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Jóhann Jóhannsson is scoring the Blade Runner sequel, and that's a good thing

Jóhann Jóhannsson is scoring the Blade Runner sequel, and that's a good thing

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The sequel to Blade Runner has attracted a really intriguing cast and crew, and now, we know that it will sound great. Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who collaborated with director Denis Villeneuve on films like Sicario and the upcoming film Arrival, will be providing the score for the upcoming Harrison Ford film.

I first came across Jóhannsson’s music not in a movie, but for a promo for Battle: LA. "The Sun’s Gone Dim And The Sky’s Turned Black," the final track on his 2006 avant-garde album IBM 1401, A User's Manual, provided a haunting soundtrack for the trailer, which made it stick out for me.

Hailing from Iceland, Jóhannsson has made a name for himself in the experimental and minimalist music scene in the country. He released his first album in 2002, Englabörn, and followed it up with Forsetar in 2004 and IBM 1401, A User's Manual in 2006.

Jóhannsson has taken his minimalist style to film scores

He’s taken that minimalist styling along with him as he’s begun scoring films. Starting in 2012, he provided music for Copenhagen Dreams and Free the Mind. Jóhannsson has become a frequent collaborator with director Denis Villeneuve, scoring his film Prisoners and later Sicario, a soundtrack that is full of brooding and tense music that really helps underscore the atmosphere of the film.

Since breaking into the world of film scores, Jóhannsson has been steadily making a name for himself, providing the score for 2015’s The Theory of Everything, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Original Score. He also received BAFTA nominations for that film as well as Sicario.

It's Jóhannsson’s minimalist style that makes his inclusion to the Blade Runner sequel so exciting. The original film had a score from Greek composer Vangelis, who also worked with electronic and experimental music. It’s a moody, atmospheric score, and if he wasn’t interested in picking up the Blade Runner sequel it feels as though Jóhannsson could pick up where he left off.

The verdict is still out on whether or not the world actually needs a sequel to one of the greatest science fiction movies ever filmed, but so far, there’s a lot to like — from its amazing cinematographer, its excellent director, and a cast that includes Jaret Leto, Mackenzie Davis, Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, and Harrison Ford.