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Systems

Still Stagnant

Composed for the feature documentary High Tide Don't Hide.

Featuring vocals performed by Sophie Handford and trumpet performed by Chris Winter.

We Wasted So Much Time | From High Tide Don't Hide

I wrote the music for this award winning science-fiction short film. A Good Home pays homage to old Rod Serling Twilight Zone episodes. 

The score features an ambiguous felted piano underneath sinister cello writing. The score expands and contracts as secrets are revealed and the nature of James and Nataly’s prison becomes clear. 

This film was directed by Noah Camenker and premiered at The Orlando Film Festival in 2021.

Waiting | From A Good Home

All of the string playing for Sparrow was recorded remotely by Marta Z in Southern California, while the music video was filmed in Lithuania, before being coloured here in New Zealand.

Watch the music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qCnFK8P03o

Sparrow

I teamed up with Wellington soprano Pepe Becker, who lent her incredible voice to the project. This short piece of music was written for an opening sequence for a short film, unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the scene had to be cut from the film.

Originally the film was to begin with the characters attending a live performance of this piece at a theatre, but due to the logistics of filming with a large group of people inside during COVID, the scene had to be cut.

Rather than letting it sit on my computer unheard, I thought I might share it on soundcloud!

Sempre Scendi Invocata

From Our Money (Original Documentary Soundtrack). 

Our Money is a documentary directed by Luke Ross. The film follows 83-year-old activist Helen Drew as she attempts to establish a local currency in rural Carterton. 

For more information visit: https://www.williamphilipson.com

We Have What We Need | From Our Money

An original work for string quartet in two movements written by Wellington composer William Philipson, and played by members of The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

The work is dedicated to Valeriya Golovina, a Ukrainian filmmaker and friend. The work is a reflection on turmoil created in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Observation I

Observation II

01 That Wasnt Me That Was Past Me.logicx

Behold! All the vocals are missing!

First released July 15, 2015

Members: Daniel Becker - Vocals, Guitar 
William Philipson - Guitar 
Josh Ho - Bass, Vocals 
Matt Majic - Drums

Thanks to Sassanid Production

Facelift (Instrumental)- Mechanical Gardens

Vocals performed by Ele Pepperell

Contemporary Aria #1 explores the unusual resonate qualities produced by the recording of the voice by a binaural microphone. The work explores subjectivity, in the sense that it places the listener quite literally into the headspace of the singer.

The vocals are performed with a sharp attack stepping away from traditional choral aesthetic. Use non-words and focusing more on syllables, with the exception of the counting.

I was particularly inspired by Jóhann Jóhannsson’s peice Heptapod B, which is part of the soundtrack to the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival. Jóhannsson wanted to create an alien, yet familiar, atmosphere in the soundtrack. He used the voice in unusual ways that he describes as having a stuttering, random, short held note texture, “a cloud of staccato rhythms, unpredictable and out of time” to create an uncanny sound. He used non-words, what he calls ‘baby talk’, to create sounds reminiscent of development and formation. To highlight these aspects Jóhannsson contrasts the a-rythmic voices with traditional strings and horns. I am also inspired by Radioheads use of manipulated vocals. For example the song Everything in it’s Right Place from Kid A uses lots of layered delays and pitch shifting on the vocals, to create a pulsing vocal texture that is removed from the traditional vocal sonic landscapes.

The form of the piece will start with a texture of layered vocal samples. As the peace develops it will become more ordered, the harmony will become more functional and cohesive with chords and melody. As the piece develops it will become more effected, dynamic and darker, with a more industrial texture. I will adds effects to give a heavily processed aesthetic to the vocal samples in order to create an industrial soundscape wherein the origin of the sound is abstracted from the original recording.

I have created some digital textures to play under the vocal samples. These were created from recordings of distorted guitar feedback and recordings of a female jazz singer. These have been manipulated into pulsing electronic textures. These will provide elements of sonic interest that are separate from the vocal samples. I intend these textures to act as a pulsing layer from which the cloud of indistinct vocal samples can initially emerge from before becoming the dominate texture. I have also created a version muddied with distortion, noise and bit crunching, this element will be used towards the end of the piece to create a contrasting section, before laughing into the climax. This elements have been created so that they may be looped.

Contemporary Aria #1

Music from our entry into the 48 Hour Film Festival 2019. 

Team Name: 
BFF: Best Films Forever

City:
Wellington

Film Name:
Cheers Dad

Theme from "Cheers Dad" | 48 Hour Film Festival 2019

I was asked to compose music for a Victoria University showreel, showcasing the work created in their Masters of Fine Arts program 2018.

You can watch the showreel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp1cd9WYGWM

Victoria University Of Wellington - MFA Show Reel

This is my submission to Tahlia’s composition game Theme & Isolations where you use themes written by other people to create a piece of music.

I took the first half of the second theme and turned it into an ostinato and played the first theme over the top of it.

The result is something quite generic and sounds like it's coming to a music library near you.

But hey I'm first!

Theme & Isolations

From the 2020 film DEAD directed by Hayden J. Weal.

Featuring vocals by Tahlia Griffis

This track featured in the film's initial trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5bevGY7dcA

With thanks to Tom McLeod & Jimmy Urine for tackling this score with me. 

Marbles, a hapless stoner, can see ghosts. Tagg, a recently dead wannabe super-cop, needs to find a serial killer. Can a ghost cop and a directionless stoner get over their prejudices and work together to save lives… and deaths?

In select NZ Cinemas this September

Marbles Can See Ghosts! | DEAD Original Soundtrack

DEAD is a 2020 horror-comedy feature film directed by Hayden J Weal and starring Thomas Sainsbury. I wrote the music with the accomplished New Zealand film composer Tom McLeod and the legendary electro punk rocker Jimmy Urine (from Mindless Self Indulgence).

The film follows a stoner who can see ghosts (Thomas Sainsbury). He teams up with the ghost of a dead police officer (Hayden J Weal) to help him solve his own murder!

The score is a crazy orchestral adventure, complete with pounding synthesisers and an epic operatic choir!

The film was released on September 17th to a wide theatre release.

Janine | DEAD Original Soundtrack

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Agelast

New Zealand Screen Composer & Music Editor.

Composer for Shortland Street, DEAD, High Tide Don't Hide, and others. For more projects visit my website. 

www.williamphilipson.com

William Philipson

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