Pleased to have Academy Award nominated composer Volker Bertelmann join the show! Volker is fresh off of scoring the new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, a new bleak, harrowing anti-war version of the classic novel. We chat primarily about this score, including creating some of the incredibly distinct, surprising sounds used throughout and his working relationship with long time collaborator (and the film’s director) Edward Berger. We also cover a few more disparate topics, like his earlier days in the music industry, finding inspiration when writing, and the drive to constantly challenge himself (telling me “I love being challenged by things that I haven’t done before…I’m actually in a long learning curve of getting challenged”).

Volker’s score has been fairly divisive, and I think that’s a testament, in part, to the unorthodox sound palette and that drive to challenge himself. The score’s main motif is a blaring three note siren or alarm, backed by the humming din of organized industrialization. Although it feels modern and electronic, the thrust of the motif is actually an amplified harmonium from the early 1900s, firmly placing it in the film’s time period. It’s one of those moments where immediately upon hearing the score’s first few notes I knew I had to find out more. I’m glad I did, and I hope you are too!

You can find out more about Volker on his website. All Quiet on the Western Front is currently available on Netflix, while Volker’s score (and many of his prior works) is available on all major digital platforms.

Have a listen to our conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts (including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube).

About All Quiet on the Western Front

“A flare descends in a starless night sky, exposing a desolate battlefield where a fallen soldier lies ensnared in barbed wire. So begins the trailer for All Quiet on the Western Front, a harrowing tale of World War I as seen through the eyes of German soldiers. This grim war drama centers on a young soldier, Paul Bäumer, whose romantic notions of fighting for Germany are violently dispelled by his horrific experiences on the front lines.

Directed by Emmy nominee Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose, Your Honor), All Quiet on the Western Front was an official selection at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.” – from Netflix