Sicario (soundtrack)

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Sicario (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Jóhann Jóhannsson
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2015
GenreFilm score
Length53:53
LabelVarèse Sarabande
Jóhann Jóhannsson chronology
The Theory of Everything
(2014) 		Sicario
(2015) 		Arrival
(2016)

Sicario (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack accompanying the 2015 film of the same name. Featuring an original score composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson, the soundtrack was released on September 18, 2015 alongside the film, through Varèse Sarabande. The score received positive reviews from critics and eventually fetched him nominations for Academy Award for Best Original Score and BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.

Development[edit]

Sicario is Jóhannsson's sophomore association with Villeneuve after previously working on Prisoners (2013).[1][2] When Villeneuve handed the script to Jóhannsson, he was "struck by the sense of moral ambiguity" and the complex situations the characters face, the setting and the structure and immediately liked it deciphering Taylor Sheridan's script as "strong, original and unique". Jóhannsson eventually visited Mexico (where the film was shot) to delve deeper into the visual representation of the script and analyze its musical sensibilities.[3]

The first edit of the film did not feature temp tracks which was sent to Jóhannsson for scoring. Both Jóhannsson and Villeneuve discussed about the sonic palette they intended to derive with the latter's strong sense and demands to what he wanted and gave him freedom in terms of how to implement that. He eventually wrote five cues to the rough cut and sent to Villeneuve who liked it and eventually suggested Jóhannsson to expand the themes more briefly which helped them to find the sound and voice. As both Jóhannsson and Villeneuve shared a good rapport in the past, the latter responded to several ideas of the former and helped him ways to implement those themes, forming an intuitive collaboration.[4][5]

Being an intense film, Jóhannsson eventually used percussion and other rhythmic elements from the onset. But exploring the dark past of the characters, it served him as the inspiration for the melancholic moments in the score.[6][7] He did not use any vocoders or voice synthesizers, which he would use in the past, but used choral elements from singer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe sporadically as the music palette would be primarily based on percussions and orchestral elements which were recorded in an unconventional manner. Jóhannsson would record the orchestra live and edited and manipulated those cues for the score. Cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir and bassist-guitarist Skúli Sverrisson worked as soloists, performing cello and six-string bass, respectively.[8] Sound designer B. J. Nilsen would record the processed electronic sounds without using synthesizers. The score was recorded for more than a year, during the production press in its entirety.[9][10]

Critical response[edit]

Sicario's score received acclaim from critics. It has been listed as one among the best scores of the year and decade, by Collider,[11][12] Den of Geek,[13] Film School Rejects.[14] Following Jóhannsson's death on February 2018, Sicario has been regarded as one of the composer's best works.[15][16]

Pete Simons of Synchrotones, in his five-star review, called it as "one of the darkest, bad-assest scores I've ever heard – and it is utterly fantastic for it".[17] Ryan Hall of SLUG Magazine wrote "Listening to the soundtrack sans visuals is just as white-knuckle gripping."[18] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic summarised that Jóhannsson's score "delivers tension and off-kilter anxiety in both hushed and hyper musical moments".[19] Keith Bruce of The Herald described it as "fine contemporary minimalism".[20]

Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine wrote "Jóhann Jóhannsson's score is just one of many elements that conjure a relentlessly terrifying realm of despair."[21] A. O. Scott of The New York Times described it as a "slow-moving heart attack".[22] Scott Foundas of Variety called it "subtly menacing".[23] Guy Lodge from Time Out wrote "Johann Johannsson's score swarms with malevolent foreboding".[24] Jessica Kiang of IndieWire called it as "spectacular".[25] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair described it as "rumbling" and "evocative".[26] Dana Stevens of Slate indicated that Jóhannsson's electronic soundtrack "delivers a series of jolting sonic booms".[27] Mark Olsen of Los Angeles Times wrote "The film's score by Jóhann Jóhannsson creates a throbbing, underlying tightness throughout."[28]

Mark Kermode of The Guardian wrote "Jóhann Jóhannsson's score is all ominous rumbles and low growling honks [...] By comparison, Hans Zimmer's work on Inception sounds upbeat."[29]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Armoured Vehicle"1:39
2."The Beast"3:14
3."The Border"2:56
4."Drywall"2:32
5."Explosion"1:07
6."Desert Music"5:06
7."Target"2:01
8."Convoy"2:55
9."The Bank"2:03
10."Surveillance"1:29
11."Reflection"1:56
12."Melancholia"4:35
13."Night Vision"3:44
14."Tunnel Music"4:39
15."Fausto"2:16
16."Balcony"1:35
17."Soccer Game"4:19
18."Alejandro's Song"5:47
Total length:53:53

Awards and nominations[edit]

Award Category Recipient Result Ref(s)
Academy Awards Best Original Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [30]
British Academy Film Awards Best Original Music Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [31]
Critics' Choice Awards Best Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [32]
Empire Awards Best Soundtrack Sicario Nominated [33]
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Use of Music in a Film Sicario Nominated [34]
Saturn Awards Best Music Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [35]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Original Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Won [36]
World Soundtrack Awards Soundtrack Composer of the Year Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [37]

References[edit]

  1. ^ O'Falt, Chris (February 12, 2018). "Jóhann Jóhannsson's Fight to Be Visionary, From His Film Scores to His Directorial Debut — Interview". IndieWire. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Grater, Tom (February 24, 2020). "Denis Villeneuve, James Marsh & Darren Aronofsky Remember 'Sicario' & 'Theory Of Everything' Composer Johann Johannsson, Two Years After Sudden Death". Deadline. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  3. ^ Debruge, Peter (February 10, 2018). "How Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Helped Change the Genre Cinema Soundscape". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  4. ^ "Interview: Johann Johannssson on Scoring Sicario". Awardsdaily. November 19, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Noone, Greg (November 7, 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson tells the story of his favourite film scores". Little White Lies. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Pritchard, Tiffany (January 14, 2016). "Composers: Johann Johannsson, 'Sicario'". Screen. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Wasley, Alice (November 16, 2015). "The Sound of Fear: Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson on Scoring Sicario". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Chagollan, Steve (September 16, 2015). "'Sicario's' Ominous Score Aims to Match Film's Brutality". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Roberts, Sheila (September 29, 2015). "Composer Johann Johannsson Talks Sicario, Denis Villeneuve". Collider. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Beachum, Chris (March 8, 2016). "Johann Johansson Q&A: 'Sicario' composer". GoldDerby. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Chitwood, Adam (December 25, 2015). "The Best Movie Scores of 2015: From Star Wars to Sicario". Collider. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  12. ^ Chitwood, Adam (September 28, 2020). "The Best Film Scores of the 2010s, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Radford, Ivan (February 18, 2016). "The Top 15 Film Soundtracks of 2015". Den of Geek. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Loring, Allison (December 16, 2015). "The Best Movie Music of 2015". Film School Rejects. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Joiner, Latecia (April 5, 2022). "Johann Johansson: Sicario and the Other Best Film Scores From the Master Composer". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Dazed (February 23, 2019). "Remembering the incomparably vivid movie scores of Jóhann Jóhannsson". Dazed. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  17. ^ "Sicario (Johann Johannsson)". Synchrotones' Soundtrack Reviews. September 19, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  18. ^ "Review: Jóhann Jóhannsson – Sicario". SLUG Magazine. November 5, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  19. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Review: Sicario [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  20. ^ Bruce, Keith (October 28, 2015). "CD Review: Johann Johannsson, Sicario OST (Varese Sarabande)". The Herald. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  21. ^ Gonzalez, Ed (September 12, 2015). "Review: Sicario". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  22. ^ Scott, A. O. (September 17, 2015). "Review: 'Sicario' Digs Into the Depths of Drug Cartel Violence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  23. ^ Foundas, Scott (May 19, 2015). "Film Review: 'Sicario'". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Lodge, Guy (May 19, 2015). "Sicario". Time Out Worldwide. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  25. ^ Kiang, Jessica (September 16, 2015). "Review: Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario' Starring Emily Blunt Is A Slow Building, Solid Procedural". IndieWire. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  26. ^ Lawson, Richard (May 19, 2015). "Review: Sicario Is Gorgeous to Look at, But it Doesn't Say Much". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  27. ^ Stevens, Dana (September 17, 2015). "Sicario". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  28. ^ "Review: Tension crackles across the many borders of 'Sicario'". Los Angeles Times. September 17, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Kermode, Mark (October 11, 2015). "Sicario review – Emily Blunt's star quality lifts Mexican drugs thriller". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  30. ^ "Oscar Nominations: The Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2016.
  31. ^ "Baftas 2016: full list of nominations". The Guardian. UK. January 8, 2016.
  32. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards Mad For 'Max' But Produces Few Shockers In First Combined Nominations For TV & Film". Deadline.com. December 14, 2015.
  33. ^ "Empire Awards nominations 2016: Mad Max and Star Wars lead the pack as Leonardo DiCaprio nominated for Best Actor". London Evening Standard. February 18, 2016.
  34. ^ "2015 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  35. ^ "'Star Wars,' 'Mad Max,' 'Walking Dead' Lead Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety.
  36. ^ "2015 WAFCA Award Winners - The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)". Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  37. ^ "First wave of nominees for 15th WSAwards announced". World Soundtrack Awards. August 18, 2015.
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