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Jed Kurzel is Alien: Covenant’s new composer! Back in November, we reported that Harry Gregson-Williams would no longer be scoring Alien: Covenant. And we didn’t know who would be stepping up to fill the vacant position.

Today’s teaser trailer changed that and confirmed that Australian composer, Jed Kurzel, would now be scoring Alien: Covenant. Jed Kurzel is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist and has been composing for films since 2000.

He hasn’t worked with Sir Ridley Scott before but Kurzel has scored two of Michael Fassbender’s films – Macbeth and most recently Assassin’s Creed. Kurzel has also worked in the horror genre before, providing the score for The Babadook in 2014.

Keep a close eye on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest on Alien: Covenant! You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Alien fans on our forums!

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Looks kind of like James Horner.

His work on Macbeth was pretty dope.

So what was the crack was with Gregson-Williams? Why'd he leave?

He said scheduling issues. Likely to be due to the sudden shift in release date?

Or it really was his son on IMDB and he got in trouble over it.

It's an Australian composer!
Maybe it was part of the deal (tax credit)

Oh, not this again. That was completely made up.

I don't buy scheduling conflicts. He was already well into composing it.

What are you thinking?

"Creative Differences" will be the official line. Which I find strange considering he's very experienced and worked with Scott on Martian.

This will be the fourth Fassbender film he's scored, after Slow West, Macbeth, and Assassin's Creed.

I liked his scores for Babadook and Macbeth, but I think he's a step down from Gregson-Williams.

Well something bad happened.

Oh, I loved the score for the Babadook. This should be good. :)

IMDB now lists Pietro Scalia as Covenant's editor. No big surprise, there, but I think it's still news.

Lets discuss music:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iU9JF-DXds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iU9JF-DXds)

This one is interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpkrNXv07ns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpkrNXv07ns)


I too loved The Babadook OST and movie.

Quote from: Darkness on Dec 25, 2016, 09:29:55 AM
I don't buy scheduling conflicts. He was already well into composing it.

Not to mention that his contract would have covered the possibility of re-shoots and delays. It might be possible that he was already signed on for another project before he agreed to score Covenant but he broke the news that he was scoring Covenant quite early during production.

Quote from: Darkness on Dec 25, 2016, 09:58:48 AM
"Creative Differences" will be the official line. Which I find strange considering he's very experienced and worked with Scott on Martian.

Yet it's the most logical reason.
Director's do a film every year when they're very active or every 2 - 4 years when it's longer project (or finding money is an issue).
While on the other side, actors, composer, assistant director, DP, editor, blablabla do sometimes more than 10 films a year to make a living.

Gregson Williams does on average about 2 films per year.

Turn Hell Hound from Macbeth is one of my favorite movie tracks from last few years, very good composer

Yup, I'm interested to see Kurzel spread his wings here, his work on Macbeth was fantastic.

Here you go, his newest score:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNS9l0dRD34 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNS9l0dRD34)

Don't know this guy. Must check Macbeth OST. Apparently is great.

Ok, I know this question will seem odd considering the point of the article, but... does anyone know where I can get that plaid jacket/coat? I really like it. I want to find it.

While I now merely look on these 'PROMETHEUS' movies as an 'alternate take' on the source material...I'd love the score to be truly nerve-shredding at certain moments this time around, just as Jerry Goldsmith's ALIEN music was.

I hope he uses Harry Gregson Williams's main theme from Prometheus at least once in Covenant. For when the crew is exploring the engineer citadel, for example. The rest should be new, original music though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4)

The score is very important to a movie. No pressure!!!!

He could've left because maybe the film he saw didn't work for him like he thought it would. Of course if he was well into writing the score like someone stated then that wouldn't make sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqj47GZ5ROg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqj47GZ5ROg)

Some interesting tunes...
I think mr Kurzel will do a great job.

Don't forget his awesome score for Babadook.

https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827866774850961413

Woah!! :o

Good soundtrack now confirmed!!! :laugh: :D ;D

I hope he ll finally compose some mysterious tunes for French horn
like Harry did with his monumental track Life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qHyy6U-98 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qHyy6U-98)

P.S. They are recording in Air Studios in London
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airstudios.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2FAIR-external-950x350.jpg&hash=ded2c4546d3230ad4ac43ee072420cae653968ab)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Felliott-randall.com%2Felzpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F11%2Fhall-orchestra9.jpg&hash=f588b61f12be41333724436f0092847d99b32eaf)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airstudios.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flyndhurst-hall%2Fair-hall-88r-rhs-1.jpg&hash=805174509ef000568ab0a0b56fb00110985501ce)

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Feb 04, 2017, 03:28:19 PM
https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827866774850961413

You could pilot a Juggernaut with that thing.

I think it s a fine studio:
Main recording room was a chapel originally, so fine acoustics is guaranteed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRk7StuUigE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRk7StuUigE)

Quote from: Enoch on Feb 04, 2017, 03:32:08 PM
Good soundtrack now confirmed!!! :laugh: :D ;D

I hope he ll finally compose some mysterious tunes for French horn
like Harry did with his monumental track Life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qHyy6U-98 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qHyy6U-98)

P.S. They are recording in Air Studios in London
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airstudios.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2FAIR-external-950x350.jpg&hash=ded2c4546d3230ad4ac43ee072420cae653968ab)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Felliott-randall.com%2Felzpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F11%2Fhall-orchestra9.jpg&hash=f588b61f12be41333724436f0092847d99b32eaf)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airstudios.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flyndhurst-hall%2Fair-hall-88r-rhs-1.jpg&hash=805174509ef000568ab0a0b56fb00110985501ce)

Hmm!!  Now who do we know that lives there within driving distance?? :)

They've got posters up at the door with pictures of the Corporal which says "DO NOT ADMIT".

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Feb 04, 2017, 04:14:54 PM
They've got posters up at the door with pictures of the Corporal which says "DO NOT ADMIT".

:laugh:

Interstellar was scored there; and Johann Johannsson recorded many of his scores there.
http://www.airstudios.com/previous-clients/film-project/?nggpage=3 (http://www.airstudios.com/previous-clients/film-project/?nggpage=3)

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Feb 04, 2017, 04:14:54 PM
They've got posters up at the door with pictures of the Corporal which says "DO NOT ADMIT".

I'd pose if they wanted. I'm gorgeous.

Diabolus In Musica!

Soundtrack to Alien movie recorded in the church. Love it!

https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827876833764995073 (https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827876833764995073)

I again had to ask a question: :D

https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827948917438500864 (https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827948917438500864)

Did he confirm that we ll again hear famous Jerry Goldsmith's alien tunes??  :o :laugh:

so when will the soundtrack appear?

Quote from: Enoch on Feb 04, 2017, 08:56:05 PM
I again had to ask a question: :D

https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827948917438500864 (https://twitter.com/SavageSpies/status/827948917438500864)

Did he confirm that we ll again hear famous Jerry Goldsmith's alien tunes??  :o :laugh:

Well, a news article said Covenant will have the original Alien theme in it, but that's just placeholder music. I guess they thought it was the real music for the film.

So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

Ominous sounds of various kinds of flute

Listen the first few minutes to hear how it could
sound in Covenant ost.

https://youtu.be/AoG4sl36wXY (https://youtu.be/AoG4sl36wXY)

Considering that Ridley returns to (sort of) old-school vibe I have the feeling that score's gonna to sound organic.

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 03:41:17 AM
So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

I'm pretty sure that particular theme was written by Harry Gregson Williams. It's only in his two tracks. But I agree, I really like that theme too.

Great theme! It's Life by Harry Gregson Williams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1EeYB8Aog0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1EeYB8Aog0)

I love Life by HGW. It really captures the wonder of space and the big idea of Prometheus IMO.

I hope we get a nod to this somewhere in the Covenant soundtrack. It'd be one small way of bridging from Prometheus and insuring some continuity.

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 02:00:11 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 03:41:17 AM
So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

I'm pretty sure that particular theme was written by Harry Gregson Williams. It's only in his two tracks. But I agree, I really like that theme too.

That's not the one I was talking about, it's the music you first hear during the Engineer sacrifice scene.

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 08:31:32 PM

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 02:00:11 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 03:41:17 AM
So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

I'm pretty sure that particular theme was written by Harry Gregson Williams. It's only in his two tracks. But I agree, I really like that theme too.

That's not the one I was talking about, it's the music you first hear during the Engineer sacrifice scene.

That's the music I was talking about as well.  ???
You mean this music, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4)

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 08:42:41 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 08:31:32 PM

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 02:00:11 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 03:41:17 AM
So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

I'm pretty sure that particular theme was written by Harry Gregson Williams. It's only in his two tracks. But I agree, I really like that theme too.

That's not the one I was talking about, it's the music you first hear during the Engineer sacrifice scene.

That's the music I was talking about as well.  ???
You mean this music, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4)

No it start at about 0:50 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHpJr7_5Mjg&t=66s

It's like a low humming or chanting chorus sound.

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 06, 2017, 12:18:05 AM

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 08:42:41 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 08:31:32 PM

Quote from: Evanus on Feb 05, 2017, 02:00:11 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Feb 05, 2017, 03:41:17 AM
So I understand that Marc Streitenfeld did the score for Prometheus but Harry Gregson-Williams did two supplemental tracks.  He did "Life" and "We Were Right".

I quite like the score for Prometheus, btw, it sounds haunting and mysterious which fits the film very well.  I'm a bit disappointed they didn't get Mark Streitenfeld back, as I like the theme for the Engineers particularly.

I'm pretty sure that particular theme was written by Harry Gregson Williams. It's only in his two tracks. But I agree, I really like that theme too.

That's not the one I was talking about, it's the music you first hear during the Engineer sacrifice scene.

That's the music I was talking about as well.  ???
You mean this music, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3AdpA9e4)

No it start at about 0:50 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHpJr7_5Mjg&t=66s

It's like a low humming or chanting chorus sound.

Ah, I see. That part is by Marc Streitenfeld, indeed. Sounds very haunting, I like it!

   https://mobile.twitter.com/MusicEditorcouk/status/828181968923799552        (https://mobile.twitter.com/MusicEditorcouk/status/828181968923799552)

Quote@MusicEditorcouk
@scottEweinberg yes indeed he did. A different choice for The Alien franchise but working out extremely well.

*Added quote. Hicks

  https://mobile.twitter.com/MusicEditorcouk/status/829290089012420609        (https://mobile.twitter.com/MusicEditorcouk/status/829290089012420609)

I wish we could hear some sample of it. So far the score is the biggest mystery of this film for me.

I imagine we'll get to hear some of it before hand. They usually have some previews with the retail pages.

His score for Macbeth was good for about ten minutes, but just sounded the same the whole friggin' way through and it just really annoyed me by the end.

Quote from: SiL on Feb 09, 2017, 10:12:53 AM
His score for Macbeth was good for about ten minutes, but just sounded the same the whole friggin' way through and it just really annoyed me by the end.

I had the same impression but I like Turn Hell Hound. Have to listen to the whole soundtrack once again.

I wonder if they're going to use some parts from Jerry Goldsmith's score, especially the main theme. It would be cool. This theme for me is important part of Alien universe DNA.

There are two or three good tracks. The opening title I really like, Turn Hell Around and the soundscapes are nice, but on the whole it's a lot of whiny sounding violin and it grates. Hopefully it doesn't come back.

Quote from: SiL on Feb 09, 2017, 11:37:40 AM
There are two or three good tracks. The opening title I really like, Turn Hell Around and the soundscapes are nice, but on the whole it's a lot of whiny sounding violin and it grates. Hopefully it doesn't come back.

Just finished listening to whole score again. It's ... boring. What a snoozefest. But I liked few tracks.

Quote from: Ingwar on Feb 09, 2017, 02:14:40 PM

Quote from: SiL on Feb 09, 2017, 11:37:40 AM
There are two or three good tracks. The opening title I really like, Turn Hell Around and the soundscapes are nice, but on the whole it's a lot of whiny sounding violin and it grates. Hopefully it doesn't come back.

Just finished listening to whole score again. It's ... boring. What a snoozefest. But I liked few tracks.

I see where you're coming from and agree to some extent but I think the score works well with that particular film i.e. choice of instrumentation, drones etc.  I think this composer has shown he is more than capable of producing a score that compliments the visuals and story.

Hope we get to listen to some soon!

In Vangelis's Blade Runner each tracks work as a stand-alone form of music. You can pick one of them and enjoy its beauty because they sound absolutely different. I can listen to it/them everyday and I never get bored. It's so amazing. When I listen to Macbeth soundtrack everything is almost the same. I'm not saying it's bad music. It works for the movie but it sounds so ... homogenous. It's hard (I'm not saying it's totally impossible) to distinct something unique from it. It's not the same like enjoying Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris. That's what I call a soundtrack with capital S! It's Epic.

Yeah but that score set the bar extremely high. Few approach its excellence.

I miss Basil's scores. Conan's OST works as a standalone piece, which is really lacking in modern music.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4iPLwzW8AAoobG.jpg:large)

QuoteHere we go. Alien: Covenant mix.  Out May 19. You'll not be disappointed

https://twitter.com/MusicEditorcouk/status/831071570265329664

Nice!!! is that 192 frames means the actual film??

192 frames at 24FPS would be 8 seconds.

Quote from: SiL on Feb 13, 2017, 11:05:24 AM
192 frames at 24FPS would be 8 seconds.

Ok, Thanks. 8)

really looking forward to the soundtrack! Macbeth is indeed a whole different animal, the score suits the movie very well as it is dialogue driven as you can guess from a Shakespeare adaptationand I am sure Kurzel is going for a different direction with Covenant.

I would be thrilled to have bits and peaces of this oriental/norse/tribal sounding soundscapes paired with some sci-fi that harkens back to the original Alien score. Something that sounds a bit more like the Arrival soundtrack but cranked up a little and with faster pacing.

I wasn't too impressed with the Prometheus soundtrack apart from some major and epic cues so I would love to have Covenant being a return to form. The Alien soundtracks have been rather amazing even resurrection was great!

Assassin's Creed I yet have to give a listen to.

Quote from: Ingwar on Feb 09, 2017, 02:14:40 PM

Quote from: SiL on Feb 09, 2017, 11:37:40 AM
There are two or three good tracks. The opening title I really like, Turn Hell Around and the soundscapes are nice, but on the whole it's a lot of whiny sounding violin and it grates. Hopefully it doesn't come back.

Just finished listening to whole score again. It's ... boring. What a snoozefest. But I liked few tracks.

It works great in the context of the film set against the scenes, but yeah on its own, it's redundant. I don't think the music for A:C will be similar.

Even on the film it starts being noticeable repetitious and grating. The opening track is great regardless.