Much to my dismay, The Brutalist is not an industrial grindcore band. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to talk about it. As such, composer Daniel Blumberg joins the show! It should be no surprise, then, that we spend much of our time talking about his score to Brady Corbet’s 3.5 hour epic, which is only Daniel’s second feature score. This includes discussing the balance between improvisational and written music (especially when scoring to picture), using prepared piano to mirror the imagery and plot of the film, and how he and the sound design team overlapped their crafts to confuse the audience (and some of the other crew). Of course, we chat about a bunch of other things in between.

One of the coolest things, to me, is how much time Daniel spends talking about the various other musicians he worked with on the score (as well as producer Pete Walsh). There are roughly twenty other musicians credited on the score, and Daniel worked with them either individually or in small groups, traveling around the world to work with and record them. A score also offers the opportunity to “play” with musicians across a wide array of cities and countries (wherever the film is playing) – although they aren’t playing live, their music, their collaboration plays to ears globally. It’s something I hadn’t really thought about before, and unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to dig into it further.

Daniel’s score (nominated for a Golden Globe and likely to be nominated for a BAFTA and an Oscar), and much of his other music, is available on all major platforms. The Brutalist is forthcoming, currently in limited theatrical release and will expand shortly.

Have a listen to our conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts (including Spotify and Apple Podcasts). Enjoying these interviews? Show the love by subscribing and leaving a rating or review!

More About The Brutalist

“Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost…”