Ludwig Göransson is Hollywood’s new scoring legend -
Oscar winner for the score of “Black Panther”, acclaimed author of the soundtrack to the blockbuster movie “Tenet”, this young Swedish composer is signed to the soundtrack of the series “The Mandalorian”, whose second season has just started. Meet Hollywood’s most important prodigy.
Who is he?
His parents’ tribute to the great melodic composer rings true for a man who already has about 20 film scores in his repertoire. What’s more, at just 36, Ludwig Göransson has become a new Hollywood star, invited to the table of Hans Zimmer and John Williams. From the quiet of Linköping, a peaceful town in the south of Sweden, to the splendor of Los Angeles was just one step for this boy wonder with the look of a ’70s icon, born to a guitarist father and a florist mother. “My life changed when I understood the strong relationship between music and film,” he says. He owes his first musical emotions to Tim Burton’s film Edward Scissorhands and the dreamy music of Danny Elfman. “At the age of 11, I would often cry in the middle of movies, overwhelmed by what I had just seen, heard, and felt.
Sweden, the cradle of pop
Ludwig is equally at home with guitar and drum machines, cultivating a penchant for contradictions and appreciating the soaring melodies of Metallica as much as the ballads of Michael Andrews. He says he owes this precision to the musical richness of his country. For nearly thirty years, a handful of Swedish musicians have reigned pop music, from the unmissable Max Martin — producer of Taylor Swift and Adele — to the prolific Shellback. “Music has been part of our heritage since we were young. In primary school I sang in the choir and played an instrument every week.
A versatility like no other
Under the palm trees of Los Angeles, it’s time to conquer. Ryan Coogler has entrusted his friend with the soundtrack to the spin-off Creed: The Legacy of Rocky Balboa, which he is directing. Ludwig will only be 31 when the film triumphs at the box office in 2015 and opens the doors of Hollywood. A world that the Swede has imagined and will become the new “wonderboy” with almost cheeky ease. Also four years later, under the scrutiny of the world cinema, he is the lucky winner of an Oscar for the soundtrack to the successful Disney film “Black Panther”. This fiery superhero flick, once again signed by Ryan Coogler, had the fifth-best opener of all time. It also earned Ludwig the recognition of his peers.
Once he began writing the script for “Black Panther”, Ludwig Goransson flew to West Africa to immerse himself in the local culture and discovered the Tamu (“talking drum”), a percussion instrument highly prized by griots, and Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, whom he invited to contribute to the album. As for the backing vocals, he sings them in Xhosa, one of the official languages of South Africa. A richness and musical diversity that is not surprising given his career.
Ludwing also went for the Oscar
The year Ludwing won the Oscar, he also won a Grammy Award along with rapper Donald Glover — aka Childish Gambino. Their song This is America, which is about police violence won. The two men met in the late 2000s while filming the popular sitcom “Community”. Donald was an actor and Ludwig a songwriter. Alongside him, the Swede occasionally dresses up as a pop musician and tours festival stages, including Coachella, as a guitarist. He’s also worked with the likes of Chance The Rapper and Kendrick Lama r, and his career has been seductive in a profession that is sometimes considered too insular or elitist.
There’s nothing he can’t do: MANDALORIAN
It’s a great creative period for the Swede, who will also be contributing to the soundtrack for “The Mandalorian” series. It was a huge commercial stake for Disney. It is a pressure that is not feigned for the musician who will replace the legendary composer of the saga. John Williams was the one who made it in the beginning.
The Mandalorian Anthem (This is the way)
Locked at home, he breathes life into a new musical grammar. He mixes western and samurai film, drawing particularly on the legacy of Ennio Morricone and the works of Akira Kurosawa. Wooden instruments accompany tribal percussion, while organic sounds blend with electronic orchestrations. A golden work awarded the prestigious Emmy Award last September.
Originally published at https://rapaesthetics.com on April 23, 2021.
