One of the first things I look for when planning out my Sundance selects are the composers of Sundance, who contributed to the music, and who is the music supervisor.
I’ve worked in music supervision full-time for over six years, and I’ve grown accustomed to seeking out my colleagues’ names first. Just like directors can have a distinct “style,” so can composers. After falling in love with the score from The Last Black Man in San Francisco at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, I now seek out any project that composer Emile Mosseri is attached to, knowing that it will most likely be a film I’m interested in (a theory that has proven true so far, see: Minari, Kajillionaire).
To me, the sound of a film is just as important as the person directing it or the actors involved. After scouring the Sundance slate, here are some of the musical standouts from this year’s festival and, going forward, I’d love to see more women in this space.
John Carroll Kirby (Cryptozoo)
John Carroll Kirby’s album My Garden singlehandedly got me through quarantine last year. He’s a pianist, producer, and composer from Los Angeles who creates beautifully meditative tracks, as well as being the go-to collaborator for Solange and Frank Ocean, among others.
Devonté Hynes (Passing)
You might know him better as his moniker Blood Orange. Dev, described as a “polymath musician” by the New York Times, is one of the most dynamic and interesting artists working today, blending the gritty and melancholy to create a sound unique to him.
Alex Somers (Together, Together)
Having composed the playfully introspective soundtrack to one of my favorite films last year, Honey Boy, Alex Somers returns to Sundance with what I can only imagine will be another heartfelt and transcending score.
Alex G (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair)
A self-described singer-songwriter, dreamer, visionary, and leader, (Sandy) Alex G creates indie bedroom pop that feels like a modern-day Elliott Smith. Ryan and I are both excited to see what he does in a cinematic setting.
Caterina Barbieri (John and the Hole)
Caterina is an Italian composer and musician who explores themes related to machine intelligence. Pitchfork describes her synth-heavy sound like music that bends time and space.
Mike Tuccillo (Homeroom)
Probably best known for scoring the Hulu/A24 series Ramy, Mike is also a producer and mixer. Tuccillo has mixed and contributed additional production to the majority of VÉRITÉ’s records which have more than 100 million plays on Spotify.
Aaron Dessner & Bryce Dessner (Jockey)
The Dessner twins may be better known as half of The National but did you know that they, along with my absolute favorite Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), helped launch the 37d03d (PEOPLE) collective in 2016? 37d03d produces multi-artist events and operates an independent record label, all with the goal of supporting and encouraging spontaneous collaboration.
Time for Three (Land)
Guests of NPR’s Tiny Desk, Time For Three is an unconventional trio that blends Americana, modern pop, and classical music genres to create a sound all their own.
Vagabon, SASAMI (Weirdo Night)
Not composers, per se, but I couldn’t not talk about the performers in Weirdo Night, the brainchild of performance artist Jibz Cameron aka Dynasty Handbag. What used to be a monthly stage show at Zebulon in Los Angeles (that I miss so much), this homage to Weirdo Night includes performances from SASAMI, Vagabon, and more.
Colin Stetson (Mayday)
Probably best known for his haunting score in Hereditary, Colin’s bass and alto saxophones produce emotionally rich and polyphonic compositions that transcend expectations of what solo horn playing can sound like.
PLUS:
Highlights from past years have been seeing Dark Rooms, Ethan Gruska, Brett Dennen, and more at the ASCAP Music Café, an intimate performance space that also serves as our recharging station in between screenings. Experiencing artists’ showcases in this setting has always been one of my favorite parts of the festival experience, and as I (and the rest of the world) patiently wait for live music’s highly anticipated return, a virtual venue promises to recreate this unique ASCAP lounge.
This article was updated 1/28/2021
