Soundtrack Alley Alexander Schiebel Interview Hello, I am Randy Andrews and today I’ve got a special treat for you all. I’ve got Chris Karnes from Bat Books for Beginners on with me as we talk about the comic property of The Bat Murderer by DC Comics. But before that happens, I’ve got an interview with Alexander Schiebel. I’ll discuss with him his music career, his inspiration, background and a Brand New Soundtrack Alley Intro. It’s all today and it starts NOW! Play Soundtrack Alley Intro So today I’ve got Chris Karnes with me as we talk about The Bat Murderer, but before we start talking about that comic. I’ve got the special interview with Alexander Schiebel. I’ll discuss with him about his composing career, his influences and other projects he’s worked on, also we’ll talk about how he came to the completion of Soundtrack Alley’s New Theme. So without further ado; here is the interview… Play interview. 1. What started your career in composing? - took piano lessons at 6 - watched Horner's "Krull" in cinema - played film and TV themes and video game music by ear - stopped studying piano at 14 in favor of playing with synthesizer workstations SUGGESTED MUSIC SNIPPET: early arrangement of "Defender of the Crown" 2. What has influenced you the most or even a minor inspiration (such as Krull)? - generally growing up in the 1980's watching all those movies that are considered classics today and listening "first hand" to those scores - knowing those films in and out and also how composers approached different scenes 3. Who is your favorite composer? - Dead: Jerry Goldsmith. Took crap films and turned them into okay ones with his music. And he always added beauty and elegance to the films he scored. - My music always has references to Goldsmith. SUGGESTED MUSIC SNIPPET: Confrontation at the Zoo (from Bat-Murderer) - Alive: top 3: Henry Jackman (underestimated theme writer), Alexandre Desplat (controls the orchestra like an instrument), Cris Velasco (well-structured, clear compositions with big, fat sound and yet old-school elements at the core) 4. How did you arrive at the sound for The Bat-Murderer? Explain. - Batman is period piece - elements associated with 1960-1980 - Crime story - Bernard Herrmann, chromaticism’s, well-placed dissonance - Predominant instruments = brass, particularly trombones + a synthesizer for dialogue and "new lead" scenes SUGGESTED MUSIC SNIPPET: Alfred's News and Enter the Creeper (from Bat-Murderer) - Theme comes late (when Batman reveals himself during the Gala robbery) and is used sparingly - no superhero story! SUGGESTED MUSIC SNIPPET: Escape (from Bat-Murderer) 5. If you had a dream job to compose for a major film or TV from the past or present, what would it be and why? - Past: Ladyhawke. All there: fantasy, adventure, love. What symphonic scoring would bring to the movie. - Present/more realistic: a Telltale adventure, working hand in hand with Jared Emerson-Johnson 6. What collaborations stand out to you with people you've worked with? - Generally: working sample-based = little interaction with real people - in 2004 I worked for singer/songwriter Julia Warner to arrange her songs - huge fun, completely new challenges, expanding my musical horizons, creating beats, riffs and all kind of things not really related to orchestral film music writing 7. You've done some scoring for RPG's and gaming, what have you enjoyed most about doing that type of composing? - I did 1 Role-playing game music for a game called Araclia which is a pen paper-RPG. - Music is supposed to enhance moods and things the game master creates through his or her narration. - Compilation of 27 short cues, some of them