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EXO Chanyeol Assures That You're 'Good Enough' In New Release

October 23, 2023

EXO’s Chanyeol dropped the highly-anticipated single, ‘Good Enough.’ The comeback was made two and a half years after his latest release (‘Tomorrow’) in 2021...

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Overwatch 2 Hits the Right Notes with LE SSERAFIM Collaboration

October 20, 2023

LE SSERAFIM, a powerhouse in the K-pop industry, is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music. Comprising five members – Sakura, Chaewon, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae – the group made...

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Supergroup Boygenius Caps Off Recent Success with EP ‘The Rest’

October 20, 2023

Boygenius, one of music’s latest supergroups consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker, has just dropped a new EP with 4 tracks.

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Kid Laroi's Collaboration with BTS’ Jungkook and Central Cee - "Too Much"

October 20, 2023

Recently announcing a collaboration titled “Too Much” to be released with BTS’ Jungkook, as well as Central Cee, it is scheduled to be released on October 20, 2023.‍

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NewJeans Makes K-pop History with 10 Weeks of Billboard Success

October 16, 2023

Just two months ago, NewJeans etched their names in the annals of music history by accomplishing a feat that set the industry abuzz. Their second mini album, “Get Up,” soared to the top of the...

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Peach Pit’s “From 2 to 3” is an Indie Production Masterpiece

October 16, 2023

The album was heavily influenced by 1970s rock and folk music, as frontman Neil Smith tells Monday Magazine: “We just decided we wanted to have a very natural-sounding album...

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IVE - Gearing up for “SHOW WHAT I HAVE” World Tour

October 12, 2023

Approaching their two-year debut anniversary, they're kicking off their first world tour, titled “SHOW WHAT I HAVE”. It’s been mentioned that IVE’s first concert is set to embrace the idea...

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BLACKPINK's Jennie's Return: You & Me

October 9, 2023

Recently, Blackpink's Jennie has made a triumphant return with her latest single, "You & Me," released on October 6, 2023, marking her first solo release since the global success of "Solo" in 2018...

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Tale of Us - The Techno Duo's Impression on EDM

October 9, 2023

Tale Of Us are an electronic music duo formed in 2008 consisting of Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri. Soundscapes produced range from dance floor music to chill ambient soundscapes and abstract...

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(G)I-DLE Turns Up the 'Heat' With Latest EP

October 8, 2023

On October 6, (G)I-DLE dropped their latest EP, Heat. The mini-album, consisting of 5 tracks, was made through a collaboration between Cube Entertainment and 88Rising...

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NCT 127 Comes Back To 'Fact Check' Their Skills With New Album

October 8, 2023

NCTzens, the wait is finally over. On October 6, NCT 127 returned with their fifth album, Fact Check, accompanied by a futuristic music video for the album’s title track...

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Worlds 2023: NewJeans Drops Powerful Anthem

October 8, 2023

Riot Games has paired up with global K-pop sensation, NewJeans, a five-member group composed of Hanni, Danielle, Minji, Hyein, and Haerin. On October 4, 2023...

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Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar Triumph: Crafting Oppenheimer's “Unplayable” Score

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In the grand auditorium of dreams, Ludwig Göransson clutched the Oscar statuette for Best Score, a testament to his monumental contribution to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. This win adds another gleaming accolade to Göransson's repertoire, following his previous triumphs with a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar for his work on Black Panther. But the journey to this pinnacle was anything but ordinary.

 

Oppenheimer represents a pivot in Nolan’s directorial canvas, focusing on the tense, dramatic narrative of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb, veering away from the high-octane action that characterized his past works. This shift demanded a score that could navigate the complex emotional and historical landscapes of the story. Enter Ludwig Göransson, whose previous collaborations with Nolan and a knack for narrative-driven composition made him the ideal choice.

 

Göransson’s challenge was not just to compose music but to encapsulate the gravity of Dr. Oppenheimer’s moral and scientific dilemmas, the tension of a race against time, and the haunting realization of a world forever changed. His approach was a deep dive into the soul of the narrative, starting with a foundational period of two months dedicated to the creation and refinement of thematic material, long before cameras started rolling. In these initial stages, Göransson produced an astonishing ten minutes of music weekly, each piece subjected to rigorous scrutiny and discussion.

 

This preparatory phase bore the hallmark of Nolan’s immersive storytelling approach, requiring Göransson to deliver a sprawling three hours of music that Nolan could envelop himself in during the shoot. The essence of this music was to not only serve as a backdrop but to act as an emotional compass guiding the film's narrative flow.

 

Central to the score’s success was Göransson’s ability to mirror the film's intensity through the nuanced portrayal of Dr. Oppenheimer by Cillian Murphy. Göransson described Murphy’s performance as “almost inhuman,” a comment reflecting the depth of character that the score needed to complement. The solution was a masterful use of the violin’s dynamic range, shifting from tender vibratos to harsh, manic strokes, mirroring the internal and external conflicts faced by the protagonist.

 

One of the score's highlights, a montage depicting Dr. Niels Bohr’s lecture on the symphony of algebra, showcases Göransson's innovative spirit. This piece, characterized by a constantly accelerating tempo, was initially thought to be “unplayable.” Yet, through commendable determination, it became a standout moment in the film, encapsulating the blend of science and art that the narrative explored.

 

Göransson's work on Oppenheimer transcends traditional film scoring, weaving together a sonic tapestry that reflects the epochal significance and personal turmoil surrounding the birth of the atomic age. His ability to oscillate between the profoundly personal and the sweepingly historical marks a compositional maturity that resonates deeply with audiences and critics alike.

 

As the film industry looks forward to what Göransson will compose next, his Oscar win for Oppenheimer stands as a beacon of his versatile talent and a reminder of the power of music to transform narrative into experience. This accolade is not just for a score that was written but for a masterpiece that was crafted, note by note, with the precision of a scientist and the heart of an artist.