Johann Johannsson Quotes

When I think of Morricone, more than his using a specific instrument or a specific sound, it's his way of approaching music that sticks out.

The bass line is the anchor for me. I started with the bass, and either doubled that and then added the harmonies, or sometimes added my own harmonies that I've always wanted to sing on the song. And then it just went on from there - singing violin parts and trumpet parts and just trying to emulate the sounds of the instruments.

I've always wanted to make music like people write plays, so I was inspired by writers as much as musicians.

My task is to tell a story with the music. I always like to have themes in terms of characters or plots, and things that can tell a story always interest me the most.

I compose the music according to the nature of the show. 'Peter Gunn's' focus was violence so that was my key.

Movie music allows me to work with players as creatively as I can.

My best film composing experience was with Elia Kazan.

I think that a song, when it works, never mind a piece of long form music, even a song is something that speaks to itself but has a language all of its own, ideally.

I liken movies to playing a piano: Sometimes you're playing the chords and different notes with unresolved cadences and playing all major chords that are all over the place, and you're enjoying yourself with a great, simple melody.

When I hear the piano played in a compositional way, like in a songwriter's way in a compositional way, there's a certain arc to that that I love.

Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about and they just write a whole bunch of lyrical ideas, but for me the music tells me what to talk about.

A lot of what a composer does has to do with storytelling, and there are different ways of fusing music with picture to express different storytelling ideas.

Everyone is looking for connections between the songs. I don't usually approach a record as a concept. There's no overriding theme I'm trying to represent. It's all about the individual songs.

I am about the arrangements and the layers of depth in the music.

Composing music is hard work.

When I'm making music, I can hear all the parts, all the instruments. I can hear what it should be.

I think, for me, a way to really come up with new ideas and come up with new ways of writing music is to create a unique sound palette or soundscape for all the films I'm working on.

I had a really pleasant time composing music for 'Raaga.'

I find that albums generally tell a story. Because it's music, it doesn't have to be in chronological order.

One of my biggest goals in writing the music for 'Fantastic Beasts' was to create memorable melodies. J.K. Rowling's world has always had a great musical legacy and I was hoping to continue that tradition.

Without the knowledge of music, it would be very hard to write film music. There are so many films, and each one has a different historical background and everything.

A strong concept is the most important thing in creating a record. When you can listen to it and see a whole movie in your head, that's what separates an instrumental album from a beat tape.

It is hard work composing a song for a film and showing it to makers: 50% of the tune remains the same, and the remaining 50% is changed to suit the script.

Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.

When I was composing for 'The Villain,' I looked at it as a fan and came up with tunes accordingly.