Bear McCreary News

[Talon Karrde]

BEAR MCCREARY ANNOUNCES SLATE OF SUMMER RELEASES AND APPEARANCES

(Los Angeles, CA – June 2, 2011) Composer Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, The Cape, Battlestar Galactica) thinks globally with his summer vacation. McCreary has contributed a new track to the Play For Japan benefit album, is conducting two performances of his music at the 7th International Film Music Festival Ciudad de Úbeda, and will see several soundtracks released. In addition, twice a month McCreary is uploading videos of him playing piano arrangements of his music from Battlestar Galactica, to a newly launched Youtube channel.

Following the recent earthquake, tsunami and its aftermath, composer Akira Yamaoka reached out to the video game community and put together the Play for Japan album. The album, which will be released on June 6th, will benefit the Japanese Red Cross. Bear McCreary contributed the original track, Maverick Regeneration.

Said McCreary, “It's using a lot of the 8-bit sounds that I used in Dark Void Zero, and then I evolve them over the course of the track into the sound in contemporary gaming. In many ways the track is an homage to the 8-bit Nintendo era, but it also takes those sounds and brings them into the contemporary era of video game music.”

On July 21st, as part of the 7th International Film Music Festival Ciudad de Úbeda, Bear will be conducting two performances of his works, including an hour-long intimate chamber recital featuring world premiere arrangements of music from The Walking Dead, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Caprica, and Battlestar Galactica.

Two days later, on July 23rd, he will be conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra of Málaga boasting a world premiere concert suite of his Emmy™-nominated score for Human Target along with selections from The Cape and Dark Void. McCreary, who earned the festival’s Goldspirit Award for Best Television Score Human Target, will also be conducting a Film Scoring Workshop for festival attendees.

“This concert will be the first time I’ve ever performed the score from many of these projects,” said McCreary, “including the full-orchestral Human Target suite. Narrowing the scores down to my favorite selections is proving quite challenging!”

This summer will also see the release of several soundtracks for McCreary. First off SOCOM 4, which was released digitally in April and a special limited edition two-CD set released in May. Later this summer the soundtrack for THE CAPE will also be released.

Because SOCOM 4 is set in Asia, Bear had an expanded palate of instruments to choose from. “The vast array of instruments at my disposal left me with an embarrassment of riches as I first began composing.” McCreary described, “The gamelan orchestra was the most exciting to me personally, since I’d never written for it before. However, I also relied on the ethnic strings and woodwinds for my melodic writing. The arsenal of taiko drums alone could fill an action cue with energy.”

He continued, “But I also had a full symphonic orchestra at my disposal, which couldn’t be ignored. And simultaneously, the electric soloists and custom electronics gave me an entirely different musical toolbox to draw from.”

While SOCOM 4 gave McCreary a wide range of sounds to use, another of his endeavors involved stripping it all down. McCreary revisited Battlestar Galactica and recently released the Battlestar Galactica Piano Music Book for Hal Leonard Publishing. To celebrate its release, McCreary created a Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/bearmccreary) and twice a month throughout the summer will be uploading videos of him performing these works on the piano. He is inviting his fans to do the same, and will be giving out autographed memorabilia to creators of his favorite videos at the end of the summer.

“Thanks to vocal fan support, the piano music book of my Battlestar Galactica score is finally available,” said McCreary. “So many fans have filmed their own performances of my music, I wanted to do the same.”

Bear McCreary was among a handful of select protégés of late film music legend Elmer Bernstein and is a classically trained composer with degrees in Composition and Recording Arts from the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music. McCreary's unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose in disparate genres.

This versatility is evident in the body of work McCreary has created including this year’s surprise hit The Walking Dead, Human Target (for which McCreary earned his first Emmy nomination), The Cape, Eureka, the film the Touchstone Pictures film Step Up 3D, and the SOCOM 4 and Dark Void videogames.

At the age of 24, Bear McCreary was launched into pop culture with his score for Battlestar Galactica, "the most innovative music on TV today" (Variety). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, the only composer under 50 on the list (he is in his early 30s), and the only one recognized for his work in television.

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www.bearmccreary.com/blog

playforjapan.org/

festival.bsospirit.com/index.php/en

[Talon Karrde]

COMPOSER DEBUTS FANFARE HONORING FINAL SHUTTLE MISSION

WASHINGTON (July 7, 2011) -- Emmy-nominated composer Bear McCreary, known for his television scores, has composed a fanfare specifically to commemorate the final space shuttle flight. After composing four seasons of music for a television show set in space, creating music inspired by a historic NASA mission was a natural fit. The composition will be played first on Friday morning at the NASA launch TweetUp. People viewing the launch from some of the other locations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will also be able to hear the composition.

McCreary composed the music for the television series Battlestar Galactica; The Walking Dead; Eureka; Human Target; and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He also worked with film music legend Elmer Bernstein, who composed the music for The Magnificent Seven and The Ten Commandments.


NASA has worked with artists since 1962, when Administrator James E. Webb invited a group of artists to illustrate and interpret agency missions and projects. Artists, songwriters, musicians and playwrights have offered their unique perspectives on spaceflight ever since. NASA also has a long and storied connection with pop culture, frequently working with creators of science fiction films and television programs to discuss science fact.

[Talon Karrde]

THE CAPE SOUNDTRACK

(Los Angeles, CA –September 20, 2011) La-La Land Records will release a limited edition (2000 units) 2CD soundtrack for The Cape, composed by Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica) on September 27, 2011. The first 100 people to purchase the album from www.lalalandrecords.com will receive their copy autographed by McCreary.

“Superheroes in the media today often come shaded in irony,” described McCreary. “In my first meeting with creator/executive producer Tom Wheeler and writer/producer John Wirth, I realized they were ready to cast aside that gritty modern aesthetic and embrace classical superhero storytelling. The Cape would be a series with masked villains, circus freaks, mystical powers, and a central story of redemption, revenge and the bond of fatherhood. These concepts fired my musical imagination and I suggested a similarly classical approach.”

Bear McCreary was among a handful of select protégés of late film music legend Elmer Bernstein and is a classically trained composer with degrees in Composition and Recording Arts from the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music. McCreary's unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose in disparate genres.

This versatility is evident in the body of work McCreary has created including last year’s surprise hit The Walking Dead, Human Target (for which McCreary earned his first Emmy nomination), Eureka, the Touchstone Pictures film Step Up 3D, and the SOCOM 4 and Dark Void videogames.

“Bear is much more than just a composer, of course, and his creative impact on The Cape goes way beyond the music he wrote for the series,” explained series Executive Producer John Wirth. “He had a lot of ideas – about the stories, about the look of the show, the main title sequence, everything – and [series creator/Executive Producer] Tom Wheeler and I used many of them. As for his music, I can say, without exaggeration, that the ten episodes of The Cape are my personal favorites among all the episodes of television I’ve been involved in making over the last twenty-five years.”

“Though our ten-episode run on The Cape was an all- too-short collaboration,” said series creator/Executive Producer Tom Wheeler, “Bear’s impact and influence throughout each and every episode is undeniable. Whether it’s a single, haunting chord as Vince Faraday puts on his mask for the first time, or the swelling crescendo as The Cape vanishes before his son’s eyes, or the disorienting, terrifying and oddly beautiful marriage theme for the villainous Lich and his unwilling bride Orwell, The Cape was an absolute showcase for Bear’s genius. He gave the show a pulsing musical heartbeat, a testament to the emotion and enthusiasm he brought to every storyline.”

“The Cape was likely the most challenging series I’ve ever undertaken,” said McCreary. “Nearly every minute of narrative required original score. The stylistic range of the score called for many unique themes with distinct instruments. Each episode had to be written and produced in a week, recorded with one of the largest orchestras on television. For me, The Cape was a rewarding musical journey.”

The Cape was a one-hour drama series that aired on NBC in 2011. The show starred David Lyons (ER) as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, Life on Mars) and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, Flash Forward). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Vince Faraday becomes "The Cape" - his son's favorite comic book superhero - and takes the law into his own hands.

Rounding out the cast was James Frain (The Tudors) as billionaire Peter Fleming, The Cape's nemesis who moonlights as the twisted killer Chess; Keith David (Death at a Funeral) as Max Milani, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape; Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; Dorian Missick (Six Degrees) as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday; Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean) as Rollo, member and unassuming muscle of the circus gang of bank robbers; and Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) as Scales, resident thug and cohort of The Cape's nemesis Chess.

“By far the biggest influence on my work for The Cape was the music that Shirley Walker and her remarkable team composed for Batman: The Animated Series,” said McCreary. The Cape, which featured one of the largest orchestras featured on a television series, earning McCreary special recognition by The American Federation of Musicians and The RMA-LA, and was recorded at the Warner Bros. Scoring Stage where Walker recorded. “I will always be grateful she left such an inspiring musical legacy.”

The Cape -- Original Soundtrack (limited edition 2000) will be available from www.lalalandrecords.com and other soundtrack retailers on September 27, 2011. The first 100 people to purchase the soundtrack via the La-La Land Records website will get their copy autographed by composer Bear McCreary.

[Talon Karrde]

THIS FALL BEAR MCCREARY FIGHTS OFF THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, ONE SCORE AT A TIME

(Los Angeles, CA –October 13, 2011) Bear McCreary falls victim to the zombie apocalypse, not once but twice this fall. AMC will begin airing the second season of the acclaimed series The Walking Dead on Sunday, October 16th and BuySoundtrax Records has announced the November 2nd release of his original songs and score for Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie. To celebrate these two events, McCreary has launched a new version of his very popular website and blog www.bearmccreary.com.

AMC’s critically acclaimed original series, The Walking Dead, is back with its highly anticipated second season. Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series follows a group of survivors who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The show boasted the highest ratings for a cable series in 2010 and its season finale had the biggest average seasonal audience in the 18-49 demo of any drama in basic cable history. Season 2 premieres with a 90-minute episode on Sun., Oct. 16 at 9/8c.


“This season of The Walking Dead is even more terrifying, gripping and emotionally-charged than the first,” said McCreary. “I'm very excited to be back in this unique musical playground, working with dissonant string orchestra, electric banjo, detuned autoharps and other unusual instruments. Fans will be thrilled with the creative direction the series and the score are taking for this next season.”

In the spirit of classic anthology films like Creepshow and Twilight Zone: The Movie and containing films that not only celebrate the golden age of drive-in B horror shlock but also span over four decades of cinema, Chillerama offers something for every bad taste. Zom-B-Movie was directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Knights of Badassdom) and stars Richard Riehle (Office Space) and Brendan McCreary (the band Young Beautiful In A Hurry). Chillerama will be available on DVD or Blu-Ray on November 29, 2011.

“My score for Zom-B-Movie,” said McCreary, “is both epic and simple, sophisticated and juvenile, terrifyingly dissonant and melodically tender. Writing this music made me feel like a kid again; crouched before an analog TV set flickering with a VHS copy of Gremlins.”

Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie also gave Bear the opportunity to expand into two new areas: acting and directing. Bear makes a cameo as a deranged painter using, well, an unorthodox medium for his work. In addition, Bear directed a special music video for the film's closing credits, for the single "I Don't Want to Die a Virgin" by Young Beautiful in a Hurry. The video is currently online at www.YouTube.com/YBinaHurry.

The McCreary brothers will reunite again, this time joined by Brendon Small (Dethklok/Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse) on November 9th in Los Angeles for a special benefit. Together they will join with a unique group of musicians--and Queen fans--to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s passing with The Show Must Go On -- a live performance of the music of Queen -- at The Roxy Theatre. All proceeds from the concert and memorabilia auction will be donated to AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), to help combat the disease that took Freddie from this world.

"Queen was a rock band with truly orchestral sensibilities,” added Bear McCreary. “Their melodies, harmonies and passion for lyrical storytelling place their songs amongst the most essential ever written."

October 16 8PM/9PM Central: The Walking Dead Season Two airs on AMC
November 2: Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie soundtrack available digitally and via www.buysoundtrax.com
November 9: The Show Must Go On
“The Show Must Go On" band:
Lead Vocals: Brendan McCreary (Young Beautiful in a Hurry)
Guitar: Brendon Small (Dethklok and creator of Adult Swim's Metalocalypse)
Piano: Bear McCreary (composer of Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead)
Guitar: Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai); Rick Musallam (The Roots, Gwen Stefani)
Bass: Pete Griffin (Zappa Plays Zappa)
Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa)
Backing Vocals: Raya Yarbrough (Battlestar Galactica); Felice Hernandez (Pretzel Logic); Ben Thomas (Zappa Plays Zappa)

November 9th, 2011, 9PM
The Roxy Theatre (9009 West Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA)
All Ages
Tickets: $35 available www.TheShowMustGoOn.us
All proceeds will go to AIDS Project Los Angeles


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www.TheShowMustGoOn.us
www.bearmccreary.com/blog

[Talon Karrde]

CHILLERAMA: ZOM-B-MOVIE SOUNDTRACK - Composer Bear McCreary Conducts A New Zombie Apocalypse

(Los Angeles, CA –November 2, 2011) BuySoundtrax Records has announced the November 16th release of the Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie – Original Soundtack featuring music by Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Knights of Badassdom) with the new track “I Don’t Want To Die A Virgin”, by Young Beautiful in a Hurry. In addition to McCreary’s score for Zom-B-Movie, the soundtrack features the score to the newly rediscovered classic Deathication from Director Fernando Phagbeefy. The first 100 people to order the recording at www.buysoundtrax.com will receive a copy autographed by Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary (Young Beautiful in a Hurry) and Zom-B-Movie director Joe Lynch.

In the spirit of classic anthology films like Creepshow and Twilight Zone: The Movie and containing films that celebrate the golden age of anatrichilia, Chillerama spans over four decades of cinematic excellence, offering viewers a glimpse into the joy of the late-night feature. The Zom-B-Movie segment was directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Knights of Badassdom) and stars Richard Riehle (Office Space) and Brendan McCreary (the band Young Beautiful In A Hurry).

Zom-B-Movie presented Bear with the opportunity to expand his musical horizon into the sounds he grew up with. “Joe’s short film required a wide swath of musical styles,” he described. Some of his inspirations for this opus included Bernard Herrmann, Lalo Schifrin, and Jerry Goldsmith.

Also part of the Chillerama pantheon is the newly rediscovered nearly 40-year old classic Deathication, from director Fernando Phagbeefy. The influence of the great Kurosawa is evident in Deathication, with Phagabeefy's use of epic images and creation of heroic characters with a strong sense of honor and duty.

Said Phagabeefy, “I wanted to harness those pungent emotions onto celluloid, and with the help of talented (f)artists like our composer [and McCreary’s long lost uncle] Sir Lion Magillicutty, in my opinion we created a true film for the ages, a fine wheel of fragrant filmic cheese to sniff and savor like a fresh lawn log.”

Because of the familial connection, Magillicutty’s music for Deathication is also featured on this recording. “With this newly re-mASStered version of the score Lion produced available to the general pubic, I hope the film turtle-heads its way back into poopularity,” said Phagabeefy.

Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie also gave Bear the opportunity to expand into two new areas: acting and directing. Bear directed a special music video for the film's closing credits, for the single "I Don't Want to Die a Virgin" by Young Beautiful in a Hurry. The video is viewable at www.YouTube.com/YBinaHurry.

Bear also makes a cameo as a deranged painter who uses an unorthodox medium for his work. To prepare for his role, McCreary took method acting classes and watched hours of Bob Ross on PBS. Said McCreary, "Well let's just say it wasn't the first time I flung shit on paper in order to see what stuck."

Chillerama will be available on DVD or Blu-Ray on November 29, 2011. Chillerama: Zom-B-Movie-Original Soundtrack will be available in stores, and directly from BuySoundtrax on November 16th and digitally on November 22, 2011. The first 100 people to order the recording set at www.buysoundtrax.com will receive a copy autographed by Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary and Joe Lynch.

[Talon Karrde]

DA VINICI’S DEMONS

(May 24, 2013 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows, a new boutique record label founded by composer Bear McCreary, announces the release of the Da Vinci’s Demons Original Television Soundtrack. The album, containing 26 tracks, over 90 minutes of original music from the first season of the hit Starz Original series produced with Adjacent Productions, will be available through all digital providers on May 28th. A 2-CD collector’s edition will be released later this year.

McCreary’s sweeping orchestral score was meticulously researched to accurately represent the time period, without being bound to it. His score combines full orchestra, Renaissance instrumentation, choir and ethnic soloists with the renowned Calder Quartet and surging contemporary synthesis.

“For Da Vinci's Demons, I looked to the real-life Leonardo for inspiration. He famously wrote backwards and forwards, so I decided to do (try) the same thing with his theme!” said McCreary. “It was a nice idea at the time, but proved rather difficult to produce anything with emotional meaning. It took a while, but ultimately, I think the end result works beautifully. It's emotional, and fits Leonardo's character beautifully. Yet, at the same time, it feels like a palindrome.”

It’s this sort of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call McCreary a “Secret Weapon” in a recent issue. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to SyFy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

McCreary continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. Recently he lent his talents to SyFy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His upcoming film projects include Europa Report, which will premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June, and Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka and The Cape. His swashbuckling score for Human Target featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy nomination. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

Writer / director David S. Goyer’s historical adventure series Da Vinci’s Demons, premiered on STARZ on April 12th, and was renewed by the network for a second season the very next day. The secret history of Leonardo Da Vinci's tantalizing life reveals a portrait of a young man tortured by a gift of superhuman genius. He finds himself in a conflict between truth and lies, religion and reason, past and future. His aspirations are used against him by the opposing forces of the time—luring him into a game of seduction where those who despise his intellect need him most.

“Da Vinci’s Demons is my first historical drama, and as such, needed a slightly different approach,” said McCreary. He researched instruments of the period, including the viola da gamba, violone, crumhorn, shawm, lutes, natural trumpet and hurdy gurdy. “You may have never seen or even heard these instruments before, but when they play historically accurate arrangements, with proper intervals and chord voicings, the sound is unmistakably Renaissance. Music history buffs will probably freak out when they catch all the little Easter Eggs I’ve hidden in the score, but everyone else will at least recognize an old-world authenticity that helps them feel like they’re watching a story that takes place in the fifteenth century.”

STARZ presents Da Vinci’s Demons, airing on Friday nights. The first season finale will premiere on Friday, June 7, 2013. Da Vinci’s Demons – Original Television Soundtrack, composed by Bear McCreary will be available through all major digital providers on May 28th.

Other upcoming releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary's soundtracks for the multimedia science fiction epic Defiance, both for the television series (SyFy) and the MMO shooter game (Trion Worlds). This summer, the label will also release McCreary's score for the feature film Europa Report (Magnet), a science fiction thriller that explores the first manned mission to Jupiter’s mysterious moon, Europa.

[Talon Karrde]

CAPRICA: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO THE SYFY TELEVISION SERIES

(July 24, 2013– Los Angeles, CA) – La-La Land Records will release the long awaited soundtrack for CAPRICA: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO THE SYFY TELEVISION SERIES, composed by Bear McCreary (THE WALKING DEAD, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., DA VINCI’S DEMONS) on July 30, 2013. The soundtrack is a 2CD set, limited edition 3000 units.

“I want to give special thanks to you guys, the CAPRICA fans. You’ve been so loyal and supportive to our series, and that means a lot to everyone involved,” said McCreary. CAPRICA was an amazing new musical journey for me. I’ve written a National Anthem, a Tauron gangster rap, a drag queen burlesque, and an opera for Alessandro Juliani, just to name a few.”

Set 58 years before Battlestar Galactica, CAPRICA follows two rival families - the Graystones and the Adamas - as they grow, compete, and thrive in the vibrant world of the peaceful 12 Colonies, living in a society close to our own. Entangled in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe-to-toe, blending action with corporate conspiracy and sexual politics. CAPRICA delivered intrigue, political backbiting and family conflict in television's first science fiction family saga.

Just like with his groundbreaking music for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, McCreary needed to create a new universe for th inhabitants of the 12 planets. “Each principal setting in CAPRICA has a unique sound,” McCreary described. “The upper echelons of Caprican society, the Graystone’s world, are underscored with an intellectual, classical sound. The Tauron mafia is accompanied by traditional acoustic instruments, evocative of old Europe. And New Cap City is set to an undulating backbone of video-game inspired analog synthesizers.”

It’s this sort of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call McCreary a “Secret Weapon” in a recent issue. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

McCreary continues to write for the television show THE WALKING DEAD and this fall for MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Recently he lent his talents to the STARZ/BBC co-production DA VINCI’S DEMONS, for which he earned his second Emmy nomination, and Syfy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, DEFIANCE, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His upcoming projects include BLACK SAILS (produced by Michael Bay) and the films EUROPA REPORT, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, EUREKA, and THE CAPE. His swashbuckling score for HUMAN TARGET featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy nomination. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

DISC 1:
1. Caprica Main Title
2. Caprica Abides
Music by Bear McCreary
Lyrics by Jane Espenson
Featuring Steve Amerson, vocals
From the Episodes: “Rebirth” and “Apotheosis”
3. Apotheosis
From the Episode: “Apotheosis”
4. All of This Has Happened
Music and Lyrics by Brendan McCreary
Performed by Young Beautiful in a Hurry
From the Episode: “The Imperfections of Memory”
5. New Cap City
From the Episode: “There Is Another Sky”
6. Lacey and the Cylon
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
7. Vergis’ Dream
From the Episode: “Know Thy Enemy”
8. Pact of Brothers
From the Episode: “Dirteaters”
9. Grieving (Alternate Version)
From the Episode: Pilot
10. Control and Power
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
11. Caprica Buccaneers Theme
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
12. Burlesque
Remixed by Jonathan Snipes
From the Episode: “Ghosts in the Machine”
13. Amanda’s Forgiveness
From the Episode: “False Labor”
14. Barnabus
From the Episode: “Retribution”
15. Cerberus Dance (Demo)
From the Episode: “Ghosts in the Machine”
16. Through the Paces
From the Episode: “Ghosts in the Machine”
17. Lacey’s Test
From the Episode: “Blowback”
18. Clarice Willow
From the Episodes: “Rebirth,” “Reins of a Waterfall” and
“Gravedancing”
19. Tauron Ceremony Song (Piano Sketch)
From the Episode: “There Is Another Sky”
20. Lacey and Zoe (Expanded Version)
From the Episode: Pilot
21. Capricoperatica
Music by Bear McCreary
Lyrics by Laura Kalpakian
Featuring Elissa Johnston and
Alessandro Juliani, vocals
From the Episode: “End of Line”

DISC 2:
1. Caprica Abides (Instrumental Version)
From the Episodes: “Rebirth” and “Apotheosis”
2. The Differently Sentient
From the Episode: “Apotheosis”
3. Amanda’s Epiphany
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
4. Rites of Passage
From the Episode: “There Is Another Sky”
5. New Cap City Theme (Demo)
6. Voices of the Dead
Featuring Brendan McCreary, vocals
From the Episode: “Reins of a Waterfall”
7. The Dive Bar
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
8. The Cylon Whisperer
From the Episode: “The Heavens Will Rise”
and “Here Be Dragons”
9. Daniel Captures the Code
(Expanded Version)
From the Episode: Pilot
10. Dirteaters
From the Episode: “Dirteaters”
11. Healing Wounds
From the Episode: “Reins of a Waterfall”
12. Gemenon
From the Episode: “Unvanquished”
13. I Am a Man
Music and Lyrics by Brendan McCreary
Performed by Young Beautiful in a Hurry
From the Episode: “Gravedancing”
14. Was Love
Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Snipes
Performed by Captain Ahab
From the Episode: “Gravedancing”
15. Tamara Kills
From the Episode: “There Is Another Sky”
16. Here Be Dragons
From the Episode: “Here Be Dragons”
17. A Tauron Sacrifice (Expanded Version)
From the Episode: Pilot
18. Waltz for Zoe
From the Episode: “Unvanquished”
19. Death of the Guatrau
From the Episode: “Apotheosis”
20. Tauron Ceremony Song
Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
From the Episode: “There Is Another Sky”
21. Graystone Plays Nomion Variations
Includes “Exploration” by Stu Phillips
From the Episode: “Rebirth”
22. Caprica Theme (Sketch)

La-La Land Records presents CAPRICA: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO THE SYFY TELEVISION SERIES, available on July 30th at www.lalalandrecords.com and other soundtrack boutique retailers.

[Talon Karrde]

SPARKS & SHADOWS TO RELEASE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR EUROPA REPORT

(July 29, 2013 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows, a new boutique record label founded by composer Bear McCreary (MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, THE WALKING DEAD), announces the release of the EUROPA REPORT Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album will be available through Amazon.com, select soundtrack sellers, and all digital providers on August 2, 2013.

“Early on, I was very tempted to really play with the found footage element and have very little music – to actually play with a lot of silences or sounds of the spaceship,” said director Sebastián Cordero. “However, the minute we started editing the film together, we realized there was a huge risk of losing the human side of the story if we didn’t enhance it with music.”

Finding the emotion of the storyline was key for McCreary. “Sebastián and I knowingly took a bit of a risk,” said McCreary. “There are moments in this score where we are telling a cinematic story. When the celli come in with that main theme, to me it sounds luscious and cinematic. It’s a real melody. But I think the film earns it, and the counter balance to that are those heavy synthesizer and the dissonant atonal elements. I think it means that when those melodic moments come in, they are more powerful and more subtle at the same time.”

This kind of approach shows why McCreary was called a “Secret Weapon” by WIRED Magazine. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

McCreary, who recently earned his second Emmy nomination for Da Vinci’s Demons, continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. Recently he lent his talents to Syfy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His upcoming projects include Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC, Black Sails for STARZ and the film Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka and The Cape. His swashbuckling score for Human Target featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy nomination. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

EUROPA REPORT follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. When unmanned probes suggest that a hidden ocean could exist underneath Europa’s icy surface and may contain single-celled life, Europa Ventures, a privately funded space exploration company, sends six of the best astronauts from around the world to confirm the data and explore the revolutionary discoveries that may lie in the Europan ocean. After a near-catastrophic technical failure that leads to loss of communication with Earth and the tragic death of a crewmember, the surviving astronauts must overcome the psychological and physical toll of deep space travel, and survive a discovery on Europa more profound than they had ever imagined.

“When you have those moments when the score is pulling on your heart strings, even though it’s a found footage movie, it makes sense because Europa Ventures wants to manipulate you,” McCreary described. “They want you to feel this certain way because it’s in their interest for you to feel that way. And so in that regard, even though there are times where the score is definitely doing something cinematic, it still lands within the rules of the found footage genre.”

Magnet presents EUROPA REPORT, now available on iTunes and On Demand and in theaters on August 2, 2013. Sparks & Shadows presents EUROPA REPORT – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, available on August 2nd through Amazon and all digital providers.

Other recent releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary's soundtracks for Da Vinci’s Demons, featuring the Emmy nominated Main Title theme, and the multimedia science fiction epic Defiance, the television series (Syfy) and the MMO shooter game (Trion Worlds).

# # #

sparksandshadows.net
www.bearmccreary.com

[Talon Karrde]

(July 29, 2013 – Culver City, CA) The week of July 15th may be Bear McCreary’s best week ever as a composer. The week began with the announcement that he would be performing at Comic Con as part of the sneak preview screening of BLACK SAILS, his second television series with STARZ, set to launch January 2014. Later that day Entertainment Weekly revealed that McCreary is the composer on the highly anticipated ABC TV series MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. And on that Thursday it was announced that McCreary earned his second Emmy nomination for the DA VINCI’S DEMONS Main Title.

"Collaborating with David S. Goyer and composing music for DA VINCI’S DEMONS was a richly rewarding experience that forced me to rethink my creative process on a fundamental level,” said McCreary “I am very proud of the work we created, and honored to be recognized in the main title category, alongside some of the best composers writing today."

McCreary’s sweeping orchestral score for DA VINCI’S DEMONS was meticulously researched to accurately represent the time period, without being bound to it. His score combines full orchestra, Renaissance instrumentation, choir and ethnic soloists with the renowned Calder Quartet and surging contemporary synthesis.

“For DA VINCI’S DEMONS, I looked to the real-life Leonardo for inspiration. He famously wrote backwards and forwards, so I decided to do (try) the same thing with his theme!” said McCreary. “It was a nice idea at the time, but proved rather difficult to produce anything with emotional meaning. It took a while, but ultimately, I think the end result works beautifully. It's emotional, and fits Leonardo's character beautifully. Yet, at the same time, it feels like a palindrome.”

It’s this sort of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call McCreary a “Secret Weapon” in a recent issue. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

McCreary continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. Recently he lent his talents to Syfy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His film projects include Europa Report (currently available On Demand and in theaters on August 2nd) and Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka and The Cape. His swashbuckling score for Human Target featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy nomination. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

What will this week hold for McCreary? It’s off to a great start – with the release of the soundtrack for his music to CAPRICA on Tuesday and the release of the soundtrack for EUROPA REPORT on Friday, coinciding with the film hitting theaters.

[Talon Karrde]

Composer Bear McCreary is composing the music for MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Read all about it at:
insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/15/agents-of-shield-bear-mccreary-music/

Bear McCreary will be at Comic Con appearing on panels and performing music from BLACK SAILS at a special screening.

His appearance schedule is below and he is available for interviews.

CONCERT PERFORMANCE:

“Black Sails” Concert and Screening
Thursday, July 18
8:30pm
Reading Cinemas (701 5th Ave)

_BSsmallThis Thursday, July 18 , STARZ will unveil their new pirate drama “Black Sails,” executive produced by Michael Bay. The event will feature a live performance of my original “Black Sails” score. This is your first chance to hear what I can safely say is the most unusual and insane score I’ve ever written.

Featured musicians include percussionists Brad Dutz (playing bones… yes, real bones), Jonathan Ortega (hand percussion), Pete Griffin (electric bass), Ira Ingber (acoustic guitar and dobro) and Raya Yarbrough (playing keyboard). I will be playing accordion and hurdy gurdy, marking my first public performance on the instrument in my life! I hope the little bastard can stay in tune.

Seats are going to fill up fast. Fans wishing to attend should RSVP here:
www.starz.com/originals/blacksails/RSVP

This “Black Sails” concert is your only chance to hear my music live at the con, but I’ll also be appearing officially on a number of panels.

_

PANEL APPEARANCES:

The Anatomy of Superhero Film Music: Bringing a Comic Book to Life
Thursday, July 18
10:30am
Room 6A

I am honored to be on a panel with accomplished filmmakers and composers, including Marco Beltrami, James Mangold, Brian Tyler, Shane Black, Dave Jordan and Chris Lennertz. In particular, I will be discussing my music for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and how thematic scoring impacts the superhero genre.

_ERsmall

Europa Report
Thursday, July 18
1:10pm
Hall H

This is one of the most extraordinary science fiction films I have ever seen, and I am tremendously honored that the filmmakers brought me on board this project. I will discuss the process of scoring the film, and be on the panel with director Sebastián Cordero, producer Ben Browning, actress Karolina Wydra and JPL scientists Steve Vance and Kevin Hand. Do not miss this one!

_COM2

The Character of Music
Friday, July 19
3:00pm
Room 32AB

This panel pairs composers for television with their producer / showrunners, which will be fascinating. My ‘study buddy’ will be Jonathan E. Steinberg, the visionary producer for whom I scored the first season of “Human Target.” Now, Steinberg and I are collaborating on “Black Sails” for STARZ. On this panel, we’ll dive into our creative process and discuss how thematic music affects narrative in long-form storytelling.

- See more at: www.bearmccreary.com/#blog/concerts/comic-con-2013-schedule/

“Black Sails” Concert and Screening
Thursday, July 18
8:30pm
Reading Cinemas (701 5th Ave)

This Thursday, July 18 , STARZ will unveil their new pirate drama “Black Sails,” executive produced by Michael Bay. The event will feature a live performance of my original “Black Sails” score.

Featured musicians include percussionists Brad Dutz (playing bones… yes, real bones), Jonathan Ortega (hand percussion), Pete Griffin (electric bass), Ira Ingber (acoustic guitar and dobro) and Raya Yarbrough (playing keyboard) and Bear on accordion and hurdy gurdy, marking my first public performance on the instrument in my life!

Seats are going to fill up fast.
RSVP here:
www.starz.com/originals/blacksails/RSVP

PANEL APPEARANCES:
The Anatomy of Superhero Film Music: Bringing a Comic Book to Life
Thursday, July 18
10:30am
Room 6A
Bear will be appearing on the panel with accomplished filmmakers and composers, including Marco Beltrami, James Mangold, Brian Tyler, Shane Black, Dave Jordan and Chris Lennertz.

Europa Report
Thursday, July 18
1:10pm
Hall H
Bear will discuss the process of scoring the film, and be on the panel with director Sebastián Cordero, producer Ben Browning, actress Karolina Wydra and JPL scientists Steve Vance and Kevin Hand. Do not miss this one!

The Character of Music
Friday, July 19
3:00pm
Room 32AB
This panel pairs composers for television with their producer / showrunners, which will be fascinating. Bear will be appearing with Jonathan E. Steinberg (Black Sails, Human Target), and also with Brian Reitzell, Bryan Fuller, David Slade, Dino Meneghin, and Jeff Davis.

[Talon Karrde]

Bear McCreary wins first Emmy!

(September 16, 2013 – Culver City, CA) On September 15, 2013, composer Bear McCreary earned his first Emmy® Award for the Main Title Theme for DA VINCI’S DEMONS at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. McCreary had been nominated one previous time in the same category for HUMAN TARGET.

“To be nominated alongside some of the most exciting composers working in the industry was, itself, a tremendous honor. I am totally overwhelmed by this win,” said McCreary.

McCreary credits his collaboration with show creator David S. Goyer as to what led to his first Emmy Award win.


“I must share this award with series creator David S. Goyer. When I played him my first demo for the main title, he gave me the greatest feedback a producer can bestow. He said the music was too short!” described McCreary. “The theme was so catchy, he wanted to hear more of it. So, he re-cut his first episode and nearly doubled the length of the Main Title sequence, giving me the opportunity to expand on my ideas. Now that the Main Title Theme and Main Title Design have both won Emmys, I think its safe to say that Goyer had the right idea!”

McCreary’s sweeping orchestral score for DA VINCI’S DEMONS was meticulously researched to accurately represent the time period, without being bound to it. His score combines full orchestra, Renaissance instrumentation, choir and ethnic soloists with the renowned Calder Quartet and surging contemporary synthesis.

“For DA VINCI’S DEMONS, I looked to the real-life Leonardo for inspiration. He famously wrote backwards and forwards, so I decided to do (try) the same thing with his theme!” said McCreary. “It was a nice idea at the time, but proved rather difficult to produce anything with emotional meaning. It took a while, but ultimately, I think the end result works beautifully. It's emotional, and fits Leonardo's character beautifully. Yet, at the same time, it feels like a palindrome.”

It’s this sort of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call McCreary a “Secret Weapon” in a recent issue. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

This fall McCreary’s music can be heard on the new series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. McCreary continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. Recently he lent his talents to Syfy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His film projects include Europa Report and Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka, Human Target, and The Cape. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

[Talon Karrde]

Sparks to release DA VINCI’S DEMONS SOUNDTRACK in a 2-CD COLLECTOR’S EDITION

(October 15, 2013 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows is proud to announce the release of the DA VINCI’S DEMONS SOUNDTRACK (COLLECTOR’S EDITION) on October 22, 2013. The 2-CD set features Bear McCreary’s Emmy® Award-winning theme along with over 30 minutes of bonus music from the hit STARZ series, not included on the digital soundtrack album, released in May.

“When it came time to find a composer for DA VINCI’S DEMONS, Bear was an obvious choice,” says series creator David S. Goyer. “I wanted anti-period music for Da Vinci. Meaning, I didn’t want something that sounded like Richard Lester’s Three Musketeers. I wanted Bear to change things up – to use contemporary sounds and instruments as well as period ones. Bear didn’t disappoint. When Bear played me his demo for the main title theme, I was blown away.”

McCreary earned his first Emmy Award for the DA VINCI’S DEMONS Main Title. “When I first played [Goyer] my mock-up, he gave me the greatest feedback a producer can bestow upon a composer: ‘That’s it? It’s too short. It stops right when it gets good!’” To accommodate this, Goyer did something that a director hardly ever does. “He re-cut the pilot episode to extend the Main Title Theme long enough for me to make a satisfying, musical statement.”

“For me, the score is one of the most – if not the most – important element of a film’s final cut. Done right, it is the ultimate representation of a piece’s ambitions, whilst still remaining ambiguous enough to not overwhelm the listener with its message; both invisible when attached to the scenes it’s scoring, yet beautifully all-consuming when released from the images it originally accompanied; instantly evoking emotions in viewers that may be buried layers-deep within a scene, whilst at the same time managing to highlight and refine the elements at its surface,” said series star Tom Riley. “Bear McCreary’s season one score for DA VINCI’S DEMONS not only meets all those expectations, but surpasses them, flips them on their head, and at times pulls their pants down and runs away laughing.”

McCreary’s sweeping orchestral score for DA VINCI’S DEMONS was meticulously researched to accurately represent the time period, without being bound to it. His score combines full orchestra, Renaissance instrumentation, choir and ethnic soloists with the renowned Calder Quartet and surging contemporary synthesis.

“In a weird way, even though I’m doing stuff that is done with Renaissance instruments, this is the most stylized show I’ve ever worked on,” said McCreary.

Bear McCreary’s unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann, and WIRED Magazine called McCreary a “Secret Weapon.”

This fall McCreary’s music can be heard on the new series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. McCreary continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. Recently he lent his talents to Syfy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame. His film projects include Europa Report and Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka, Human Target, and The Cape. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

Sparks & Shadows presents the DA VINCI’S DEMONS 2-CD collection available on October 22, 2013. The first 360 people who purchase the set through www.lalalandrecords.com on October 22nd will receive their set autographed by McCreary.

Also available from Sparks & Shadows are the soundtracks of The Europa Report and Defiance (video game) and Defiance (TV series).

# # #
www.bearmccreary.com
www.sparksandshadows.net

[Talon Karrde]

SPARKS & SHADOWS TO RELEASE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR BLACK SAILS A Starz Original Series, MUSIC COMPOSED BY BEAR MCCREARY

“Gorgeous, cool, and thematically on target, these credits are like a haunting dream you might have after touring a sculpture museum and hitting Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride on the same day. And that theme! Arguably McCreary’s best, and that’s saying quite a bit.” – James Hibberd (Entertainment Weekly)

BLACK SAILS Premieres on STARZ on January 25th at 9PM ET/PT

(January 17, 2014 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows, the boutique record label founded by composer Bear McCreary, announces the release of the BLACK SAILS – A Starz Original Series Soundtrack digitally and on CD on January 28. The soundtrack features original music by Emmy® Award winning composer Bear McCreary. The series teams marks the 2nd collaboration between McCreary and series Executive Producer/Co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg.

Though the two worked closely on a grand orchestral score for Human Target, McCreary and Steinberg both knew a similar approach wasn’t going to be right for BLACK SAILS. “While I have worked with Bear before building big, thematic orchestral scores, this show needed something almost exactly the opposite,” said Steinberg. “Stripped down. Gritty. A sound and a musical language that would be the last thing you’d expect to hear in a pirate movie, yet something that could still convey the raw human emotion of the story we wanted to tell. And Bear found it.”

“My goal was to create music that sounds improvised by an exhausted crew aboard a ship navigating choppy waters,” said McCreary. “I wanted the audience to sense dirt beneath fingernails plucking jangly mandolin strings, to feel urgent strains of a hurdy gurdy crank, and to smell stale air wheezing out of old accordion bellows. To achieve this, I had to rethink my entire creative process and unlearn the results of a lifetime of classical music study.”
It’s this sort of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call McCreary a “Secret Weapon” in a recent issue. His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

A recent Emmy® Award-winner for Da Vinci’s Demons, McCreary also composes for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – the #1 debut of the 2013 fall season with 11.9 million viewers, and The Walking Dead, which shattered records with 16.1 million viewers for its fourth season debut. In addition to scoring the #1 new show and the #1 returning show in 2013, McCreary’s current projects also include the upcoming Ronald D. Moore series Outlander for STARZ, the second season of Da Vinci’s Demons, and the Syfy series Defiance.

From rural Georgia to a Battlestar, from the Italian Renaissance to a post-apocalyptic St. Louis, McCreary’s projects have taken us on many voyages. This latest journey takes us to 1715. The Golden Age of Piracy. New Providence Island is a lawless territory, controlled by history’s most notorious pirate captains. The most feared is Captain Flint. As the British Navy returns to redeem their land and exterminate Flint and his crew, another side of him emerges. Captain Flint aligns himself with Eleanor Guthrie, daughter of the local kingpin, to hunt the ultimate prize and ensure their survival.

Many opponents stand in their way: rival captains, jealous of Flint’s power; Eleanor’s ambitious and intrusive father; and a young sailor recently recruited onto Flint’s crew, John Silver, who constantly undermines his captain’s agenda..

“For the instrumentation of BLACK SAILS,” said McCreary, “I wanted to focus primarily on historically accurate sounds. In place of soaring strings and ripping brass, I brought in a string quartet, rhythm guitar trio, percussion duo and various historical solo instruments. Most of this merry band had worked with me for the better part of a decade, and they too had to unlearn our old habits. For the first time, I dropped my ruthless pursuit of rhythmic perfection and intonation precision and asked them not to play ‘too perfectly.’”

McCreary would also choose two instruments from his own repertoire – the accordion and the hurdy gurdy. “For the first time in my career, I suddenly found myself a primary soloist in my own music, which was great fun because I always love the opportunity to play and perform.” he said.

“When we set out to reimagine the idea of what a pirate movie could be, we knew we would have our work cut out for us. We knew that in order to convincingly tell a story about the reality of these people’s lives, we would somehow have to figure out a way to make the show feel substantially, noticeably different than any pirate movie anyone had seen before,” said Steinberg. “This meant a different visual style. A different tone in the way people talked and the things they talked about. And, of course, it meant a very different kind of music.”

How does McCreary describe the score? Simply, “Raw. Filthy. Salty.”


Sparks & Shadows presents the BLACK SAILS – A STARZ ORIGINAL SERIES SOUNDTRACK, available digitally and on CD on January 28, 2014. The first 360 people who purchase the CD through www.lalalandrecords.com will receive their copy autographed the composer.

Other releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary's soundtracks for the series Da Vinci’s Demons (featuring the Emmy® Award-winning title theme), Defiance, as well as motion picture soundtracks for Europa Report and the upcoming film Knights of Badassdom, due to be released in select theaters and VOD in February.

# # #

www.sparksandshadows.net
www.starz.com/originals/blacksails
www.bearmccreary.com

[Talon Karrde]

KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM SOUNDTRACK

(February 4, 2014 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows, the boutique record label founded by composer Bear McCreary, announces the release of KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on February 11th. The soundtrack features performances by heavy metal and rock luminaries including Brendon Small (Dethklok), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa), Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo), Ira Ingber (Bob Dylan), Pete Griffin (Three Inches of Blood) and Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa).

“In the darkest hours of a cold winter night, I read a script chronicling adventurous LARPers, an evil curse, a disgruntled heavy metal singer, wizards, warriors and the Hell Lord Abominog,” said McCreary. “As I read, my musical imagination filled with soaring bagpipes, drop-tuned distorted guitars, double kick drums, blaring horns, dulcimers and ethereal vocals—everything I love about music in one epic score.”

McCreary was excited to have the opportunity to work with rock and metal musicians on this project. “Early on, I reached out to Brendon Small, the creator and composer of Metalocalypse, to ask his advice on writing heavy metal music. We hit it off, and he contributed brutal solos and rhythm guitars to the score.”

Small and McCreary had worked together a few years earlier on a Freddie Mercury tribute concert. The band for this benefit included Mike Keneally, Pete Griffin, and Joe Travers, who round out the rhythm section for KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM. Also signing on was Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich, who adds a shredding guitar solo on “At the Gates.” Many of McCreary’s frequent collaborators are also back, including Ira Ingber playing the “down-home slide guitar,” Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo) adding terrifying guitar textures on the horror cues, Uilleann and small Scottish pipes make an appearance—performed by Eric Rigler (who was featured on the score to Braveheart and Battlestar Galactica), with vocal performances by Brendan McCreary and Raya Yarbrough. Said McCreary, “Having access to these brilliant musicians allowed the wide emotional range of this score to be brought to life.”

A recent Emmy Award® winner for Da Vinci’s Demons, McCreary also composes Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.—the #1 series debut of the 2013 fall season with 11.9 million viewers. Together with The Walking Dead, which shattered records with 16.1 million viewers for its fourth season debut, McCreary scored the #1 new show and the #1 returning show in 2013. Current projects also include new seasons of Da Vinci’s Demons and Defiance, as well as the 2014 STARZ debut series Black Sails-the premiere episode was the #1 series debut for the network and teamed McCreary once again with Executive Producer / Co-Creator Jonathan E. Steinberg, with whom he previously worked on Human Target.

KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM follows three best friends (Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn and Ryan Kwanten) and dedicated LARPers (Live Action Role Players) as they take to the woods to reenact a dungeons and dragons-like scenario fresh out of the mythical Middle Ages. Trouble arises after they unwittingly conjure up some serious evil in the form of a blood-lusting Succubus, from the pits of hell.

Fantasy and reality collide on the Fields of Evermore in an all-out epic battle of make believe wizards, demons and assorted mythical creatures. Their courage and friendship is put to the test as they attempt to vanquish the evil they have summoned. Will the group prove to simply be foam sword-wielding LARPers, or true “Knights of Badassdom?”

“Producing this soundtrack for KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM has been a joyous experience. I think of it as a ‘heavy metal fantasy concept album,’” said McCreary. “The cues are presented in narrative order, for the most part, with some slight restructuring and occasional new material to facilitate a smooth musical flow.”

eOne Films presents KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM, with TUGG screenings beginning on January 21st and available digitally and on VOD on February 11, 2014. Sparks & Shadows presents KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available February 11, 2014. The first 360 people who purchase the CD through www.lalalandrecords.com will receive their copy autographed the composer.

Other releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary’s soundtracks to the series Da Vinci’s Demons (featuring the Emmy® Award winning title theme), Defiance, and Black Sails, as well as the original motion picture soundtrack for Europa Report.

[Talon Karrde]

SPARKS & SHADOWS TO RELEASE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR DA VINICI’S DEMONS: SEASON 2

(May 15, 2014 – Culver City, CA) Sparks & Shadows announces the release of the DA VINCI’S DEMONS: SEASON 2 Original Television Soundtrack, featuring original music by Bear McCreary. The album from the second season of the hit STARZ Original series, produced with BBC Worldwide and Adjacent Productions, will be available through all digital providers on May 27th. A 2-CD collectors edition version will be released later this year.

“DA VINCI’S DEMONS Season 2 is adventurous, ambitious storytelling that required a dynamic, thematically-layered score,” said McCreary. “The season-premiere plunges the audience right back into the chaos from the first-season cliffhanger, and the tension never lets up. The score was an immense challenge but among the most creatively rewarding experiences of my life.”

"With the first season, Bear managed to create an indelible and beautifully thematic score that defined the show as much as the writing and performances,” said series star Tom Riley (Leonard Da Vinci). “With the second he has not only built on that incredible achievement, but in matching the new season's globe-trotting narrative, has added depth and textures from all over the world which have helped inform what ends up on the screen as well as drawing from it.”

“I feel very lucky to have worked with Bear for the second year running,” Laura Haddock (Lucrezia Donati) explained. “The way he tells a story, highlights an emotion, complements a mood through his music is incredible."

Following the season one finale, Florence is thrown into chaos in the wake of the Pazzi conspiracy, and Leonardo da Vinci must push the limits of his mind and body to defend the city against the forces of Rome. When the dust settles, friends are buried and rivalries enflamed. While the Medicis go to unthinkable lengths to deal with new threats, da Vinci continues on his quest to find the fabled Book of Leaves and uncover the secret history of his mother. He’ll come to realize that he has lethal competition in his quest—new enemies who may be even worse than the forces of Pope Sixtus. His search will take him to faraway lands and force him to reevaluate everything he knew about the world and his own history.

The voyage takes Da Vinci to exotic places, including the new world. “The sounds of Peru were a huge influence for me,” explained McCreary. “The challenge was to take all the Renaissance instruments and themes I'd accumulated during the first season and add a whole new sound to them. As always, I strove for authenticity. The Peruvian vocals throughout the season are genuine pre-Columbian indigenous chants that we recorded with singers who trekked down from the mountains to a recording studio in Lima specifically to perform on this score. When Da Vinci sees Machu Picchu on screen, the score quotes a song from the region that is over five hundred years old. It is not often that a television show offers this kind of creative opportunity!”

“It is the most exciting form of collaboration - where one inspires the other and vice versa,” said Riley of McCreary’s music for DA VINCI’S DEMONS. “You know you're onto something special when you find one of the best ways to get yourself into the mindset of a scene is by actually humming your character's theme."

Composer Bear McCreary was first launched into pop culture with his groundbreaking score to the hit series BATTLESTAR GALACTICAthat was lauded by Variety as “the most innovative music on TV today.” It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com ranked McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of All Time, and recently WIRED Magazine declared him one of only five “Secret Weapons” of the television industry.


McCreary is currently scoring ABC’s hit series MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., collaborating with visionary Joss Whedon on Marvel’s first foray into network television. Bear’s many other credits include AMC’s record-shattering global phenomenon THE WALKING DEAD. Bear works with David S. Goyer (co-writer of THE DARK KNIGHT trilogy, MAN OF STEEL) to score DA VINCI’S DEMONS, the epic historical fantasy that broke ratings records for STARZ and earned Bear his first Emmy Award, for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music (the theme is a carefully-constructed palindrome that sounds the same forwards and backwards!). Bear also scores STARZ’s hit pirate drama BLACK SAILS, for executive producer Michael Bay. Later in 2014, Bear will return to STARZ, collaborating once again with BSG showrunner Ronald D. Moore on his highly-anticipated series adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling OUTLANDER novels.

STARZ presents DA VINCI’S DEMONS,airing on Saturday nights. DA VINCI’S DEMONS: SEASON 2 Original Television Soundtrack, featuring 19 tracks and almost 2 hours of original music composed by Bear McCreary, will be available through all major digital providers on May 27th.

Other releases from Sparks & Shadows include McCreary's soundtracks for the first season of DA VINCI’S DEMONS, BLACK SAILS, the multimedia science fiction epic DEFIANCE, and the feature film soundtracks for EUROPA REPORT and KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM.

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