Composer Spotlight: Hiroyuki SAWANO
This month’s Composer Spotlight presents a captivating selection of film music curated by Hiroyuki SAWANO. He invites us to explore the intricacies of his musical influences, ranging from acclaimed composers such as Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, and Andrea Bocelli, to pop tracks from artists like Dua Lipa and X Ambassadors.
Read more of his favorite film score picks and listen to his curated playlist on Spotify.
Hans Zimmer is one of the most influential songwriters for me that I respect immensely, composing for movies including Black Rain and The Dark Knight. This track does not have catchy melodies or riffs, and yet, it still manages to grip the listener solely through rhythm tracks like percussion and noise. To me, this track is a testament to Zimmer’s exceptional sense of sound.
My fascination with foreign soundtracks became stronger when I first heard the Planet of the Apes film soundtrack, composed by Danny Elfman, in my 20s. This specific track is a version of the theme song remixed by Paul Oakenfold, created for the ending credits of the movie. He has been a great inspiration for me as well.
I believe this is probably my most listened to song over the past 5 or 6 years. It’s one of my favorite tracks; the melody and orchestral arrangements are simply magnificent.
I was astounded by the heavy bass sound when I heard this song during the end credits after watching Alita in the movie theater. There aren’t too many tracks within the song, but the melody, structure, and development create a sound that is emotionally powerful.
The Netflix anime Arcane was fantastic not only in terms of visuals and storytelling, but also its music. It helped bring the story to new heights and explore more emotions, creating a truly idealistic relationship between visuals and music.