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The Official Don Davis Thread


Dixon Hill

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Here's a thread for one of the ballsiest, most sophisticated, most challenging composers ever to work in film, responsible for one of the greatest scores of the 20th century. Maybe enough support will get him back to work!

Listen to the original Burly Brawl. Who in the shittin' fuck else would write something like that now? What about the orgasmically wild Unable To Speak? Aleatory with actual thought put into it, instead of emulating some sample library "chaos" patches by throwing in every avant-garde-ism in the book? Who'da thunk it? Listen to him speak about contemporary classical music in that recent panel video. How many other Hollywood regulars could and would cite Xenakis and Ligeti in meaningful ways?

You'll all see Rogue One soon. And when you do you'll have this same thought, if you've got any sense: bring Don Davis back!

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I'm only somewhat familiar with his Jurassic Park III which definitely has some good stuff in it.

 

And on that subject, is it known if the Island's Voice motif from The Lost World makes an appearance in there?

I never used to recognise that theme until this week and then it occurred to me that it may just be the same notes that heralded the coming of big dino's in the third film as well.

I think there's a big statement of it in Cooper's Last Stand.

Or am I just hearing things..?

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39 minutes ago, Prerecorded Briefing said:

Here's a thread for one of the ballsiest, most sophisticated, most challenging composers ever to work in film, responsible for one of the greatest scores of the 20th century. Maybe enough support will get him back to work!

I'm sure Don Davis would love to score more films, talk to the producers that won't hire him!

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41 minutes ago, Prerecorded Briefing said:

Here's a thread for one of the ballsiest, most sophisticated, most challenging composers ever to work in film, responsible for one of the greatest scores of the 20th century. Maybe enough support will get him back to work!

Listen to the original Burly Brawl. Who in the shittin' fuck else would write something like that now? What about the orgasmically wild Unable To Speak? Aleatory with actual thought put into it, instead of emulating some sample library "chaos" patches by throwing in every avant-garde-ism in the book? Who'da thunk it? Listen to him speak about contemporary classical music in that recent panel video. How many other Hollywood regulars could and would cite Xenakis and Ligeti in meaningful ways?

You'll all see Rogue One soon. And when you do you'll have this same thought, if you've got any sense: bring Don Davis back!

 

Immortan Steef agrees!

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5 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

Why the hell not?

I mean, if we live in a world where producers say Dario Marianelli's Pan is too European, so they reject him for John Powell, it should come to no surprise that Don Davis can't find work.

 

His son posted on reddit a few years ago that he was depressed about it.

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4 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

I mean, if we live in a world where producers say Dario Marianelli's Pan is too European, so they reject him for John Powell, it should come to no surprise that Don Davis can't find work.

 

After suffering through PAN on a flight i kinda understand. Powell did a great score within the wired ADHS parameters of this movie but Marianelli probably just burned by ignoring the cartoon vibe Powell has pats down.

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17 hours ago, publicist said:

Expert technician, maybe a bit lacking in the elusive art of constructing bold and memorable tunes. 

 

I largely agree, although something like THE MATRIX doesn't really call for 'memorable tunes'. That is more a missing element JP3. But WARRIORS OF VIRTUE lets him explore more of that. It's a shame he's basically retired from film scoring in the last, what, 10 years?

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I don't think it's so much a matter of retirement as it is struggling or unable to get gigs. I believe he was definitely still interested in scoring films, but after his post-Matrix hiatus, the industry just kind of moved on without him.

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4 minutes ago, KK said:

I don't think it's so much a matter of retirement as it is struggling or unable to get gigs. I believe he was definitely still interested in scoring films, but after his post-Matrix hiatus, the industry just kind of moved on without him.

 

Has he said anything to that effect in recent interviews? (they didn't touch on this in the Montage discussion panel, for obvious reasons).

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  • 7 months later...

I knew about it (I think it was posted either on FSM or Maintitles awhile back), so I'm looking forward to hear what he's come up with. Lots of clusters, presumably.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Matrix score is one of the masterpieces of the late 20th century. I'm unfamiliar with Don Davis' other work though, and I didn't rate his Jurassic Park effort.

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12 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

If you use Firefox, after you clicked on the "Play" button next to one of the track titles and the small window opened, click on the shield icon on the left side of the address bar and select "Disable protection". The samples should show up after that.

 

Got it to work now. The first track has a Camille Saint-Saens/Carnival feel! Sounds very promising.

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  • 2 months later...

Have any of you heard the new soundtrack from Don Davis called "Tokyo Ghoul"?

 

51ov948ASUL.jpg

 

It reminds me of his work on the Matrix films.  Lots of exciting bombast, clusters, some EDM elements, etc.  Thoughts?

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I thought it was good but not great.  It's been discussed a few times over the last several weeks in the Last Score You Listened To thread

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I found this score beautifully composed - a score with a strong theme, some awesome orchestratión, some challenging material. No it is not the Matrix Reloaded!

 

But it is a fantastic mystery score that sounds a lot like Christopher Young's work with a lot more aggressive material towards the end. Well, I dont have to sell it you as all of it is there on youtube: google 'the kaneki metamorphosis' and you are hooked. Great music. Seriously good, solid orchestral music.

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28 minutes ago, thestat said:

I found this score beautifully composed - a score with a strong theme, some awesome orchestratión, some challenging material. No it is not the Matrix Reloaded!

 

But it is a fantastic mystery score that sounds a lot like Christopher Young's work with a lot more aggressive material towards the end. Well, I dont have to sell it you as all of it is there on youtube: google 'the kaneki metamorphosis' and you are hooked. Great music. Seriously good, solid orchestral music.

 

I agree with you.  It doesn't knock my socks off the way Matrix 1 did but very enjoyable traversal through Davis's sound world.

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12 hours ago, karelm said:

 

I agree with you.  It doesn't knock my socks off the way Matrix 1 did but very enjoyable traversal through Davis's sound world.

 

Agreed!  A Don Davis score is a precious, precious thing in 2017.  I'm not complaining if it's not his greatest work.  It's just good to hear.

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  • 2 years later...
On 9/24/2020 at 9:48 AM, Tom Guernsey said:

Has anyone heard Beyond the Sky? https://www.hdtracks.com/#/album/5dc2fc2b651f8bf49b954ad6 Have to admit that the clips are only variably promising.

Yes, it was mediocre.  Nothing distinctive, could have been composed by anyone. 

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When this thread was ressurected a couple of days ago, I thought it was about the brand new release from BSX - for something called SPACE ODYSSEY - VOYAGE TO THE PLANETS (2004). The clips are intriguing!

 

https://buysoundtrax.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases-home/products/the-don-davis-collection-volume-1-music-from-space-odyssey-voyage-to-the-planets

 

Sounds surprisingly tonal and traditional for Davis. Not that many tone pyramids or clusters in sight.

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I loved Space Odyssey when it was first broadcast, and I've had a complete promo for years. It's really nice that it's finally been released. It's partially orchestral and partly synth, as (according to the liners) they didn't have the budget for an orchestra for the entire thing. This release does leave off about 10 mins that was on the promo (I put back in a 5 minute suite of my favourite bits) but it's nice to have the bulk of the score legitimately.

 

And BSX include an instant flac download when you buy the CD, which is really useful.

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30 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I loved Space Odyssey when it was first broadcast, and I've had a complete promo for years. It's really nice that it's finally been released. It's partially orchestral and partly synth, as (according to the liners) they didn't have the budget for an orchestra for the entire thing. This release does leave off about 10 mins that was on the promo (I put back in a 5 minute suite of my favourite bits) but it's nice to have the bulk of the score legitimately.

 

And BSX include an instant flac download when you buy the CD, which is really useful.

 

Does this release add something that's not on the promo?

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20 hours ago, karelm said:

Yes, it was mediocre.  Nothing distinctive, could have been composed by anyone. 

Thanks... shame, it's kinda what I figured. Back to the Matrix Trilogy, Jurassic Park III (still fingers crossed on an expansion of that, I think it's a great score and far more enjoyable than the Giacchino efforts, albeit not up there with JW's original two) and... for now, Warriors of Virtue!

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...

Just came across this album and have to say, good suite of all three movies. So, since I was always struggling with the OSTs, this is probably in future my go-to-album, when I want to hear Matrix music. Has all the essential highlights for me.

 

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  • 11 months later...

Where is Don Davis? I see at imdb he hasn't appeared since 4-5 years ago.

I love his Matrix scores and his Beauty and the Beast (the 80s TV series) scores, but I haven't heard anything else from him.

(I've seen JP III once but I don't remember the music)

Does anyone recommend something else?

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8 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Where is Don Davis? I see at imdb he hasn't appeared since 4-5 years ago.

I love his Matrix scores and his Beauty and the Beast (the 80s TV series) scores, but I haven't heard anything else from him.

(I've seen JP III once but I don't remember the music)

Does anyone recommend something else?

 

Tokyo Ghoul wasn't that long ag....

 

That was 6 years ago!? Damn.

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Bound from 1996 (his first collaboration with the Wachowskis) and Warriors of Virtue from 1997 are fun, even if they both at times have rather strong cases of temp track bleed (but then, not even The Matrix was particularly original, except for how perfectly Davis combined the Adams/Glass/Kernis tropes and applied them to the film). 1999's House on Haunted Hill has a powerful organ opening cue.

 

My theory is that Davis failed to keep up with modern scoring trends (and aside from Williams, there are few who can afford that), perhaps because he was not interested in writing music that doesn't have a strong, recognisable identity of its own, and/or perhaps because he isn't interested in scoring films under contemporary conditions (no time to structure anything because everything will get edited and shuffled around after scoring has finished anyway).

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4 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Kernis

 

I'm not very familiar with this composer. Could you recommend specific works of his that might have been an inspiration to Davis?

 

1 minute ago, FunnyML said:

I'll throw The Unsaid (2001) into the mix:

 

 

Ssssh!

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3 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

 

 

Oh I love Kernis.  He's a very interesting person too - has synesthesia like Scriabin so visually sees music, an important part of his music.  He kindly encouraged me and gave feedback on my very early music.  He does this with lots of composers through various composer labs.  I think he's a wonderful and inventive composer and I also hear Lutoslawski in Davis.  At least his more aggressive/aleatoric moments of Matrix. 

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