Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on writing the music for horror film Suspiria
- Yorke’s score, including pre-released tracks Suspirium, Volk and Has Ended, represents his first foray into film music
- Want some career tips on becoming a musician? Yorke gives six pieces of advice gleaned from his life in Radiohead
Radiohead’s music is practically synonymous with cinema. From the schizophrenic Everything in Its Right Place in 2001’s Vanilla Sky to Exit Music in the dystopian hit series Black Mirror, many iconic movie moments have been soundtracked by the influential British alternative rock band.
The Oxford-based five-piece even penned an opening track for the 2015 James Bond film Spectre, but lost out to Sam Smith’s Writing’s on the Wall. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood, meanwhile, has written the scores for landmark movies There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread (the latter earning him an Oscar nomination).
For frontman Thom Yorke, however, the upcoming horror remake Suspiria represents his first foray into film music, with him composing the entire score.
Last month Yorke gave a preview of his score by releasing the track Suspirium, which features his unmistakable melancholic vocals with piano progressions that are sad yet beautifully warm. Soon after came the tracks Volk and the psychedelic Has Ended, with drumming provided by his 17-year-old son Noah.
In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Yorke talks about the project’s challenges, taking guidance from Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), and the inspirations behind his score for Suspiria, which is released this Friday.