This article was first published on "Billboard" on January 30, 2021. Reporter Melinda Newman interviewed the soundtrack player who gained prestige in the industry with "The Last Black Man in San Francisco", "Billionaire" and "Minari". Mill Moseli, Moseli talked about the process and feelings of creating the soundtrack for "Minari".
Author: Melinda Newman
Translation: Enlightening
"Minari" tells the touching story of a Korean-American family. His father moved to Arkansas with his family in pursuit of his farm dream. This film won the Jury Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. And the audience award in the American drama unit. This feature film is based on the childhood experience of director Lee Issac Zheng and is currently one of the top contenders for the Oscars, including the award for best original soundtrack.
The 35-year-old composer Emile Mosseri's elegant and emotional soundtrack supports the film (the ending song "Rain Song" was also written by him), and he said it was an exciting time for him Experience, because he first composed the soundtrack for a feature film only two years ago-"The Last Black Man in San Francisco" (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), which was released in 2019. He recalled how he participated in the creation of "Minari" and how the plague affected his progress in making the soundtrack.
Melinda Newman (hereafter referred to as M): How did you participate in the creation of "Minari"?
Emile Mosseri (hereafter referred to as E): I met Izak at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" through the producer Christina Oh. We discovered that we were neighbors, and she sent some of my music to He, and sent me his script, it was almost like being scheduled for an appointment.
M: What direction did he give to the soundtrack?
E: He clearly told me from the beginning that he didn't want American pastoral music, and he didn't want to use Korean music as a special reference. Before they started filming, I started writing music for the film. Fortunately, this resonated with him—my music also played a role in the film editing process. When they showed me different scenes of the film, I got a lot of inspiration, so it was a process of passing back and forth.
M: In many scenes, when we look at this experience through the eyes of the protagonist boy David, there is often a sense of surprise. How do you create a soundtrack for this emotion?
E: I think it has something to do with his script. Izak’s film is an ode to his childhood memory. It is such a heartfelt and profound human emotional experience, it is connected with miracles, almost like a dream. I have some creative space in timbre and tone.
M: What instrument do you use to express it?
E: More important than a specific instrument is the melody and how to use the instrument and cooperate. I often write singing passages on the sheet music, so this work is the product of my backing band, the Theremin synthesizer, and the combination of woodwind, piano and guitar.
M: For you, which scene is the most difficult to score?
E: A clip related to "water". In this scene, Jacob decided to bring his water to the farm. We realized the importance of what he did. (Although very difficult), this passage is also full of hope. Every movie has a clue that keeps you dreaming. For me, this movie is this passage. It deserves extra scrutiny with Sack, and I tried my best to make it achieve the effect the director hopes, but I will never listen to it again, it is simply my PTSD (laughs).
M: How did the plague affect the progress of your soundtrack?
E: I recorded everything in Los Angeles, except for the string music, which was recorded in Macedonia. After listening to fake string music for a few months, I can hear 40 string instruments playing the music you created. I deeply feel that all this is worth it. This is also one of the purest joys of this job—— Even through Zoom.
The soundtrack of "Minari" will be released on February 12, 2021.
View more about Minari reviews
