May 5, 2021
MovieScore Media Releases SEPARATE, Spooky Drama Score by Brent Detar
Coinciding with the theatrical release of SEPARATION on April 30, MovieScore Media has rejoined director William Brent Bell and composer Brent Detar to release their fourth collaboration following Paramount’s exorcism surprise hit THE DEVIL INSIDE (2012), WER (2013) and BRAHMS: THE BOY II (2020). SEPARATION tells the story of 8-year-old Jenny (Violet McGraw) who copes with her mother’s death in a house surrounded by puppets called “Grisly Kin,” based on the works of her artist father. But when her grandfather (Brian Cox) sues for custody, and babysitter Samantha (Madeline Brewer) tries to be the new woman of the house, the puppets come to life with a dark ulterior motive.
“Although it’s wrapped in the guise of a scary movie, SEPARATION is really a film about family,” points out composer Brett Detar. “At it’s core it’s the story of a daughter, a mother, and a father: 3 humans. For this reason I chose to make the main musical theme just three notes. No matter what else happens with the music and sound design elements of the score it always returns to those same three simple notes as a reminder of the connection between the three family members. Sometimes these notes appear as a high piano, while at other times I used strings or woodwinds. Perhaps most often, though, it appears as human voices. The secret weapon in this score is actually my voice. There are some moments where I use it as a traditional vocal but way more often it was processed and manipulated to be almost unrecognizable as human, not unlike the grim figure on screen.”
Prior to becoming a film composer, Detar was a guitarist for the metal band Zao before finding his own successful post-punk/power pop ensemble The Juliana Theory. After a decade of touring and releasing four albums, the band’s disbanding lead to Detar’s first solo album, the critically acclaimed Bird In The Tangle, while also starting work as a film composer.
– via MovieScore Media. For more details, including sample tracks, see moviescoremedia.
