I can listen to this one track for hours. It is one of the most marvellous tunes I have ever heard.

taken from THE LIBERTINE - Original Soundtrack

Music composed by Michael Nyman
Performed by the Michael Nyman Orchestra

Working alongside director Laurence Dunmore, Nyman has composed the music for his latest film – The Libertine. The film is a version of the celebrated Stephen Jeffreys play and stars Johnny Depp, John Malkovich and Samantha Morton. It tells the story of the 17th century Earl of Rochester (Depp), his friendship with King of England Charles II (Malkovich) and his affair with actress Elizabeth Barry (Morton).

The Earl of Rochester was a legendary rake of the era and the film has been described as "outrageously sexy". He managed to reconcile being a sensitive poet and a pornographer, was simultaneously a republican and friend of King Charles II and was passionately in love with both his wife and mistress. The film captures the sense of new possibilities at the dawn of the age of enlightenment.

Nyman has been fortunate to work with directors who understand that music can add greatly to the overall impact of a film, directors who have allowed the music to have a solid presence in their films rather than simply act as background filler. Director Laurence Dunmore has wanted to work with Michael since he first heard his music in 'A Zed and Two Noughts'. For Nyman, there's a direct link back to his first major soundtrack The Draughtsman's Contract as both films are 17th Century based, visually stunning, comedies of manners. Once again the composer and his long-standing band deliver a stunning score, rich in detail with driving, baroque influenced tunes counter-balanced by a series of haunting, elegiac melodies of the sort that has made Nyman's work familiar to millions..


Buy from MN Records

Rochester's Farewell

Why She Swallows Bullets and Stones - from "Aurora"

There are strange forces at work, lurking underneath the shiny, impeccable surface of this place: Looming behind all those perfect little fence posts and neighborly smiles, there's a sense of isolation, of emptiness, a hint of claustrophobia, that fear of being in the wrong place, too far removed from where things are really happening. It's true: darkness has fallen upon suburbia. Welcome to the unadorned world of Innhverfi.

Using a play on the Icelandic words for "suburbs" and "introvert" for its title, Innhverfi is the debut solo album from Sigur Rós' and Jónsi's touring keyboard player/percussionist Óbó – in his passport it says Ólafur Björn Ólafsson –, and although comprised of no more than 7 compositions, it does run the gamut of suburban bliss turned upside down: After the LP's minimalistic opener "Úthverfi", a track that melancholically opens up after a long, immensely dark and brooding intro, that ultimately offers some respite in the form of playful Glockenspiel over layers of slow-moving sonic lava, the equally cinematic "Svartur galdur" leaves much room for Óbó's trademark baritone: Like a bespectacled puppeteer with fluffy hair, he seems to shuffle and rearrange home-recorded bits and lullaby-like DIY pieces in front of our very eyes, which can't help but follow, as we move deeper into the somewhat forlorn suburban landscape that has inspired this record. Imagine dark, wet streets, overcast little alleys, and suddenly a cat or a candle on a windowsill, breathing slowly.

Elsewhere, "Gjallarhornin" – all spoken words, piano, strings, vibraphone, rearranged like a whirlwind in slow-motion – makes way for a hopeful oomph deferred and silent-movie era melodies, while "Stilla", an instrumental, commences like early Efterklang, but there's no gaudiness on the horizon: When the subtle electronics and percussions erupt in the end, it all feels just right – if only for a brief moment. Finally, the subdued birdsong and jazz-inspired piano of "Fyrirbo∂i" underline that Ólafsson has worked on motion picture soundtracks in the past – e.g. The Good Heart, Steypa –, and before it all ends, he even throws in a foot-stompin' alt-pop song of sorts ("Rétt e∂a rangt?"). The last stop of this journey into the haunting underbelly of the suburban mind is "Gullregn": A creaking door that opens to unveil his own garden of forking paths, a place where one can still decide, shake things up, jump the fence and run, leave before it's too late. It's pure possibility, presented in a golden light.

Although Innhverfi is his debut effort as a solo artist, Óbó's musical handwriting has been all over the Icelandic map in recent years: A multi-instrumentalist and a wizard on percussions, he studied piano and later composition in various European cities and has performed and recorded with artists such as Sigur Rós, Jónsi, Emiliana Torrini, Stórsveit Nix Noltes, slowblow, Benni Hemm Hemm, múm, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Úlfur Hansson and Valgeir Sigur∂sson, to name a few.

Though few will be able to understand the lyrics in his native Icelandic, one thing is certain: Innhverfi is the very antidote to the affliction and troubles it sketches out. Turns out we've been in the right place all along.

Buy On Itunes

Óbó: Rett Eda Rangt?

Hello everyone! Illyriad is a massive orchestral folk album dedicated to the critically-acclaimed massively multiplayer strategy game Illyriad for it's 15th anniversary! This is a project I completed a few months ago and I decided to share with you all. 

Step with me into the world of Illyriad, a strategy game brimming with extraordinary depth and endless possibilities. In this vast fantasy realm, you’ll find yourself at the helm of a thriving empire, shaping your destiny through city specialization, strategic alliances, and dynamic warfare. With a passionate community, frequent updates, and new features, Illyriad offers an immersive experience where you can rule the way you’ve always dreamed. Embark on an epic adventure in this free-to-play strategy game, where every decision counts. Build and plan your empire, gather resources, craft powerful items, trade with others, scheme for dominance, and engage in thrilling battles alongside thousands of players. The world is yours to shape!Are you ready to rise to power?

Composed, arranged, and mixed by myself. Many thanks to Nick Petrou and Mira Angharad for their contribution on certain tracks (piccolo & harp).

Dedicated to the lovely Illyriad community! Enjoy!~~

Caravanserai (Marketplace Theme)

Deep Space - A Space Opera

Nyman: Prospero's Books CD2

'Miranda' from 'Prospero's Books'

Penguin Cafe is a continuation by Arthur Jeffes of the ideas and music that his father, Simon Jeffes the English composer and musician, created with the enduring and ever-evolving concept of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

During the first two years the new band were touring and playing the original music and they were writing and performing new pieces as they emerged. This record is a collection of some of these pieces, released in 2011.

Penguin Cafe release their new album 'The Imperfect Sea' in 2017, accompanied by international touring.

visit us www.penguincafe.com | www.arthurjeffes.com

follow us www.facebook.com/ThePenguinCafe | twitter.com/thepenguincafe

Copyright Editions Penguin Cafe Ltd 

3 Sundog

Matt Dunkley - Cycle 1

Chilly Gonzales - Solo Piano II

Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar


http://www.blackchambermusic.com/
Black Chamber is:

      Brian McCauley – drums
      Chris Gustafson – upright bass
      David Binnig – trumpet and samples

The band filters the sounds of classic post-bop jazz through their own post-rock, post-hip-hop musical experiences, blending live improvisation with scratchy samples. With no traditional chordal instrument, the group focuses on deep rhythms, expansive melodies, and atmospheric textures, while using electronic processing to expand the harmonic possibilities of the trumpet. 

Black Chamber-Other Days

Michael Nyman's Official Soundcloud channel

'Miranda' from 'Prospero's Books'

Michael Nyman

Recent comments

FDM studio production

Phil Bradley 11

Oscar Mendez 14

Related tracks