Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I love learning new things.
I think I'm a pretty good listener.
I moved to L.A. in 2007 from Sweden.
I work pretty fluidly across all genres.
I really want to get better at conducting.
I've produced all of Childish Gambino's music.
I'd love to work with Frank Ocean. I really like his music.
I'm just constantly figuring out new ways to reinvent myself.
A friend of mine put me in contact with the artist Baaba Maal.
Some of my favorite scores include Bernard Herrmann's Hitchcock scores.
Needless to say, I like to create a unique sound for each project I do.
Obviously, the 'Rocky' theme is one of the most recognizable themes in film.
If you're a film composer, you have the music tell the story of the character.
That's important for me, to never just relax and be too comfortable with what you have.
It's not lost on me that I'm a Swedish guy from one of the coldest countries in the world.
Something I grew up with is John Williams, of course, with 'Indiana Jones' and 'Star Wars.'
I love L.A. partly because it feels like there are so many parts of the world in this city.
Every now and then, as a composer and producer, it's important to write music for yourself.
Normally when you write for an orchestra, you think about melody and harmony and countermelody.
I think to try to make new music and new ideas, you have to push the boundaries of existing music.
Words fail to express how surreal and humbling it feels to be invited into the 'Star Wars' universe.
These days, you're always surrounded by music and sounds, whether you're in the mall or a subway car.
I just want to say, creating music with Childish Gambino has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Any time you have the chance to celebrate something with your closest best friends, it's very special.
So when I'm listening to music, I'm listening to a lot of hip-hop to be inspired and to hear new things.
I never used to get calls from artists or labels, but once you have a top 20 hit, you start getting them.
I would love to do more superhero work; as a young film composer, that is one of the things you dream of.
Music in Africa is perceived so differently than Western classical music - it's language and storytelling.
It definitely feels like I'm living a dream, but I try not to pinch myself because I don't want to wake up.
When I'm by myself - composing or writing film scores - it's very lonely. I'm just sitting by myself in the studio.
I think in 'Rocky IV' there are three montages with three five-minute songs, which is insane. You can't do that today.
One of the first things I want do when I start writing music for a film is to create its own sound world, its own music world.
The first time I experimented with sound design was on 'Fruitvale Station,' where I recorded the BART train and manipulated it.
Growing up, I was listening to a lot of Metallica, a lot of instrumental guitar music because I started out as a guitar player.
I wanted to be the best guitar player in the world. And then my dad got me a portable recorder, so I started writing my own music.
Any time I get a chance to work with artists that make me inspired and learn new stuff about music - every chance I get, I'll take.
I need to study more. I need to educate myself more - and not just in music, in everything - but especially in music and composing.
If you make modern rap music, how do you write without ripping off anyone else? It's just about having a distinct voice in your songs.
I'd say for a film composer, 'Star Wars' is kind of like the holy grail of film music. It's probably the best film music ever written.
Growing up in Sweden, musical education is something really special. There are music schools everywhere, and the education is very advanced.
As a kid growing up in Sweden loving American music, I always dreamt of migrating here and working with brilliant artists like Donald Glover.
I haven't really ever seen a big budget Hollywood film with African music. Most of the time, it's just Hollywood's perception of what African music is.
I'm always trying to experiment and come up with new palettes of sound and new combinations of music that you haven't really seen or heard in film before.
Needless to say, when I work on a film, it's mostly just me alone in my room just waiting to present the music to the director - and either he likes it or not.
My starting point is always to read a script and have a conversation with the director about what their vision is, and then, after that, I love to do research.
Travelling is a key part of my life. It keeps me inspired, takes me to new places, introduces me to new sounds, and allows me to explore new environments and soundscapes.
So much music in Africa was created for specific moments, written for rituals or for a funeral or for challenges, thousands of years ago, and these rhythms are still used.
I think, for me, a way to really come up with new ideas and come up with new ways of writing music is to create a unique sound palette or soundscape for all the films I'm working on.
I traveled to a library in South Africa called ILAM (International Library of African Music), which has a collection of about 500 different instruments that don't really exist anymore.
I think with everything I do, I'm trying to just come up with new ways of creating music and mixing styles together. That's just what's fun for me to do, to try to make myself inspired.