Roque Baños introduced in film music business in the second half of the '90s, and became famous after projects like the Torrente-series, Sexy Beast, The Machinist or Alatriste. We had a chance to ask him about the Oldboy-remake, and his other projects as well.




The first choice for composing the score of Oldboy was Michael Nyman, but later he had been rejected. Do you know his work, or did you get any direction how different should your music be?

To tell you the truth, when I received the call to compose this film, I was spending the summer with my kids in Spain. So like the main protagnist in the film, Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin), I was completely disconnected from the outside world, and had no idea about this and what work had been done with Michael. Note, I really love his film score work. Once I started, I didn´t receive much direction from the producers so we started a process where I´d send them some music and they´d provide me feedback, but they gave me a lot of freedom to create music that I thought would support the film best.


Please tell us something about your musical approach for Oldboy?

It was kind of difficult to find a musical approach per se for this movie because we were under a very aggressive deadline. I had to quickly work off of my gut reactions and feelings toward the story for an inspiration and approach. There wasn´t much time to have an extensive process and develop things... it was an intense period. I was fortunate to have the support of one of the producers, Audrey Chon, who was by my side, helping me hone in the music during this rigorous process. I have to thank her so much, without her support, I would never been able to do it.


Your deadline was one month during the production of Oldboy. Is it tight or average in film score business?

Actually I had 3 weeks when I was first hired, but I had already committed to a one-week trip with my kids, so really, I only had two weeks. Two weeks to compose 80 minutes of music by myself with almost no help at all definitely qualifies, by far, as the tightest job of my career.


Your music for the cult-remake Evil Dead is one of the most powerful symphonic horror score in recent years. Please, tell us something about this project?

Thank you! Every movie deserves its own unique musical identity. With Evil Dead, it really felt appropriate to use Gothic sounds at times, which we created by blending a choir with orchestra. I didn´t feel like this was appropriate for Oldboy. I thought some other interesting mix was more suitable for this film instead, so I mixed some electronic music with the orchestra, which I love to do as well.


During the track "Abominations Rising" there's a short period when the orchestra and the choir are simply screaming very loud and scary. What is the exact instruction for the musicians in this case? During the recording session do you feel that maximum tension which characterizes the final score?

Everything was written for the orchestra and choir, but I told them while recording this section to scream as loudly as they could, imaging that they are trying to escape from a terrible fate. Sometimes it is certainly helpful to describe the scene that we are recording the music for; the musicians actually love this because it provides them with context for the story and helps them interpret the music more accurately. I definitely felt the maximum tension of our final score in the recording – the effect created by the musicians and choir – was amazing.


What differences did you notice between the film making processes, directors and producers of Europe and Hollywood?

So far not many differences. They always an seek one common thing: To get the finest score for the movie. The differences are more from one film to another than from Europe and Hollywood.


If a movie is littered with contemporary songs (for example Sexy Beast or the Torrente-movies), how does the presence of these additions influence your work?

To be honest, it doesn´t influence my work at all. I see the score as a unique language added to the film to compliment the story. The songs are also uniquely their own thing. However, there might be some occasions where song and score have to live together and it is in there when I have to consider certain aspects in terms of harmony and melody to get them to fit.


You've composed music in nearly every genre: comedy, romance, biography, drama, adventure, horror. Which genre do you feel is the closest for you and why?

I don't really have a specific genre that I feel more comfortable with. I truly enjoy composing for different cinematic styles and genres. Even if I have to compose in a certain genre repeatedly, I'll use an instrument that makes it special for a particular film. For instance I was using a siren in Evil Dead, or a Theremin in The Machinist.


The Machinist brought international recognition to you. How did you get this project?

The producers of this project at FilmMax wanted to find a project to work on with me. When this one came along, they introduced my work to the director, Brad Anderson, who also felt that I was suitable for the film, and so they called me and offered me the project.


Please tell to us a little bit from the process of your score writing?

Actually, even more important for me was capturing the meaning of the story with each piece of music – how it impacts the characters and how they are reacting as the story evolves. Particularly, the weight of things that are done in the past and the consequences of these things happening in the present. I wrote the Oldboy score with two main themes in mind, both related to Joe (Brolin's character); One dealt with his anger and desire for revenge after being held captive for 20 years, and, the other stems from the love he had for his daughter, and everything he cares about. With both themes, I really tried to push the music to the most dramatic points so the audience could feel the extremities as Joe was feeling them.


The Alatriste was an epic movie, which based on a true story. How did you came up with the specific score for this movie?

I knew that I had to create music that was appropriate for the epic feel of the film and the time period, but I also wanted to make sure that it didn´t sound old-fashioned. So, I took a modern approach to the score while also incorporating old Spanish instruments, such as the vihuela and the trompa marina, in combination with an orchestra and a men choir.


Do you have a dream project or perhaps a director with whom you'd love work together?

I don´t think I can narrow this down. There are so many talented directors out there that I would love to work with. My dream is to continue scoring films for the rest of my life if possible – it is my passion.


Many events have you attended in – like Soncinemad in 2006 and Ubeda in 2007. How important for you the personal contact with the fans? When it comes to your music, do you read reviews or receive feedback from fans?

Being in contact with fans is very important to me. Typically, I am isolated in my studio and so it is a great pleasure for me to be interacting with the people who will actually listen to my music. I greatly appreciate receiving feedback from fans. I've been in those festivals as well, i.e. Fimucité in Tenerife, or the New FIlm Music festival in Cordoba. They’ve always reached out to me and I’ve found them to be recharging events.


What is the part of your career which you are most proud of?

There is no particular part of my career that I am more or less proud of. I always put my heart into every project I work on. I guess you could say that I am always proud of the project I am currently working on or just finishing.


To know more about Roque Baños's work, please visit the composer's official website.

Special thanks to Anthony D'Alessandro
December 08th, 2013