Experimental electronic musician turned film composer Benjamin John Power (aka Blanck Mass) joins The Film Scorer Podcast! We initially set out to talk about his score for Ted K, which mixes gentle, ambient textures and pounding melodies to get into the head of domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski. However, we take a detour and first talk about his other new score (which, as of recording, hadn’t released) for Gazza, which covers the troubled life of British footballer Paul Gascoigne (aka Gazza). Blanck Mass also talks about how hearing Ennio Morricone’s score to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at six years old inspired him to score for film, his long journey to finally having that opportunity (the Irish crime drama Calm with Horses), and the new scoring challenges he hopes to one day face.
I was very, very excited for this interview. Candidly, up until Calm with Horses came out, I’d never listened to Blanck Mass’s work. After hearing it, I dove into his full discography (picking up a few of his releases along the way). So actually having the chance to chat with Ben was huge! During our chat, quite a few of his comments caught my attention, including discussing his approach to scoring. He told me that “I grew up on trying to bring a human or a melodic element into noise. That’s something that’s stuck with me a lot so [] I want to write a main theme; I want to write the memorable movie theme. So that’s something I try and do.”
Ted K is available to watch digitally in the US (but is forthcoming in the UK) while Gazza is available via BBC iPlayer (but is forthcoming in the US). Blanck Mass’s score for Ted K (though not Gazza), and almost all of his other music, is available digitally, particularly on BandCamp.
Have a listen to our conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts (including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube).
About His Latest Films
About Ted K: “From the mind of acclaimed director Tony Stone comes Ted K – a bracing, cinematic journey into the tortured mind of The Unabomber. Deep in the American Rocky Mountains lived a man who sought refuge from modern society. His dark writings forewarned of a society ruled by technology. As the outside world encroached on his mountain sanctuary, he slowly became radicalized with rage. What began with small acts of sabotage, culminated with deadly bomb attacks, national media attention, and the largest manhunt in American history. Actor Sharlto Copley brings a dark intensity and unnerving intimacy to this chilling portrait of America’s most notorious and enigmatic terrorist.” – from the Ted K official website.
Ted K also made it into The Film Scorer’s Best Film Scores of March 2022: “After his highly lauded film scoring debut Calm with Horses, Blanck Mass returns with Ted K. The score sees Blanck Mass getting inside the head of Ted Kaczynski, a musical exploration of his thoughts and motives. This takes many forms. At first, it’s an ardent (sometimes mocking) ritualistic militarism before alternating between meditative naturalistic soundscapes and banging synth lines. A fittingly complicated, eclectic electronic mix that nonetheless maintains a cohesion throughout.” Read the full review here.
About Gazza: “A footballing whirlwind in the eye of a tabloid storm. From legendary talent and national hero to addiction, violence and scandals. This is the raw, honest Paul Gascoigne story.” – from the BBC.
Blanck Mass’s scoring debut, Calm with Horses, also appeared on our best scores of 2020 list.
