Re-defining Film Scoring w/ "BUG": Episode 5 of "A Thousand Suns"
Hello friends! Nathan here, I’m thrilled to share some insights into a recent project that was an honor to work on—composing the score for BUG, episode 5 of the sci-fi anthology series A Thousand Suns.
BUG
"BUG" unfolds in the eerie tranquility of the South Korean mountainside, where a young domestic worker's routine life is abruptly disrupted by earth-shattering news. This episode, directed by Tim Hyten and Macgregor, masterfully intertwines the horror and tension of its narrative with a backdrop of looming, dark forebodings about the impact of global conflicts on innocent lives.
CRAFTING THE SCORE
Crafting the score for BUG was a journey of musical exploration and raw emotional expression. Every sound you hear was birthed from a unique process, starting with a series of cello recordings by the incredibly talented Emmanuel Ventura-Cruess who releases music under the moniker EMÆL. I gave Emmanuel a list of emotions and descriptors, urging him to channel these into his improvisation. What came back was raw, unfiltered emotional dialogue spoken through the cello.
SOUND MANIPULATION
The real adventure began when I took these cello pieces and introduced them to my modular synthesizer. I spent hours twisting knobs, reshaping sounds, and diving deep into a sonic metamorphosis. The result was over three hours of recordings with varying tonalities and moods, which I meticulously sifted through to select just the right sounds that reflected the episode's dark and tense vibe.
BREAKING AWAY FROM THE NORM
The process was all about breaking away from my standard habits. Rather than composing in a traditional sense, I committed fully to sculpting a soundscape solely from these manipulated audio files, ensuring the music itself journeyed through discovery and realization, much like the episode’s storyline.
A THOUSAND SUNS
The full series A Thousand Suns is a bold exploration of humanity's future, presenting visions that are as diverse as they are profound. For me, being a part of this project meant aligning with that vision—crafting audio that doesn't just accompany the visual, and instead is my attempt to explore possibilities, evoke questions in the viewer, and draw out the underlying emotional story beyond what is shown visually.
THAT’S A WRAP
Thanks for tuning in, huge thanks to Tim Hyten for bringing me on the project and to Macgregor, Blackmilk Studio and the entire production team.
Here's to more music, more stories, and more sonic adventures. Until next time, keep listening, keep creating.
-Nathan
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