Retreat

For this dark psychological thriller director Tom Nicoll wanted a score that used organic instruments where possible, but which favoured gestural and textural sonorities over melodic statements.

Almost all the strings in this score are recorded non-conventionally, by layering single instruments up to 4/5 strong to create section sounds. Some of the bowed instruments are non-standard, for example, a bowed semi-acoustic bass and a bowed resonator guitar.

The piano used on this score is my 1950s British upright piano, dampened significantly with soft cloths and layers of felt.

There is an unusual percussion instrument at work here (for example in the Main Title), a Gong Drum from Laos, imported by my late father-in-law, anthropologist and former head of department at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, Andrew Turton.

The score mix was my first experience of mixing in surround. The effort paid off and we were rewarded with two awards for Best Music for this film.