Stoker

Background

In early 2012, Philip Glass was assigned to score music for the film but was replaced by Clint Mansell in the June of that year. Mansell became a part of the project when Chan-wook attended one of his live concerts at Largo in Los Angeles, contacted him for a private meeting and asked him to see the film which he was currently editing. Mansell watched the final edit of the film and "was blown away by the elegance of the sound to it". After five weeks, he began recording the film's score at AIR Studios in London. He used piano and strings as the primary instruments for the film's ambient soundscape, contrary to his synth scores he had composed for his previous ventures. Emily Wells performed the song "Becomes the Color" which was released as a single on 30 October 2012. Two of Glass's piano compositions, which he curated before his exit, were featured in the film's end credits. The album was released through Milan Records on 26 February 2013, three days before the film. It was unveiled in digital editions along with a vinyl edition limited to 1000 units.

Critical reception

Jeremy Kay of The Guardian described Mansell's score as "eerily dynamic", while Matt Goldberg of Collider called it as "luscious and foreboding". Andy Mesecher of Music Connection wrote "The piano exudes sadness, the strings build perfect suspense while the percussion creates a sense of insanity reflected perfectly by scenes in the film."

Personnel

Credits adapted from CD liner notes.

Choir – Metro Voices

Concertmaster – Jenny O'Grady

Orchestrated and conducted by – Matt Dunkley

Contractor – Isobel Griffiths

Assistant contractor – Jo Buckley

Assistant engineer – Adam Miller, Chris Barrett, Laurence Anslow, Lori Castro

Liner notes – Park Chan-Wook

Mastering – Ray Staff

Orchestra leader – Everton Nelson

Piano – Dave Hartley

Recording and mixing – Geoff Foster

Music editor – Ted Caplan

Music preparations – Jill Streater

Soprano vocals – Eloise Irving

Musical assistance – Nigel Wiesehan