September 1, 2021
Joel P West’s Score for Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS Available Today
Marvel Music/Hollywood Records has released the digital soundtrack from Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, featuring the original score composed and produced by Joel P West. The film, second movie in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, opens in theaters on September 3, 2021.
West’s vision reaches new heights in his expansive score: several iconic themes slowly intertwine to become elements of a lush hero suite, incorporating methodologies of both Chinese and Western music over booming tanggu drum performances. Led by conductor Gavin Greenaway, the score was recorded with a 70-piece orchestra and a traditional Chinese music ensemble at Abbey Road studios in London.
West is known for his scores for JUST MERCY, SHORT TERM 12, and CHEF’S TABLE and his bands The Tree Ring and Flood Coats. Joel’s creative process involves heavy research to find conceptual anchors rather than leaning on genre traditions, which has resulted in a versatile musical voice that’s distinctly his own, but not limited to one style or instrumentation. From the cyclical jazz riffs of JUST MERCY, to the blend of synthesizers and regional instruments in STREET FLOOD, to the original Appalachian folk song “Summer Storm” in THE GLASS CASTLE, Joel strives to develop a unique musical ethos for each film that becomes essential to the storytelling.
Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who, following the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), is drawn into the web of the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization, and is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. The film also stars Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, as well as Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz. David Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham wrote the screenplay for the film, based on the Marvel Comics character.
