Out of his studio in Spitalfields, London, Dominik Scherrer creates a spacious, other-worldly sound that feels far removed from any remnants of city life. The Emmy-nominated composer’s soundtrack to the six-part HBO Max series The Tourist is a sonic escape from our daily lives as he transports us to the Australian outback with slow-burning guitar melodies and layered choral vocals.

Dominik’s approach to this score was to bring the Australian desert to life, and he did so by highlighting acoustic elements like solo strings and guitars, choir, and electronically-processed percussion. Masterfully mixed, the end result is a  fresh and brilliantly diverse score. The Tourist soundtrack will be released this Friday both in standard stereo and Dolby Atmos format (the latter being recommended for an optimal, fully immersive experience).

Cinemacy is thrilled to premiere “The Tourist” from The Tourist, below:

Jamie Dornan (Belfast, The Fall) stars as a nameless traveler who attempts to rebuild his life after being run off the road in a brutal car chase and, consequently, wiping his memory. Set in Australia, The Tourist is a character-driven thriller series that sees Dornan attempt to rediscover who he is. As he searches for answers about his identity, he has to contend with merciless figures from his past pursuing him.

“There are two major roles in The Tourist score,” says Dominik Scherrer. “It’s almost a kind of yin and yang concept. One is the dark and brooding, unnerving one, with processed solo strings, in particular cello solos, processed vocals played through guitar amplifiers, some slowed down as well as chopped up elements. The other side is the lyrical one. I was inspired by early 19th-century hymns – I felt there was an unwritten religious tone to the script.”

In addition to his TV scores, which include the Netflix/ BBC series The Serpent, Dominik also produces sound design and composition for fine art installations, most notably for artist Suki Chan. As a composer/director, he is developing a new kinetic opera for the screen called ‘Hell For Leather’, which premiered at Sundance and went on to win him 10 awards.

Dubois Records is releasing the ‘The Tourist’ Original Soundtrack on Friday, May 20th. Pre-save here.