Clint Mansell was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the British band Pop Will Eat Itself. But now he is scoring major Hollywood movies such as Murder by Numbers, Suspect Zero and the upcoming videogame adaptation DOOM. But he is in the middle of his biggest challenge right, scoring The Fountain for his long time collaborator Darren Aronofsky. I got a chance to catch up with Mansell on the Montral set of The Fountain.
Check out the official website for The Fountain
Daniel Robert Epstein: I heard you just did some gigs again with Pop Will Eat Itself.
Clint Mansell: I did! We havent really spent any time together since the band broke up and Ive been living in America since then. Weve seen each other but we havent really all gotten together. About two Christmases ago we made a big arrangement to all go see The Buzzcuts who by some bizarre coincidence were playing in our hometown back in England. I was going to go home for Christmas anyway so we went out, got rip-roaring drunk and decided we could still rock. We ended up just working on some new ideas together, about half a dozen new songs. When the word got out that we did that people were asking us if we were going to play. It didnt seem feasible because a lot of our work was done with samples and no one knew where the samples were. Lo and behold they turned up in a friends garden shed and suddenly it was possible to do it. We were just on the cusp because in another couple of years we physically wouldnt have been able to do it.
We did five sold out shows and it was great. I guess the audience had ten years of foreplay for them to be as excited as they were. We really put a lot of effort into it because we looked at it as if we were still part of the band so we wanted it to be something we could be proud of. We had this fantastic lightshow because we used this giant LED curtain that is basically a computer screen we could program with graphics, logos and moving lights. For a bunch of nerds like us it was pretty exciting.
DRE: How was it being onstage again?
CM: Yeah it was great. Im not in the best shape of my life and Ive gotten so used to not being that person you have to be onstage. But it came back pretty quickly. I did have to spend about a week in bed after five shows. Its too much like hard work.
DRE: Have you started composing or writing music for The Fountain yet?
CM: Well Darren [Aronofsky] probably first told me the story of this about five years ago. There have been a lot of ideas and things weve tried since then. Ive written a lot of stuff some of which you may have heard if you saw that teaser but I wrote that three years ago. While the ideas might still be relevant its three years ago and it wasnt written expressly for that teaser. It works pretty well but now that Ive got images to look at, it will change.
DRE: Did you do historical research for the period part of the movie?
CM: I do a lot of research for all the stuff I do. I dont know how I deep I go because Ive just done a film that needed African music and I dont consider myself a scholar of African music after doing that. I just tried to get involved with African music to apply it properly. But I try to find things that I can relate to. Im not the sort of person who sees that its 15th century Spain so I decide that we can only use the lute or whatever. I dont really feel that you have to be that picky about it because its about being true to the film. 15th century Spain is, of course, different from the future in outer space so you have to make that all work together. For me its more about bringing in elements to create our world that is about these places.
DRE: Is there a distinctive sound for each time period even though they are all related?
CM: At this stage, I dont know would be the short and honest answer. Looking at it from the outside you would think you would have to differentiate but who knows if it will end up that way. Maybe it becomes more fractured so you can be less fractured with the music. We have a long way to go. When we did Requiem [for a Dream] we went in with all these ideas we wanted to do so we did them but the film just said no. Then we had to go rethink and do something else. You can only go in with your arsenal well stocked and once you start working with the film it tells you what you need and if you dont get it right then youll know it.
DRE: This movie is very personal for Darren and your music is very personal for you. But do you feel a connection to this movie before you put your music to it?
CM: My connection to it will always be when Darren first told me about it. The script has been through various stages and for me Im always trying to remember and capture the initial excitement of the story and what was in his mind when he told me about it.
DRE: For Requiem you worked with the Kronos Quartet, what will you be doing for The Fountain?
CM: Weve talked about a number of different things and were trying many things. But until the film is done its tough to make those decisions. My sense is that it will need to be quite organic. I think there is room for an electronic and orchestral element but I dont know if they will fall into the traditional areas of where those two things might apply. The things that I am excited about for this film, musically, has been music like Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros. Things that are very emotional but also very intense with a real human element to them that breathes. Thats what this film needs. The main character [played by Hugh Jackman] seems distant because he is dry but he has a deep emotional core to him that makes me think of electronic music like Joy Division. On the surface Joy Division may seem cold but with very emotional undertones.
DRE: Do you work up your ideas on computer before deciding what to do?
CM: Yeah I do. Its the only way I could work because Im not classically trained and I dont read music. Its just about what sits together well for me. That just might be me plinking away on instruments and building it up on the computer. I suppose its like a glorified tape deck but thats just the way I put it together. Its great now that Ive got that element but its quite easy to bring a musician and have them work with me. But I havent orchestrated it out yet.
DRE: Ive heard the Requiem soundtrack on a few different movie trailers like Lord of the Rings and David Cronenbergs Spider.
CM: I didnt even know about Spider.
DRE: Whats that like for you?
CM: I thought it was pretty cool. Its my music but in a totally different context and it made me realize that its possible for me to do things like that. Its a different arrangement and different concept but Im a punk rocker so its all about The Ramones with just a bass guitar and drums with vocal lines. Its just applying it differently which was quite an eye opener.
DRE: How involved is Darren with the score?
CM: He comes in with ideas. For instance it was his idea to use Kronos Quartet [on Requiem]. Its very collaborative but its not as if he sits and looks over my shoulder. But he will bring me things he is thinking about and things hes seen and vice versa. About four years ago we went to go see a Taiko Drum group. That became part of the research and seeing how we can use that.
DRE: What does coming to the movie set do for you?
CM: Its sort of more in line with when I first heard the story because its impacting. When I walked in yesterday and I saw the tree spaceship after sitting around for four years looking at little models and drawings it became something that will stay with me. Its like seeing a great painting or great building and saying Christ look at that. Thats what I have to live up to.
DRE: Do you think you have it in you to become as diverse as someone like Mark Mothersbaugh who composes music for R-rated films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, childrens television like Rugrats and still tours with Devo?
CM: I would probably say no because I dont think I am excited enough by all that diversity. I do like different things but you spend a long time with these things and at the end of the day it doesnt just become about the project because I really need to like the people Im working with and be excited by what excites them. I pretty much will take most any job that comes along right now because I need the experience. I dont know if I will be suited to everything across the board. Im willing to try but there will be certain areas Im better in.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website for The Fountain
Daniel Robert Epstein: I heard you just did some gigs again with Pop Will Eat Itself.
Clint Mansell: I did! We havent really spent any time together since the band broke up and Ive been living in America since then. Weve seen each other but we havent really all gotten together. About two Christmases ago we made a big arrangement to all go see The Buzzcuts who by some bizarre coincidence were playing in our hometown back in England. I was going to go home for Christmas anyway so we went out, got rip-roaring drunk and decided we could still rock. We ended up just working on some new ideas together, about half a dozen new songs. When the word got out that we did that people were asking us if we were going to play. It didnt seem feasible because a lot of our work was done with samples and no one knew where the samples were. Lo and behold they turned up in a friends garden shed and suddenly it was possible to do it. We were just on the cusp because in another couple of years we physically wouldnt have been able to do it.
We did five sold out shows and it was great. I guess the audience had ten years of foreplay for them to be as excited as they were. We really put a lot of effort into it because we looked at it as if we were still part of the band so we wanted it to be something we could be proud of. We had this fantastic lightshow because we used this giant LED curtain that is basically a computer screen we could program with graphics, logos and moving lights. For a bunch of nerds like us it was pretty exciting.
DRE: How was it being onstage again?
CM: Yeah it was great. Im not in the best shape of my life and Ive gotten so used to not being that person you have to be onstage. But it came back pretty quickly. I did have to spend about a week in bed after five shows. Its too much like hard work.
DRE: Have you started composing or writing music for The Fountain yet?
CM: Well Darren [Aronofsky] probably first told me the story of this about five years ago. There have been a lot of ideas and things weve tried since then. Ive written a lot of stuff some of which you may have heard if you saw that teaser but I wrote that three years ago. While the ideas might still be relevant its three years ago and it wasnt written expressly for that teaser. It works pretty well but now that Ive got images to look at, it will change.
DRE: Did you do historical research for the period part of the movie?
CM: I do a lot of research for all the stuff I do. I dont know how I deep I go because Ive just done a film that needed African music and I dont consider myself a scholar of African music after doing that. I just tried to get involved with African music to apply it properly. But I try to find things that I can relate to. Im not the sort of person who sees that its 15th century Spain so I decide that we can only use the lute or whatever. I dont really feel that you have to be that picky about it because its about being true to the film. 15th century Spain is, of course, different from the future in outer space so you have to make that all work together. For me its more about bringing in elements to create our world that is about these places.
DRE: Is there a distinctive sound for each time period even though they are all related?
CM: At this stage, I dont know would be the short and honest answer. Looking at it from the outside you would think you would have to differentiate but who knows if it will end up that way. Maybe it becomes more fractured so you can be less fractured with the music. We have a long way to go. When we did Requiem [for a Dream] we went in with all these ideas we wanted to do so we did them but the film just said no. Then we had to go rethink and do something else. You can only go in with your arsenal well stocked and once you start working with the film it tells you what you need and if you dont get it right then youll know it.
DRE: This movie is very personal for Darren and your music is very personal for you. But do you feel a connection to this movie before you put your music to it?
CM: My connection to it will always be when Darren first told me about it. The script has been through various stages and for me Im always trying to remember and capture the initial excitement of the story and what was in his mind when he told me about it.
DRE: For Requiem you worked with the Kronos Quartet, what will you be doing for The Fountain?
CM: Weve talked about a number of different things and were trying many things. But until the film is done its tough to make those decisions. My sense is that it will need to be quite organic. I think there is room for an electronic and orchestral element but I dont know if they will fall into the traditional areas of where those two things might apply. The things that I am excited about for this film, musically, has been music like Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros. Things that are very emotional but also very intense with a real human element to them that breathes. Thats what this film needs. The main character [played by Hugh Jackman] seems distant because he is dry but he has a deep emotional core to him that makes me think of electronic music like Joy Division. On the surface Joy Division may seem cold but with very emotional undertones.
DRE: Do you work up your ideas on computer before deciding what to do?
CM: Yeah I do. Its the only way I could work because Im not classically trained and I dont read music. Its just about what sits together well for me. That just might be me plinking away on instruments and building it up on the computer. I suppose its like a glorified tape deck but thats just the way I put it together. Its great now that Ive got that element but its quite easy to bring a musician and have them work with me. But I havent orchestrated it out yet.
DRE: Ive heard the Requiem soundtrack on a few different movie trailers like Lord of the Rings and David Cronenbergs Spider.
CM: I didnt even know about Spider.
DRE: Whats that like for you?
CM: I thought it was pretty cool. Its my music but in a totally different context and it made me realize that its possible for me to do things like that. Its a different arrangement and different concept but Im a punk rocker so its all about The Ramones with just a bass guitar and drums with vocal lines. Its just applying it differently which was quite an eye opener.
DRE: How involved is Darren with the score?
CM: He comes in with ideas. For instance it was his idea to use Kronos Quartet [on Requiem]. Its very collaborative but its not as if he sits and looks over my shoulder. But he will bring me things he is thinking about and things hes seen and vice versa. About four years ago we went to go see a Taiko Drum group. That became part of the research and seeing how we can use that.
DRE: What does coming to the movie set do for you?
CM: Its sort of more in line with when I first heard the story because its impacting. When I walked in yesterday and I saw the tree spaceship after sitting around for four years looking at little models and drawings it became something that will stay with me. Its like seeing a great painting or great building and saying Christ look at that. Thats what I have to live up to.
DRE: Do you think you have it in you to become as diverse as someone like Mark Mothersbaugh who composes music for R-rated films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, childrens television like Rugrats and still tours with Devo?
CM: I would probably say no because I dont think I am excited enough by all that diversity. I do like different things but you spend a long time with these things and at the end of the day it doesnt just become about the project because I really need to like the people Im working with and be excited by what excites them. I pretty much will take most any job that comes along right now because I need the experience. I dont know if I will be suited to everything across the board. Im willing to try but there will be certain areas Im better in.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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