Radio LBB: KO Music's Favourite Film Score Cues

As children of the '80s, the first scores that really captured our imaginations were often very synth heavy. From the futuristic sci-fi tones of Vangelis to the dark tension of John Carpenter, and the beautiful oriental tinged compositions of Ryuichi Sakamoto, these classic cues kickstarted our obsession with the relationship between film and music.

The influence of some of those '80s scores and sounds can be heard in the work of a slew of incredible contemporary film composers who are finding new ways to push and bend score in thrilling and often experimental ways. The late great Jóhann Jóhannsson’s final score for the brilliant Mandy blends 80’s synth influences with drone and metal and is possibly our favourite of all of his work. The kaleidoscopic collages of samples Cristobal Tapia Da Veer cooked up to create the score for Utopia (we know it’s a TV series not a film but it’s too good to not include!) push things in a different direction and somehow manage to be deeply unsettling yet incredibly playful.

We’ve also included some classic jazz score from Miles Davis and Bernard Herrmann, gorgeous, hypnotic folk from the iconic 'Wicker Man' soundtrack, some heart-breaking work from Nicolas Britell and a whole lot more. As film buffs and music fans, these wonderful cues are hugely inspiring and have helped shape the way we approach writing music to picture.