The Northman (Original Motion Picture Score)

Rob wanted the world of The Northman to feel harsh and uncomfortable, and for everything to feel like it was caked in mud and dry blood, so it was crucial for the score to mirror that. Composers Robin Carolan (Tri-Angle Records) and Sebastian Gainsborough (Vessel) were given a task of epic proportions when director Rob Eggers (The VVitch, The Lighthouse) asked them to create the score for his ambitious and highly anticipated new film The Northman, releasing on April 22nd. They needed to make a score that both honored the immense research that had gone into the authenticity of this Viking era period piece and complimented the cinematic maximalism of the film for a modern audience. The artists stretched themselves to the depths of their creativity, and the resulting album is a gorgeous sonic tableau that places the listener right in the center of the film. While arranging the score, the composers consulted musician and ethnographer Poul Høxbro for inspiration and insight into the history of Viking music. Coming from backgrounds in left-field electronic music, Robin and Sebastian felt liberated by the constraint of using a small selection of musical tools for this piece. "Electronic music has almost limitless potential when it comes to making sounds, and that's obviously an incredible thing, but you can also go down the wormhole and get lost in it sometimes. There's no risk of that happening when you only have a few primary instruments to draw upon," Robin remarked. They utilized