‘Oppenheimer’: Ludwig Göransson’s Most Explosive Score

Christopher Nolan’s anticipated release Oppenheimer breaks records, becoming one of the most highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time. The director, who has always been synonymous with Hans Zimmer, took a different approach and went with Ludwig Göransson this time. A curious decision, let us dive deeper into Nolan’s intention to leave out Hans Zimmer for this young, up-and-coming composer.

A young, vibrant film score composer makes his way to becoming a household name. If you’ve ever watched Community, The Mandalorian, or Black Panther, then you’ve heard Göransson. Known for his melodic, vibrant style while incorporating environmental sounds into his scores, Göransson's unique compositions have won him awards.

“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.”

— Ludwig Göransson

Coming from Linköping, Sweden, Göransson was raised in a musician family, where he would be encouraged to learn instruments from an early age. Mostly exposed to pop and rock, he began to explore jazz and classical music during his teenage years. He then completed his studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Eventually, he made the move to Los Angeles, enrolling in the Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program at the University of Southern California. Shortly after, he secured a position as an assistant to film composer with a common passion for comedy Theodore Shapiro, known for his works Old School, Tropic Thunder, and St. Vincent.

Most Prominent Projects

Göransson made his breakthrough in the scoring industry in 2009 with his upbeat, wholesome theme for the comedy series Community in 2009. While working with the cast and crew, Göransson met Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, with whom he wrote hit song Redbone later on.

“I just want to say, creating music with Childish Gambino has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”

— Ludwig Göransson

One of his notable achievements includes the film Black Panther (2018). While collaborating on this Marvel superhero movie, Göransson immersed himself completely in the narrative atmosphere. He traveled to Africa and collaborated with griots – indigenous storytellers and musicians from West Africa – alongside Senegalese singer and guitarist Baaba Maal, in order to capture the essence of the tale.

Next on the list is The Mandalorian theme. For this Star Wars franchise series, Göransson deliberately steered clear of computers, experimented with a bunch of recorders and added delay effects. The end result is music that sounds like it has been made on another planet.

“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.”

— Ludwig Göransson

Another one of Göransson's best works is Tenet. Even though not reaching box office expectations due to 2020’s social distancing regulations, the Nolan-directed movie is a thrilling heist flick with an unbelievably good score. The heist theme is an 8 bar rhythm loop, and the beat makes an unsettling drop at the ninth bar. For this score Göransson also incorporated the environment, in this case the sound of a truck engine, into his music.

The Making of the Oppenheimer Theme

Ludiwg Göransson received a phone call out of the blue from Christopher Nolan, asking him to read his new script.

Nolan envisioned a violin-focused score for the film, as the violin's versatility could convey both romantic and horrifying tones. This choice resonated with the film's unsettling narrative. To achieve this, Göransson enlisted his wife, Serena, a violinist. The composer had to establish a sense of unease from the outset to reflect the character's shifting emotions.

Göransson undertook a unique approach to creating the film's explosive score. Recorded within a span of five days, the score shifts back and forth between singular instruments and full ensembles, adapting to the film's dynamics. Göransson's score, his most ambitious yet, deviates from his previous work and aligns with Nolan's ambitious cinematic endeavor centered around the World War II race to develop the atomic bomb.

The intensity escalated as Göransson had a two-month window to compose the theme for the dialogue-heavy film before Nolan began shooting it. Göransson then delivered about three hours of music before shooting began.

The score's structure mirrors the film's progression, representing phases like Oppenheimer's physics pursuits, the atomic bomb creation, the Trinity Test, and complex relationships.

The Swedish maestro faced significant challenges, particularly with capturing the essence of the film's visuals. He aimed to mirror the energy and movement on screen, especially in a montage featuring Niels Bohr's lecture to a young Oppenheimer. This segment demanded mind-twisting tempo changes that intensified as it progressed, requiring great efforts to perfect.

The young composer acknowledges the constant learning his career entails. The experience of working on "Oppenheimer" marked a departure from his prior projects, enriching his musical journey.

“I really want to get better at conducting.”

— Ludwig Göransson

The Strokes: A 21st Century Lifeline for Rock

“The Strokes” Photographed by Leslie Lyons

The early 2000s was a period of uncertainty for rock, where 90s grunge had met its demise and britpop was forgotten. The Strokes emerged with the release of their debut album “Is This It” in 2001, which became a global sensation and the fuel for garage rock revival, alongside albums from the White Stripes and Interpol to name a few. Their simplistic yet powerful style also paved the way for a new indie rock genre.

The Strokes took shape in 1998 in New York consisting of vocalist Julian Casablancas and his childhood friend and guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., alongside other members like Nick Valensi (guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums). Drawing inspiration from The Doors, The Velvet Underground and Bob Marley to name a few, “Is This It” was a welcomed blend of nostalgia and innovation. With their simplistic and back-to-basic approach to music, the album makes the most out of the limited resources they had, creating a harmonious blend of Julian Casablancas’ wide-ranged vocals and captivating guitar work. 

Crafted in New York, their first album became a global hit and changed the course of rock music, becoming an inspiration for bands like Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand to name a few. The album had its UK release in the summer of 2001, followed by a delayed American release. Notably, the track "New York City Cops" was left out from the American version as a gesture of respect after the September 11 attacks. Alongside critical acclaim, the band gained attention in tabloids due to their rock-star behavior and high-profile relationships. 

“Is This It” LP Cover

By 2003, their new wave-inspired album "Room on Fire" maintained their dedicated fan base but didn't surpass the peak of their earlier success. Their subsequent album, "First Impressions of Earth" (2006), showcased more ambitious songwriting and polished production but received less enthusiasm. The band members embarked on various side projects during their hiatus. The Strokes regrouped for "Angles" (2011) and "Comedown Machine" (2013), which incorporated more electronic elements and received mixed reviews. Meanwhile, Julian Casablancas formed the band The Voidz. In 2016, The Strokes released the EP "Future Present Past" and in 2020, their sixth studio album, "The New Abnormal," produced by Rick Rubin, was well-received and hailed as a return to form.

Over the course of their career, The Strokes have had their fair share of uncertainties, division and hiatuses. Nevertheless, they deliver innovation in the genre. The Strokes' impact on rock is not forgotten and their first album served as a reminder of their vital role in the 21st-century rock landscape.

Cassette Jockey: A Fresh Mix of Old and New

Do you remember the good old days of listening to music through cassettes? You know, the ones where you need to roll the tape before listening? This was the case back in the 90s. Entering the 2000s, cassettes were being replaced by the CD and other more hassle-free digital file storage methods.

Who uses cassettes these days? One might wonder. 

Muhammad Fajrintio, known as Pemuda Sinarmas, or Ajis, is a CJ coming from Jakarta, Indonesia. What is a CJ?

Image by Australian National Library

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past century, you should know what a DJ is. These individuals mostly play Electronic Dance Music (EDM), mixing electronic music using discs. Using different tools, a Cassette Jockey (CJ) utilizes cassettes of the olden days.

This musical breakthrough becomes an alternative for music enthusiasts, as today in Indonesia, there are plenty of genres. This method is new and eccentric because of its different use of media. Ajis told us that his main reason for using vintage Javanese poetry was to make his works timeless.

“Because I want to know more about the music in that era, which was varied and still sounds good to the ears in this digital era. Additionally, my music collection is mainly pre-2002. Haha,” said Ajis.

Indonesian music showed its true colors in the 1980s. There are a variety of genres, ranging from traditional, jaipong, to keroncong. Not all of them got to be archived in digital form.

As it still relies on manual process, arranging music using cassettes is a challenge. To create a song, data is transferred from an analog cassette to a digital platform. Music first goes through Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), then transferred back to cassette format.

The life of a cassette jockey has its ups and downs, however the main challenge is the availability of the tools, as they are no longer being produced. Moreover, Pemuda Sinarmas arranges songs mostly using cassettes made before the 2000s. A CJ needs to be patient and thorough when upgrading equipment or when looking for spare parts.

The other challenge is to preserve cassettes and save them from extinction, especially since Indonesian music cassettes are quite an important asset. Fortunately, the arrival of musicians like Pemuda Sinarmas helps introduce cassettes and Walkmans to the young generation. Ajis also proved that the quality of music cassettes can still stand toe to toe with mainstream music arrangements.

Image by Immo Wegmann

Indonesian:

Ingatkah kalian masa-masa mendengarkan musik melalui kaset kotak dengan gulungan pita, yang mengharuskan kalian memutarkan pitanya sebelum mendengarkan? Di Era 90-an, cara klasik ini masih banyak dipakai, namun  memasuki tahun 2000, kaset perlahan mulai hilang dan digantikan dengan CD dan media penyimpanan lain yang bersifat digital dan praktis.

Apakah di antara kalian masih ada yang menggunakan kaset kaset di era ini? Beberapa dari kalian mungkin mempunyai pernyataan yang sama seperti di atas.

Muhammad Fajrintio, dengan nama panggung Pemuda Sinarmas, atau biasa dipanggil Ajis, adalah seorang CJ asal Jakarta, Indonesia. Apa itu “CJ”?

Mungkin kalian sudah kenal dengan istilah Disk Jockey (DJ) dengan aliran Electronic Dance Music (EDM), yaitu penggabungan musik elektronik dengan piringan sebagai alat utamanya. Sementara, kalau ini berbeda. Dari peralatan yang digunakan pun juga berbeda, yaitu adalah Cassette Jockey (CJ), menggunakan kaset pita jadul zaman orang tua kita dulu, dan pastinya bakal buat kalian santai sama tembang yang dibawakan.

Terobosan baru ini dapat menjadi alternatif para pendengar musik, karena saat ini di Indonesia, banyak sekali aliran musik yang ada, tetapi jenis musik ini baru dan unik, karena penggunaan media yang berbeda dari biasanya. Ajis berkata bahwa alasan pertama dia menggunakan tembang lawas adalah supaya karya-karya lagunya dapat dikenang sepanjang masa.

“Karena gue ingin mengenalkan musik-musik era dulu yang sungguh beragam dan masih nyaman juga kok di telinga yang serba digital ini. Selain itu, emang koleksi gue kebanyakan rilisan tahun 2002 ke bawah semuanya. Haha,” ucap Ajis.

Kekayaan musik Indonesia bisa telaah pada tahun 1980-an. Tipe musiknya pun amat luas, mulai dari tradisional, jaipong, sampai keroncong. Lantas, dari sekian banyaknya jenis musik di Indonesia, tidak semuanya terarsipkan dalam media rekam elektronik.

Karena masih menggunakan proses manual, aransemen musik dengan kaset sangatlah menantang. Untuk membuat lagu, data harus ditransfer dari kaset analog ke platform digital. Pengolahan musik dilakukan melalui software Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), sebelum akhirnya dikembalikan dalam format kaset.

Menekuni dunia cassette jockey bisa dibilang mudah dan sulit. Tantangan utamanya merupakan kurangnya ketersediaan alat-alat yang digunakan. Alat-alat tersebut sudah tidak diproduksi. Lalu, Pemuda Sinarmas banyak mengaransemen lagu dengan kaset yang diproduksi sebelum tahun 2000-an. Seorang CJ harus sabar dan teliti ketika ingin upgrade alat atau mencari suku cadang.

Tantangan lainnya adalah bagaimana melestarikan kaset agar tidak sepenuhnya punah, khususnya kaset musik Indonesia yang merupakan aset budaya yang cukup penting. Untungnya, kehadiran musisi-musisi seperti Pemuda Sinarmas membuat semakin banyak anak-anak muda familiar dengan kaset atau walkman. Ajis juga membuktikan bahwa kualitas musik kaset masih bisa bersaing dengan aransemen musik mainstream.

Learn an Instrument Now and Reap the Rewards

For those of you who love playing music or are learning an instrument, did you know that there are benefits in doing so?

Did you know that music can affect our emotions? Depending on the music, listening can make us feel happy, sad, relaxed, or even pumped up. That effect is amplified when we actually play the instruments such as the guitar, piano, violin, etc. 

Increased focus and persistence

Without focus and persistence, mastering a musical instrument is difficult. So, we need to concentrate when playing music. These are the keys to learning an instrument. Moreover, these qualities will also help us in school or work.

Improved hand-eye coordination

Our body coordination will improve by learning a musical instrument. For example, when we start learning to play the piano, our fingers are initially trained to move from one key to another. Over time, our fingers will move faster and in a more accurate manner. The coordination between your hands and eyes gets better. Additionally, your feet would have to join in and operate the pedals.

Sharpened memory 

When we learn an instrument, we need to remember keys and memorize songs. As a result, our brains are trained to remember many things, which will in return help us study, thus memorizing complicated mathematical formulae gets easier.

Enhanced creativity

Playing musical instruments hones the right side of our brain. It is the side responsible for visual and intuition. Ergo, creativity. Heck, we might even be able to write our own music and lyrics!

An opportunity to explore new cultures  

When we play music, we want to go deep and master a wide range of music. We also want to know its history. We can learn a variety of traditional musical instruments from the regions in Indonesia, each with its own characteristics. We can learn to recognize various cultures while we’re at it, both nationally and internationally.

Indonesian:

Belajar Musik Banyak Manfaat

Bagi kalian yang suka bermain musik atau sedang belajar alat musik, tahukah Anda manfaatnya?

Apakah kalian tahu musik bisa mempengaruhi emosi?. SaatKetika mendengarkan musik, kita bisa merasa senang, sedih, tenang, bahkan bersemangat. Jika kita bisa memainkan alat musik seperti gitar, piano, biola, dll., efek tersebut pun semakin terasa.

Meningkatkan konsentrasi dan ketekunan

Tanpa konsentrasi dan ketekunan, menguasai permainan alat musik menjadi lebih sulit. Jadi, kita harus berkonsentrasi ketika bermain musik. Selain itu, ketekunan dan konsistensi pun diperlukan. Ketekunan dan konsentrasi ini juga bisa membantu kita dalam sekolah atau pekerjaan.

Melatih koordinasi gerak tubuh

Koordinasi tubuh kita akan meningkat dengan mempelajari alat musik. Misalnya, ketika kita memulai belajar bermainbermain piano, awalnya jari kita dilatih untuk berpindah dari satu tuts satu ke yang lainnya. Lama- kelamaan, jari-jari kita akan bergerak lebih cepat dan lebih akurat. Koordinasi antara tangan dengan matamu pun menjadi lebih baik. Ditambah lagi dengan kaki yang harus menginjak pedal di bawah piano.

Mengasah memori

Ketika kita belajar musik, kita harus mengingat berbagai kunci dan menghafalkan banyak lagu. Alhasil, otak kita akan menjadi terlatih untuk mengingat banyak hal, yang akan membantu kita dalam belajar. Karenanya, kita bisa lebih mudah menghafal rumus-rumus fisika yang rumit.

Meningkatkan kreativitas

Dengan bermain musik, otak kanan kita akan semakin terasah. Dengan begitu, kreativitas kita akan terus berkembang. Kita bahkan akan bisa membuat musik dan lagu sendiri di kemudian hari!

Menjelajahi budaya baru

Saat bermain musik, kita pasti ingin mendalaminya dan menguasai berbagai macam lagu. Kita juga pasti ingin mengetahui sejarahnya. Kita bisa mempelajari berbagai macam alat musik bahkan yang berasal dari daerah-daerah di Indonesia. Negeri ini mempunyai banyak sekali alat musik tradisional dan setiap daerah memiliki ciri khas alat musik dan musiknya masing-masing. Dengan mempelajarinya, kita bisa mengenali berbagai macam budaya, baik dalam maupun luar negeri.