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Clint Mansell: Golden Globe Nominated Composer for The Fountain
By Page Suicide
Jan 28, 2007
So what if critics have somehow failed to recognize quite possibly the greatest piece of cinema ever made. At least they were decent enough to honor Clint Mansell with not only a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Film Composer, but also a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Film Score in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. When I started this interview, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I started researching and realized, Jesus, this composer is actually a rock star! Clint “Poppie” Mansell “hung up his microphone” when he left the groundbreaking British band, Pop Will Eat Itself, and discovered a passion and talent for composing film scores.
Page Suicide: What was it like working on 18 projects between Requiem for a Dream in 2000, and working with Darren [Aronofsky] again on The Fountain 6 years later?
Clint Mansell: During that time, while Darren was working on The Fountain, I went out and got experience. I had six years to learn my trade and I’ve grown artistically, which is why I’m actually glad it took so long for The Fountain to get made. I like to think the result is a reflection of that.
PS:
How did working with all those other directors compare to working with Darren?
CM:
Bartender, can I get another drink? I met Darren when I came to New York, after leaving my band in England, to conquer the world. We met, and just like any other type of relationship, there is a chemistry, in our case an artistic chemistry, that just sparked something. He asked me to score Pi and since then, I’ve been in this profession. Darren’s films are the best films I have done. I do what I do pretty much to be able to work with Darren.
PS:
In an interview, I heard you say that you prefer the comfort of your own home to create music. Do you look at Suicide Girls when you make your tracks?
CM:
Oh, hell yes. All the time.
PS:
In The Fountain, do you work with the Foley artists and the post production sound team to combine the sound track and sound effects to reach a harmonized outcome?
CM:
We work very closely for extended periods of time. Brian Emrich is the Sound Designer on The Fountain. He, Darren and I literally worked one room away from each other for months. We had to get everything to sync, so every Friday we watched the film together. That really helped us get the flow of the film down and constantly monitor urselves to make sure what we were doing wasn’t rubbish. Sometimes we would watch it and say to ourselves, this is torture, why was the film better two weeks ago, you know, but in the end it just helped us to make it better, I think.
PS:
When you first started working on The Fountain, you said you were still unsure of how you would tie the three distant time frames together. How is did you end up resolving that?
CM:
At first, I had planned on having three distinct styles of music for each time period. But obviously, Darren would be weaving it all together, and, musically, it would have made no sense. I had to focus on the story. Essentially, it’s one man’s journey of life and death. That is what I had to serve. The time frames are really irrelevant to the central story of the people.
PS:
You said that Darren‘s “initial excitement of the story” kept you guys going throughout the long process of The Fountain. Did it come out the way you thought it would in the finished product?
CM:
Definitely not. It far surpassed anything I could have imagined. When you start, you can see infinite potential, but with every decision you make you close off certain possibilities, but then that many more possibilities open up. Whenever I arrive at the end and see how it all flows together, I never could have imagined that from the beginning.
PS:
What influences did you end up drawing from for the Fountain?
CM:
I listened to a lot of Mogwai, Godspeed you Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, and M83, and I started to get the idea of what I was going for in The Fountain. I met with Mogwai for the film; they’re a Scottish band, a sort of unclassifiable post rock phenomenon. Darren and I saw them at the Knitting Factory a while back and both loved them, so it was great to work with them for the film. But I would say I also drew heavily from Godspeed You Black Emperor. Their use long, symphonic chords was perfect inspiration for The Fountain.
PS:
Did you enjoy working with the Kronos Quartet for The Fountain as well as Requiem for a Dream?
CM:
Yeah, of course. They are simply amazing. I may write the music, but they really make me look good by the skill and practice they put into every note. No machine could ever bring the emotion and performance that the Kronos Quartet does.
PS:
Do you ever find yourself sneaking subliminal tones from your past as a punk rocker into your film scores?
CM:
I don’t really have to sneak anything in. Working with Darren, everything we do comes from Punk. It’s an attitude. I’m not worried about what they want. Part of my job is connecting with the director’s work, but its all about doing what you like and knowing that, when it’s finished, you’ve done what you want. My whole style is based on punk.
PS:
What‘s it like making the transition from a rocker to film composer?
CM:
It was quite a natural progression for me, I think. You have to learn to let go somewhat, and listen to what the director or producer, is asking you to do. Then its a case of getting in touch with the film and how you feel about it. I’m not classically trained. The way I see music is through its most basic elements. Maybe I’m being too basic here, but punk is a progression of a melody and a beat and an interaction of the basic elements. The same with what I do now. Film music works extremely well if you keep it simple, melody, rhythm and progression. I’ve grown more toward instrumental music because there is more room for my own interpretations in instrumental music, which I like.
PS:
Do you have your eye on any musicians or singers that you would like to work with in the future?
CM:
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, right? Seriously though, James Levell from Uncle is doing a remix of The Fountain soundtrack. I think that would be great.
PS:
One of Darren’s pursuits is “pushing the boundaries.” What do you do in your work that pushes musical boundaries?
CM:
It’s hard to say, specifically, but I think it’s got to do with taking what you’ve got and making something greater out of it. I just gotta say well, I’ve got these two sticks and I’ve just got to rub them together and burn the fucking place down!
PS:
What are you burning down right now?
CM:
Right now, I’m taking a bit of a break. But I am working on a couple of short films. One is a 30 minute horror film called In the Wall, by Mike Williamson. The other film I’m working on actually a 10 minute student film, directed by Robert Glassford and Timo Langer and is called The Big Forever.
PS:
Those film school kids are lucky! How did they get you to do that?
CM:
It was through myspace, actually. They were persistent and not annoying so I said what the hell?
PS:
So why are you taking a break?
CM:
Well, I am still going to work, but I do get a little belligerent and frustrated when music is involved. I have to take a break and step back because I can’t put up with their bullshit and they can't take mine.
PS:
That kind of comes with the territory being an artist, I think.
CM:
Definitely.
PS:
What is Vive la Revolucion? It says “coming soon” on your myspace page.
CM:
For me, it always used to be a thrill to search through back street record shops to find the good punk records like New York Dolls or something rare. Especially with the rise of the internet, I think the only way something can be valuable is if it’s hard to find. Vive la Revolucion is a record label I’m going to start. I’ll just make the music I want to make, and only get 100 to 500 copies made and just give away the copies. I don’t even care if people want it. In fact, maybe I’ll only give it to people who don’t want it. Sort of like an art terrorism type of thing like Banksy and Danger Mouse revamping the Paris Hilton album, so to speak. I thought that was awesome.
PS:
Did you have anything to do with the re-arrangement of Lux Aeterna for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer?
CM:
Just cashing the check. Yeah, that’s pretty much it except for seeing it and going, wow, I guess my stuff can be used in all kinds of ways.
PS:
How did you make the music have such a grand sound, yet feel so intimate that it made the hair on the backs of our necks stand up?
CM:
[laughs] Well, I like the idea of making the SG’s hair stand on end, but actually, we originally thought it was going to have much more of a huge sound. Ultimately though, The Fountain is a love story. Contrast that with an exploding nebula where a man is coming to terms with his own death and there are no shortcuts. Godspeed You Black Emperor gave a lot of inspiration from their ability to sound so huge when they only have ten players, giving an intimate feeling while still sounding big. It’s a sound not generally associated with the movies. Everything was scaled back to produce intimacy above power. The music crescendos to the end where it is a much more powerful climax contrasted with the intimacy that came before.
PS:
What’s it like when you realize that you have made the perfect piece of music to go with a film?
CM:
I think it does have a good bit to do with ego. First of all, you need a bit of an ego to believe that anyone is going to want to listen to anything you create. There’s an arrogance to the need to express yourself, too. Then the flipside of the coin is that people go, ‘yeah, that’s cool, but how about if you made it just a bit cooler?’ That can kind of piss you off at first, but you have to learn to understand that it isn’t a personal thing, that you probably can do better.
PS:
Anyway, how does it feel to get nominated for two big awards in one week?
CM:
Obviously its awesome! But it’s weird, you know, I’ve always wanted to throw up when these people get awards and go ‘oh my god, I had no idea!’ But its pretty crazy and I love it. I wish ever week was like the one I just had!
PS:
Why do you think the rest of the movie isn't getting any credit?
CM:
I don’t know. I think it’s a beautiful movie but I can also understand that it might not be for everyone. It reminds me of books of poetry or books by people like Ram Dass, people like that. The Fountain displays experiences that you have to be at a certain place in you life to appreciate, or to even want to try to appreciate. Now, someone could easily argue that my point here is just a crock, and that I’m just making excuses. To that I would just say that we should wait and see what the fullness of time tells us about The Fountain. All I know for sure is that we are incredibly proud of what we did.
PS:
You should be. You guys are the rock stars of the film industry.
So what if critics have somehow failed to recognize quite possibly the greatest piece of cinema ever made. At least they were decent enough to honor Clint Mansell with not only a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Film Composer, but also a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Film Score in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. When I started this interview, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I started researching and realized, Jesus, this composer is actually a rock star! Clint “Poppie” Mansell “hung up his microphone” when he left the groundbreaking British band, Pop Will Eat Itself, and discovered a passion and talent for composing film scores.
Page Suicide: What was it like working on 18 projects between Requiem for a Dream in 2000, and working with Darren [Aronofsky] again on The Fountain 6 years later?
Clint Mansell: During that time, while Darren was working on The Fountain, I went out and got experience. I had six years to learn my trade and I’ve grown artistically, which is why I’m actually glad it took so long for The Fountain to get made. I like to think the result is a reflection of that.
PS:
How did working with all those other directors compare to working with Darren?
CM:
Bartender, can I get another drink? I met Darren when I came to New York, after leaving my band in England, to conquer the world. We met, and just like any other type of relationship, there is a chemistry, in our case an artistic chemistry, that just sparked something. He asked me to score Pi and since then, I’ve been in this profession. Darren’s films are the best films I have done. I do what I do pretty much to be able to work with Darren.
PS:
In an interview, I heard you say that you prefer the comfort of your own home to create music. Do you look at Suicide Girls when you make your tracks?
CM:
Oh, hell yes. All the time.
PS:
In The Fountain, do you work with the Foley artists and the post production sound team to combine the sound track and sound effects to reach a harmonized outcome?
CM:
We work very closely for extended periods of time. Brian Emrich is the Sound Designer on The Fountain. He, Darren and I literally worked one room away from each other for months. We had to get everything to sync, so every Friday we watched the film together. That really helped us get the flow of the film down and constantly monitor urselves to make sure what we were doing wasn’t rubbish. Sometimes we would watch it and say to ourselves, this is torture, why was the film better two weeks ago, you know, but in the end it just helped us to make it better, I think.
PS:
When you first started working on The Fountain, you said you were still unsure of how you would tie the three distant time frames together. How is did you end up resolving that?
CM:
At first, I had planned on having three distinct styles of music for each time period. But obviously, Darren would be weaving it all together, and, musically, it would have made no sense. I had to focus on the story. Essentially, it’s one man’s journey of life and death. That is what I had to serve. The time frames are really irrelevant to the central story of the people.
PS:
You said that Darren‘s “initial excitement of the story” kept you guys going throughout the long process of The Fountain. Did it come out the way you thought it would in the finished product?
CM:
Definitely not. It far surpassed anything I could have imagined. When you start, you can see infinite potential, but with every decision you make you close off certain possibilities, but then that many more possibilities open up. Whenever I arrive at the end and see how it all flows together, I never could have imagined that from the beginning.
PS:
What influences did you end up drawing from for the Fountain?
CM:
I listened to a lot of Mogwai, Godspeed you Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, and M83, and I started to get the idea of what I was going for in The Fountain. I met with Mogwai for the film; they’re a Scottish band, a sort of unclassifiable post rock phenomenon. Darren and I saw them at the Knitting Factory a while back and both loved them, so it was great to work with them for the film. But I would say I also drew heavily from Godspeed You Black Emperor. Their use long, symphonic chords was perfect inspiration for The Fountain.
PS:
Did you enjoy working with the Kronos Quartet for The Fountain as well as Requiem for a Dream?
CM:
Yeah, of course. They are simply amazing. I may write the music, but they really make me look good by the skill and practice they put into every note. No machine could ever bring the emotion and performance that the Kronos Quartet does.
PS:
Do you ever find yourself sneaking subliminal tones from your past as a punk rocker into your film scores?
CM:
I don’t really have to sneak anything in. Working with Darren, everything we do comes from Punk. It’s an attitude. I’m not worried about what they want. Part of my job is connecting with the director’s work, but its all about doing what you like and knowing that, when it’s finished, you’ve done what you want. My whole style is based on punk.
PS:
What‘s it like making the transition from a rocker to film composer?
CM:
It was quite a natural progression for me, I think. You have to learn to let go somewhat, and listen to what the director or producer, is asking you to do. Then its a case of getting in touch with the film and how you feel about it. I’m not classically trained. The way I see music is through its most basic elements. Maybe I’m being too basic here, but punk is a progression of a melody and a beat and an interaction of the basic elements. The same with what I do now. Film music works extremely well if you keep it simple, melody, rhythm and progression. I’ve grown more toward instrumental music because there is more room for my own interpretations in instrumental music, which I like.
PS:
Do you have your eye on any musicians or singers that you would like to work with in the future?
CM:
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, right? Seriously though, James Levell from Uncle is doing a remix of The Fountain soundtrack. I think that would be great.
PS:
One of Darren’s pursuits is “pushing the boundaries.” What do you do in your work that pushes musical boundaries?
CM:
It’s hard to say, specifically, but I think it’s got to do with taking what you’ve got and making something greater out of it. I just gotta say well, I’ve got these two sticks and I’ve just got to rub them together and burn the fucking place down!
PS:
What are you burning down right now?
CM:
Right now, I’m taking a bit of a break. But I am working on a couple of short films. One is a 30 minute horror film called In the Wall, by Mike Williamson. The other film I’m working on actually a 10 minute student film, directed by Robert Glassford and Timo Langer and is called The Big Forever.
PS:
Those film school kids are lucky! How did they get you to do that?
CM:
It was through myspace, actually. They were persistent and not annoying so I said what the hell?
PS:
So why are you taking a break?
CM:
Well, I am still going to work, but I do get a little belligerent and frustrated when music is involved. I have to take a break and step back because I can’t put up with their bullshit and they can't take mine.
PS:
That kind of comes with the territory being an artist, I think.
CM:
Definitely.
PS:
What is Vive la Revolucion? It says “coming soon” on your myspace page.
CM:
For me, it always used to be a thrill to search through back street record shops to find the good punk records like New York Dolls or something rare. Especially with the rise of the internet, I think the only way something can be valuable is if it’s hard to find. Vive la Revolucion is a record label I’m going to start. I’ll just make the music I want to make, and only get 100 to 500 copies made and just give away the copies. I don’t even care if people want it. In fact, maybe I’ll only give it to people who don’t want it. Sort of like an art terrorism type of thing like Banksy and Danger Mouse revamping the Paris Hilton album, so to speak. I thought that was awesome.
PS:
Did you have anything to do with the re-arrangement of Lux Aeterna for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer?
CM:
Just cashing the check. Yeah, that’s pretty much it except for seeing it and going, wow, I guess my stuff can be used in all kinds of ways.
PS:
How did you make the music have such a grand sound, yet feel so intimate that it made the hair on the backs of our necks stand up?
CM:
[laughs] Well, I like the idea of making the SG’s hair stand on end, but actually, we originally thought it was going to have much more of a huge sound. Ultimately though, The Fountain is a love story. Contrast that with an exploding nebula where a man is coming to terms with his own death and there are no shortcuts. Godspeed You Black Emperor gave a lot of inspiration from their ability to sound so huge when they only have ten players, giving an intimate feeling while still sounding big. It’s a sound not generally associated with the movies. Everything was scaled back to produce intimacy above power. The music crescendos to the end where it is a much more powerful climax contrasted with the intimacy that came before.
PS:
What’s it like when you realize that you have made the perfect piece of music to go with a film?
CM:
I think it does have a good bit to do with ego. First of all, you need a bit of an ego to believe that anyone is going to want to listen to anything you create. There’s an arrogance to the need to express yourself, too. Then the flipside of the coin is that people go, ‘yeah, that’s cool, but how about if you made it just a bit cooler?’ That can kind of piss you off at first, but you have to learn to understand that it isn’t a personal thing, that you probably can do better.
PS:
Anyway, how does it feel to get nominated for two big awards in one week?
CM:
Obviously its awesome! But it’s weird, you know, I’ve always wanted to throw up when these people get awards and go ‘oh my god, I had no idea!’ But its pretty crazy and I love it. I wish ever week was like the one I just had!
PS:
Why do you think the rest of the movie isn't getting any credit?
CM:
I don’t know. I think it’s a beautiful movie but I can also understand that it might not be for everyone. It reminds me of books of poetry or books by people like Ram Dass, people like that. The Fountain displays experiences that you have to be at a certain place in you life to appreciate, or to even want to try to appreciate. Now, someone could easily argue that my point here is just a crock, and that I’m just making excuses. To that I would just say that we should wait and see what the fullness of time tells us about The Fountain. All I know for sure is that we are incredibly proud of what we did.
PS:
You should be. You guys are the rock stars of the film industry.
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