Villain

Wave Theory Records has digitally released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the acclaimed action-thriller Villain, an Ascendant Films production directed by Philip Barantini. The album features an original score by composers Aaron May & David Ridley, which has been described as “brooding and unsettling” by The Guardian. Villain was released in the U.K. earlier this year, and is available on digital and On Demand in the U.S. today.

(May 27, 2020—Los Angeles, CA)
Wave Theory Records has digitally released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the acclaimed action-thriller Villain, an Ascendant Films production directed by Philip Barantini.
The album features an original score by composers Aaron May & David Ridley, which has been described as “brooding and unsettling” by The Guardian. Villain was released in the U.K. earlier this year, and is available on digital and On Demand in the U.S. today.

The composer-duo were introduced to Philip Barantini through a writer and worked with him on a beautiful short film called Seconds Out. Fortunately for May & Ridley, Villain’s lead actor Craig Fairbrass saw the short film and insisted that not only Philip was brought as director on Villain, but that the entire creative team also remained intact.
This tremendous foresight was a break for the composers and everyone involved, and led to the continuation of a team with a real sense of a shared vision.

Villain centers around the meaty East-London character of Eddie Franks (Fairbrass), exploring the emotional impact that his prison sentence has had on his family, his pub and the local community. Eddie's story begins to unravel as it emerges his brother has fallen in with the wrong crowd and he is reluctantly drawn back into his former criminal ways.

Aaron May and David Ridley on bringing their score to life: “Our task was to create a dark, gritty sound-world that would encapsulate the strong, but damaged character of Eddie Franks. While we were after an emotionally broad, contemporary sound to reflect his gravitas, we also needed to ensure that the music felt physical and organic in order to capture the urban setting of the film.
The score subsequently centers around a palate that focuses primarily on the rawness of solo bass clarinet, with cello ensemble passages and textural electronics. We also had the rare opportunity to write a song for the final scene, and it was a pleasure to work with London-born soul singer Kevin Leo on the film's poignant and somewhat unexpected closing moments.”

Villain:
After 10 years, Eddie Franks (Craig Fairbrass) is out of prison and trying to stay on the straight and narrow, but his drug-mule brother Sean (George Russo) has other ideas. Rival gangster brothers Roy and Johnny Garret (Robert Glenister and Tomi May) are demanding Sean repay his debt to them, causing Eddie to get tangled in the crossfire, ending up using his life savings and calling in favors with mobster friends to try and help. Following a dramatic coup at the family pub, events spiral out of control in the ultimate fight for survival. With a powerful performance from Fairbrass, Villain is a gritty British thriller which depicts a dark, criminal underworld.

Aaron May and David Ridley are British composers who collaborate on music for film. As a duo, they create bold, distinctive contemporary-classical music with an electronic edge. Having met studying composition at university, their years of friendship allow for a dynamic, intimate approach when writing for film and encourages a deep sense of trust during the collaborative process.

Aaron’s background in contemporary classical and electroacoustic music has led to award-winning work in music and sound design. His experience brings a unique approach to building rich and textured sound-worlds to their work. David’s orchestral background, specialising in piano, violin, viola, and voice and drawing upon years of experience as a musical director and composer for numerous theatrical productions lends an acoustic and instrumental nuance to their process.

Villain marks the duo’s debut feature film score, and they are currently at work scoring their second, Boiling Point, the first film to be produced by actor Stephen Graham’s company Matriarch.

More info at: Official website Wave Theory Records