Ridley Scott recalls Vangelis: “His score was the heart and soul of Blade Runner” – Exclusive

When legendary film musician and composer Vangelis died in May at the age of 79, many in the film community cried. The former progressive rocker has created some of the most famous soundtracks in film history, including What iconic Fire engines tune, as well as working on television shows such as Cosmosand the soundtrack of major sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup. One of the most significant scores in his career is that of Ridley Scott. Rewards for hunting. of the new number of EmpireSir Ridley recounts the moment he first heard it – read it below:

I remember my editor Terry Rawlings and I did a great temporary soundtrack for the final cut of Rewards for hunting.

I had hired Vangelis to compose the score. Most musicians don’t want to listen to temporary scores, especially if they’re really good, because they inevitably have a dominant influence on their creative process. However, I shoot a lot with the score linked to the visual and the two are inseparable.

Vangelis had a large barn-like space north of Marble Arch in London. He would show up every night after perfecting the montage during the day, usually to discuss what he thought of the cuts and the temporary score.

That night, he sounded excited, saying, “I think I found the sound of your movie.” We sat in front of his mixer and he pressed the button.

Captions and descriptions of replicants and blade runners appeared on the big black screen in front of me. The subtext was sound rather than music. Even a ship’s bell rang in the distance … inexplicably.

I never questioned it, I just loved it. Finally, the sonic subtext became a silent opening to the explosion and wave of music and sound that hit me, revealing Los Angeles 2017 and transporting me into the future.

The Vangelis score was the heart and soul of Rewards for hunting. We will miss her.

Read our full tribute to Vangelis in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, on newsstands tomorrow, or pre-order a copy here.