations.
Do you have any other funny / strange / interesting anecdotes about the project?
A lot of the sound effects I recorded myself, there is definitely some funny stuff in there, inc a rhythm played on nyckelharpa, violin distorted effects, a chicken pecking board toy, some Christmas decorations that were destroyed and pitched down. Also, a vuvuzela was part of a ”doomsday horn” sound that occurs quite frequently in the score, for instance in cue ”04 Behind You”.
Horror film “Nightshift” by Yam Laranas opens in 130 cinemas in the Phillippines on Jan 22nd!
Just in the process of wrapping up the music for the horror short “Killing Small Animals" for prolific director Marcus Svanberg (McDonalds, Jaguar, Coke Zero, Electronic Arts etc). It looks very promising with amazing photography by the super talented DOP Johan Palm. Looking forward to seeing the finished film, it’s in post production right now.
Just started working on the new film from Yam Laranas, Nightshift!
Here’s the teaser with music by me.
So, I was pre-selected for the Public Choice Award at the World Soundtrack Awards for my score for Aurora by Yam Laranas.
I'm up against pretty heavy competition inc John Williams, Danny Elfman and Thomas Newman to mention a few...
Below is a link to the opening sequence from the film. It's a slow build... Orchestrated by Tristan Noon and recorded by Fames Project in Skopje. Some of the solo string fx were recorded by Mattias Bylund in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A quick test using live violin and percussion + a few new sample libraries, inc the Spitfire Audio Kepler Orchestra.
Aurora just won ”BEST OVERALL SCORE OF THE YEAR” at Reel Music, in competition with Marco Beltrami, Desplat etc (And also ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FEATURE)
From Alan Roger’s Reel Music:
”Oscar Fogelström’s score for the Philippines supernatural thriller, Aurora, tops the category of overall score of the year because of a number of things. Firstly, the choral work in the score, particularly in the opening and closing tracks, is impressive....
...Also, dissonance features strongly in Aurora but the dissonance is somehow bedded in melody. Maybe ‘melody’ isn’t the correct word to use, maybe it’s that the dissonance is easily listenable that it almost sounds melodic? Unusual orchestrations, trilling brass figures, glissandi are all mixed with support from the choir which has now taken on a different feel from that which was heard in the opening cue. Personally, I love the way the composer uses the orchestra to create such an impressive soundscape. Although ominous and unsettling, solo strings offer a hint of humanity at various points in the score. Fogelström is always doing something interesting with the orchestra: where there would be tense scenes populated with ‘filler music’ (e.g., ambient soundscapes), here the composer achieves tension but keeps the music listenable.
Aurora is the most enjoyable score I heard in 2018. The final minutes of “Rise Up” could easily be made into a wonderful concert piece.”
Oscar was comissioned to do a full music package for the classic Swedish true crime series “Veckans Brott” on Swedish national tv.
Oscar just finished the score for feature film Aurora by director Yam Laranas. The film opened in 150+ theaters in Asia and was mixed in Dolby Atmos. It has also had a theatrical run in the US and will soon be up on various streaming services.
Original Music
Oscar Fogelström
Strings
F.A.M.E.'S. Project, Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Skopje, Macedonia
Conductor : Oleg Kontradenko
Orchestrated by Tristan Noon
String session editing by Rich Aitken
Solo violin performed by David Bergström
Solo violin recorded by Mattias Bylund
Choir
Johannebergs Vokalensemble
Conductors: Jan K. Delemark & Mikael Carlsson
Recorded by Mikael Carlsson
Choir editing by Ivano Tria and Joe Miller
Abomination, screenplay and score by Oscar Fogelström, was nominated for Best Score and Best Screenplay at the 2018 Sinag Film Festival
http://www.sinagmaynila.com/abomination/
Oscar just finished the score for Stuart Fryer’s horror short “Bad Dreams”. Music composed by Oscar Fogelström, strings recorded by Mattias Bylund and performed by David Bergström
”Oscar listened to my vision for our Horror short ‘Bad Dreams’. He knew all the obscure 18th century composers work I referenced swell as the modern ones. The result: my short film has the soundtrack of a Hollywood movie. His work elevates it to a different level. The music lifts the film from a mere low budget horror to a film with weight and meaning. Oscars work has given me the chance to play the film alongside the worlds best at film festivals around the world. I will be back working with Oscar again and again… Superb work.”
Trailer/pilot for upcoming swedish feature Gråzon by super talented director Ali Memarchi. Music by Oscar Fogelström. Featuring Peter Eggers, Shanti Roney, Anastasios Soulis, Nina Zanjani and more.
Television
Theme music for Swedish tv series "The Museum".
Music composed and Produced by Oscar Fogelström
Produced by Strix
Client - SVT
Just finished the score for feature thriller Abomination by director Yam Laranas (Sigaw, The Echo, The Road)
The film is premiering later this year.
Live broadcast from the recording of the FAMES orchestra in Skopje, Macedonia for the score to Swedish tv series "Night at the museum".
Radio show "City Lights:Night Visions". Featuring some Scandinavian film composers, including Oscar Fogelström, Ólafur Arnalds, Henrik Skram and Johann Jóhann Jóhannsson.
City Lights: Night Visions City Lights: A Weekly 2-Hour Film Music Radio Show Tuesdays 21:00-23:00 @ http://innersound-radio.com/ InnerSound Radio
http://www.mixcloud.com/elafini/city-lights_season-6_night-visions-just-music/
Working on character development together with Fido. This is for the animated feature Oscar Fogelström has written and is developing together with TBL Rights/Nouvago
The Hypnotist, directed by Lasse Hallström, is Sweden’s official entry for The Academy Awards 2013! The score was composed by Oscar, orchestrated by Matt Dunkely and Tony Blondal, recorded and mixed by Geoff Foster at British Grove Studios and performed by The Chamber Orchestra of London .
