Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood [Soundtrack]
Well, I went to the cinema on Wednesday (Orange Wednesdays – wohoo) and finally got to see There Will Be Blood!!
I’ve been waiting for this since I first heard Johnny Greenwood (radiohead member) was scoring the soundtrack back in August 2007, so it’s been a while in the waiting 
After listening to his work for Bodysong (back in 2003), which had a warm but slightly sinister sound to it, I was intrigued to hear where he’d go from there. Strangely enough, I never saw the film Bodysong, but I’m sure it won a Bafta or similar..
Anyway, I know Johnny has been commissioned by the BBC to score and collaborate on some works for documentaries and such, and as this is something I’d love to do I’ve tried to keep in the loop since.
All in all, I really enjoyed the film, and the score worked so well for it too. Reminded me of an old media studies project I did on “The Outlaw Josie Wales” back at school.. really desolate, with a solid edgy feel throughout. Daniel Day Lewis played such a good role too, and he played it brilliantly – can’t falter him at all.
The soundtrack is very much an experiment of sounds and textures in my eyes.. each piece having a feel and soundbed. Apparently he used a “Ondes Martenot” (see this in action here). Watching that video, I think “where I end and you begin” features this instrument too.
I read or heard somewhere that he had an idea to record every single note played by a violin, and then sample and play every single note at the same time, gradually drawing out different chords and harmonics just by altering the volume over time. From what I remember he said it worked really well with a synth, but in real life just sounded terrible.. but in areas of the soundtrack you’ll hear this idea, even if on a smaller scale, at work
Anyhoo, I’d recommend you go see the film. From the opening title you’ll be hooked so don’t miss it!
