Research Proposal for Master Thesis

ANALYZING ELECTROACOUSTIC EXPERIMENTAL AMBIENT MUSIC IN FILMS:

THREE SOUNDTRACKS BY MICA LEVI

Görkem Berk Ağar

January, 2020

 
 

ABSTRACT

Electroacoustic experimental ambient film scoring has started to be more prevalent in the
film industry since the 2010s. One of the most famous composers dealing with this genre, Mica
Levi, is continuing to make a name for herself. This proposal aims to analyze her works as a case
study and refer to Sadoff’s Eclectic Methodology for musical analysis. This analysis will show
not only her style in film music but also, recent trends that are happening in film scoring.
Understanding her role and style is substantial for other composers and music producers to
contribute to this genre.

 
 

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, a new film scoring trend shines out and it doesn’t seem like it will lose its
charm soon. This genre might be called experimental, ambient or electroacoustic instrumental
music by different sources. In this proposal, it is going to be called as "electroacoustic
experimental ambient music". Even though it is difficult to define a genre that is gaining
popularity in recent years, many examples can be given in soundtrack history. Music author
Scott Porter (2019) has made a list in his blog of these soundtracks. He humorously associates
these soundtracks as moods rather than music. According to Scott Lalo Schifren’s soundtrack to
THX 1138​ (1971) and Brian Eno’s score to​ Jubilee​ (1978) are two of the primary instances in the
experimental ambient film score scene. In the new millennium names like Jonny Greenwood,
Trent Reznor, Mica Levi, and Jóhann Jóhannsson started to come out in film soundtracks (para.
3). Furthermore, those composers have something in common. They were all living a "rockstar"
life before becoming a film composer. Jonny Greenwood is the lead guitarist of the famous
alternative rock band Radiohead, Trent Reznor is the founder and lead singer of industrial rock
band Nine Inch Nails, Mica Levi was in the experimental pop scene using the stage name
Micachu before composing for screen and Jóhannsson also have been in rock bands in his early
ages. Since this experimental ambient trend started in 2010’s Mica Levi was one of the most
popular film composers of the decade with five movies that she composed using this style. She
has tens of awards and nominations from the film authorities all around the world. This proposal
will focus on her three most famous works, which are Wechsler, Wilson and Glazer’s ​Under the
Skin​ (2013), Aranofsky and Larrain’s ​Jackie​ (2016) and Epstein, Zapata and Landes’s ​Monos
(2019). By using different musical analysis methods, those soundtracks will be analyzed as a
case study.

To sum up, the work of film composer Mica Levi had a revolutionary impact with her
unique electroacoustic experimental ambient stylistic approach to film scoring. The purpose of
this study is to clarify what makes this music revolutionary and how her style creates this impact
in the film scoring industry. Another aim is to clarify how this trend is happening and to be able
to predict the future of film scores. This study is seeking the answers to questions like; how
different electroacoustic ambient music is taking place in her film compositions compared to the
traditional type of film compositions and what kind of advancements lead composers to produce
using this genre? Based on the analysis of three soundtracks this study will show that
electroacoustic experimental ambient film scoring has the potential to expand further and Mica
Levi can continue to create an impact in the film industry in the following era.

 
 

LITERATURE REVIEW

Film scoring is still a young discipline. If we consider the development of film music it
has nearly 100 years of history. Therefore, the academic writings about film compositions are
fairly limited compared to other composition areas. I grouped my findings into three categories.

One part of my research was on the history of film music. I aimed to acknowledge how
significant film music trends have occurred and how they affected other music genres,
disciplines and the future of film music. Another part was on analyzing techniques of film
compositions. Nowadays, it is possible to notice very diverse music genres. Even, the same
composer can compose a neo-romantic symphonic piece and electronic dance music for different
works. Surely, it is very important to be aware of which techniques are more effective in terms of
a better understanding of the music. The last part of my research was on Mica Levi. She is very
new in the film music industry since the 2010s. Thus, the resources about her are based on
different resources rather than academic articles. Interviews about her, magazine articles and
reviews of her music are examined. As a whole, the writings of scholars, musicologists, film
analysts, and musicians are analyzed to complete my review of the literature.

History of compositions has used in Hollywood films lean on 19th-century romantic

music. Program music form has been created mainly by Lizst, Berlioz and the ​leitmotif​ term
created by Wagner was significant for shaping the future of film music. ​Variations on a Theme
of Elfman: Danny Elfman's Music in Tim Burton's Films​ written by Kylah Nicole Mague (2006)
states that early Hollywood film music has mainly influenced by those romantic period
composers. All of the themes, variations composed were actually imitation of that tradition and
created the main structure of Hollywood film music. In her thesis, while Mague discusses the
influences of Danny Elfman in the contemporary film music industry also mentions the history
of Hollywood film scores and contemporary film scores. She analyzes Elfman’s music in four
different Tim Burton movies chronologically to show his sound and style changes.

Analyzing Film Music Across the Complete Filmic Structure: Three Coen and Burwell
Collaborations​ by Brian Jarvis (2015) focused on the narrative and dramatic analysis of Carter
Burwell’s music on three Coen films. He also mentions general analysis techniques. On the other
hand, he introduces Freytag’s Pyramid and Chatman’s Theory. He states that Freytag’s Pyramid
creates a basis for analysis and the hierarchical level of the movie is more presentable using this
method.

An interesting study by Mark Minett (2018) on ​Beyond the Badass: Electronic Dance
Music Meets Film Music Practice​ is helpful to see modern trends in film scoring. Minett not only
gives examples of electronic dance music in contemporary films, but he also mentions the usage

 
 

of other genres such as pop and rock. Minett classified EDM in movies as "film music composed
in the EDM idiom, film music composed by EDM practitioners, and the use of individual EDM
tracks (p. 195)." Since Mica Levi’s had an experimental pop band before composing for the
screen this article is valuable to understand her style better.

Visnja Krzic (2015) in her ​Clint Mansell: Music in the Films "Requiem for a Dream" and
"The Fountain" by Darren Aronofsky​ not only analyzes Mansell’s music, but she also explains
the relationship between minimalism and film music and how minimalism was a film scoring
trend in the 1990s. She uses a case study method to analyze two films and explains the musical
structure and highlights in terms of scoring. On the other hand, she also mentions unusual
approaches to scoring such as hip-hop and techno writing for specific cues.

An Eclectic Methodology for Analyzing Film Music​ is an article that proposes a unique
way of analyzing film music. Writer Ronald H. Sadoff (2012) defines this method as follows: "A
film composer engages the process by which the sound forms into musical syntax the quality of
the sound created as it unfurls over filmic-time and the unfolding message of the music's
reference within (and without) the world of the film. In film music, sound and form coalesce in
creating music's central referential significance and thus contribute to the formation of a ​filmic
world​ (p. 71). He used this method to analyze Randy Newman’s Avalon, all the points he
mentioned in the method are explained in detail.

METHODOLOGY

As a film composer Mica Levi has created a unique style of scoring that differentiates her
from other composers. Despite being fairly new in this industry, she managed to win many
awards and nominations until today. To reflect her style better three soundtracks are chosen to
analyze using the case study method. Case studies will be held as examining the selected film
compositions in terms of harmonic structure, melodic approach, sound design, rhythmic
structure, orchestration and instrumentation, and musical form. Major highlights will be analyzed
in detail. The analyze techniques are indicated in the literature review can be used. Also narrative
analysis of interviews can be done about her soundtracks. She has interviews with three movies
selected to analyze. Analyzing the interviews might be beneficial for building musical analysis
on solid ground. Besides, there is a possibility of getting in contact with Levi’s herself when the
available resources are not sufficient.

While doing the musical analysis, Sadoff’s "Eclectic Methodology" will be utilized. The
reason why this method will be used is the common multi-level structure of her compositions
and methodology itself. What’s beneficial is seeing the music as a whole with the other elements
of the movie. Other techniques can be used throughout the analysis process. Such as Frank

 
 

Lehman’s "Transformational Analysis" method which is influenced by Neo-Riemannian theory.

As Lehman (2013) states creating a basis with harmonic progressions and defining them
dynamically and contextually is a common practice in Hollywood music. Determining operators
to generate groups helps to analyze their tonal spaces. Tonal spaces lead to clarify the
transformational shape of narration and characterization (p. 1).

​ ill be analyzed. This science-fiction

Firstly, Levi’s first breakthrough ​Under the Skin w
thriller soundtrack shines out with its dramatic sound design and electroacoustic instrumentation.
The usage of extended techniques and microtonality in strings matches with the dark
environment of the movie. About the sound design in the interview "How Mica Levi got Under
The Skin of Her First Film Soundtrack" (2014), Levi said: "We were looking at the natural sound
of an instrument to try and find something identifiably human in it, then slowing things down or
changing the pitch of it to make it feel uncomfortable (para. 4)." She got an Academy Award
nomination for it.

Another soundtrack has been selected was ​Jackie.​ A historical drama about a character
leads her to compose differently than ​Under the Skin.​ This time, she uses more acoustic sound to
create an atmosphere and uses similar techniques in terms of sound design. There are noticeable
repetitions for specific sounds throughout the movie. According to Lozano (2016), these
leitmotifs​ could seem as repetitive for no reason at the beginning but in fact, they have a big part
in representing specific mimics, such as deep breathing as swelling descending strings (para. 4).
In addition, Mackay (2017) states that close microphone technique helps to record micro sounds
like bow-scrape and key-click and those sounds represent the imperfect nature of the human.

The last part of the analysis will be Alejandro Landes’ ​Monos​. Music writer Beta (2019)
states that Levi’s compositional style in ​Monos​ is not so different from her famous work Under
the Skin (para. 2). She had a very simplistic approach to writing themes. A four-note whistle
makes the main theme of the movie. Besides strings, winds, and percussion she uses electronic
instruments to create a tense environment. Music author Tucker (2019) states in his blog that the
rich instrumentation reflects the nature as a birdsong, storm or a floating cold air (para. 2).

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The outcomes from the analysis of Levi’s three work will be used to compare her work
with other composers who have the traditional approach to film scoring. The major key points of
how different electroacoustic experimental ambient music takes place in movies will be clarified.
On the other hand, detailed information will be given about how advancements in music
technology affecting the usage and spread of this genre among composers and music producers.

 
 

Using all of the outcomes some predictions will be made about the future of the electroacoustic
experimental ambient genre and Mica Levi’s music in films.

CONCLUSION

This research proposal focuses on electroacoustic experimental ambient music composed

for screen and a major character dominating the industry Mica Levi. The analyses of ​Under the
Skin, Jackie ​and ​Monos​ will reveal her unique ways of placing music and other expected
outcomes using appropriate musical analysis techniques explained in the methodology. In the
future, another research comparing the works and style of film composers can be done. It will be
beneficial for understanding different composer’s approaches in film scoring using
electroacoustic experimental ambient music.

 
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aronofsky D. Producer) & Larrain P. (Director). 2016. ​Jackie [​ Motion picture].

Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAGXHDM

Beta A. (2019). ​Mica Levi​ Monos: original motion picture soundtrack. ​Retrieved from
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mica-levi-monos-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/

Epstein F. & Zapata S. A. (Producers) & Landes A. (Producer & Director). 2019. ​Monos
[Motion picture]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8YST3G

How Mica Levi got Under the Skin of her first film soundtrack. (2014). Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/15/mica-levi-under-the-skin-soundtrack

Jarvis B. (2015). ​Analyzing film music across the complete filmic structure: three Coen
and Burwell collaborations​. Florida State University. Retrieved from
http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9357

Krzic, V. (2015). Clint Mansell: ​Music in the films "Requiem for a Dream" and "The
Fountain" by Darren Aronofsky.​ University of California Los Angeles. ProQuest ID:
Krzic_ucla_0031D_13336. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/52212407

Lehman F. (2013, Spring). Transformational analysis and the representation of genius in

film music. ​Music Theory Spectrum,​ 35(1), 1-22. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/mts.2013.35.1.1

Lozano K. (2016). ​Mica Levi​ Jackie OST.​ Retrieved from

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22677-jackie-ost/

Mackay S. (2017). ​Mica Levi - Jackie OST. ​Retrieved from

https://thequietus.com/articles/21763-mica-levi-jackie-film-movie-soundtrack-out-review

Magee K. N. (2006). ​Variations on a theme of Elfman: Danny Elfman’s music in Tim

​ hapman University.​ R
Burton’s films. C ​ etrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/openview/3574c6eec8dd104aeacd310f7fb9f997/1?pq-origsite=gscho
lar&cbl=18750&diss=y

 
 

Minett M. (2013). Beyond the badass: Electronic Dance Music meets film music practice,
New Review of Film and Television Studies,​ 11(2), 191-210, doi:
10.1080/17400309.2012.746553

Porter S. (2019). ​2019’s most important film score trend: experimental ambient music.
Retrieved from https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/mr/film-score-trends/

Sadoff, R. H. (2012, Summer). An eclectic methodology for analyzing film music. ​Music
and the Moving Image,​ 5(2), 70-86. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.5.2.0070

Tucker S. (2019). Mica Levi: ​Monos: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ​Retrieved
from https://louderthanwar.com/mica-levi-monos-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-review/

Wechsler N. & Wilson J. (Producers) & Glazer J. (Director). 2013. ​Under the Skin
[Motion picture]. Retrieved from https://www.netflix.com