In the upcoming thriller Last Breath, a group of rescue scuba divers attempt to save their crewmate who is stranded hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface. Based on a true story, this terrifying ordeal is brought to life by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Alex Parkinson. His background as a documentarian allows him to really delve into the compassionate and humanistic side of this unthinkable situation. The second X factor mirrors the intensity of the rescue mission itself, and that is the bold, cinematic score from BAFTA-winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan.

This heart-pounding film tells an inspiring story of teamwork and resilience. Given the gravity of the situation and the limited air supply the divers have to work with, Leonard-Morgan’s score compliments this “race against time” theme. Field recordings of real boats and sink faucets add unique depth to the otherwise orchestral score, comprised of strings, bass, and special electronic elements.

Cinemacy is excited to debut “Topaz” from Focus Features’ Last Breath (Original Soundtrack Recording), below:

Says Leonard-Morgan of the album, “I wanted to create a sense of despair and isolation of being left alone. To achieve this, I selected a solo electronic cello to play the lonely main underwater theme. After recording audio elements of a boat by drumming various bits of metal over the hull, I then sampled, detuned, and made beats out of it. These elements then became the percussive “ticking clock” which signaled the race again time to rescue the oxygen-starved diver. The Main Theme is created by sampling a dripping faucet, processing that through a vocoder synth on vintage analog gear. The result of all this preparation is a unique melodic sound combined by powerful ascending strings in the orchestra, low brass, and pounding basses. The music drives the tension and desperation in the film from start to finish.”

About Paul Leonard-Morgan

Paul Leonard-Morgan is a BAFTA award-winning, Emmy-nominated composer and producer. His unique cinematic style of fusing orchestra with electronica puts him in high demand as a composer and artist. Leonard-Morgan’s reach spans genres and includes film scores such as Limitless, The Hunt for Planet B, The Tomorrow Man, Lucy the Human Chimp, and a string of projects with Academy-Award-winning director Errol Morris: My Psychedelic Love Story, the award-winning Netflix series Wormwood, and the Steve Bannon documentary American Dharma. His award-winning collaborations with legendary composer Philip Glass began on Amazon’s series Tales From the Loop. He continued to work with Glass on The Green Veil followed by the documentary feature film The Pigeon Tunnel.

He has also worked with bands such as No Doubt, Snow Patrol, and Belle and Sebastian. His video game soundtracks include Battlefield Hardline, Warhammer: Dawn of War 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Call of Duty Mobile. Concert work includes his concerto commission for Orchestre Nationale de Bretagne. His album of études for piano and cello is being choreographed by members of the San Francis ballet.

Focus Features & Filmtrax Ltd is releasing Last Breath on Friday, February 28th. You can pre-save the album for release here.