Robin Carolan’s latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself.With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain’s most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film’s beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic.

Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn’t sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack’s eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity

Carolan’s inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a connection to the music of the Ukrainian film Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score’s otherworldly tone

Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale’s melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism.The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan’s artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.

TRACK LISTING

1. Once Upon A Time
2. Come To Me
3. Premonition
4. Herr Knock
5. Ellen’s Dream
6. Incantation
7. Goodbye
8. The Inn / Moroi
9. Shrine
10. A Carriage Awaits
11. Come By The Fire
12. Destiny
13. The Castle
14. Covenant
15. The Crypt
16. Lost
17. Hysterical Spell
18. Devourance
19. The Monastery
20. Solomonar
21. Increase Thy Thunders
22. The Professor
23. Dreams Grow Darker
24. Possession
25. An Arrival
26. A Return
27. Grünewald
28. Despair In My Coming
29. A Curious Mark
30. Orlok’s Shadow
31. The Vampyr
32. The First Night
33. Death, All Around Us
34. I Know Him
35. The Second Night
36. These Nightmares Exist
37. A Priestess Of Isis
38. Last Goodbye
39. Never Sleep Again
40. The Third Night
41. The Prince Of Rats
42. Daybreak
43. Liliacs

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 tableaux that places the listener right in the center of the film.



While arranging the score the composers consulted musician and ethnographer PoulHøxbro for inspiration and insight into the history of Viking music. Having 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 traditional instruments such as the tagelharpa, langspil, kravik lyre, and säckpip to build the cinematic world of The Northman but they also took creative freedoms in adding instruments likes drums, which some academics believe wouldn’t have played a big part in Viking musical culture, simply due to the lack of archaeological evidence of actual drums. “One of the pieces we wrote was intended to emulate the sound of a bullroarer; an ancient instrument used in sacred rituals or in battle to intimidate enemies. It makes a really disorienting roaring vibrato sound and low frequencies capable of traveling insane distances.” Robin says when asked about one of the more unique aspects of the score. Everyone involved put so much effort into both their research and their creativity and this richness is evident in every track. The album as a whole is a cinematic masterpiece of sound and ambiance, both gorgeous and disturbing, like the film it so beautifully accompanies.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A wonderful soundtrack from the ever-reliable Sacred Bones, by music scene aficionados Carolan & Gainsborough. Tense, orchestral scores and deep ambient passages, both bleak and beautiful, perfect for listening to as meditative home listening as well as a perfectly measured soundtrack.

TRACK LISTING

1. Approaching Hrafnsey
2. The King
3. Entering The Temple
4. Last Teardrop
5. Blood Tree, Part I
6. Strike, Brother
7. Escape
8. I Will Avenge You, Father
9. The Land Of The Rus
10. A Burning Barn
11. Seeress
12. Raven’s Omen
13. Storm At Sea / Yggdrasill
14. Iceland
15. I Will Save You, Mother
16. Slave Work
17. Guðrún
18. Follow The Vixen’s Tail
19. He-Witch
20. Draugr
21. Mound Dweller
22. To The Games
23. Birch Woods
24. First Of Many
25. Trollish Sorcery
26. Svið Night, Part I
27. Svið Night, Part II
28. I Am Your Death
29. Come Morning
30. I Am His Vengeance
31. Óðinn
32. Valkyrie
33. Vestrahorn
34. Hidden Valley
35. Blood Tree, Part II
36. Blóð Inside / I Choose Both
37. A Maiden King
38. The Wolf Has Grow
39. The Gates Of Hel / Slain By Iron
40. Hekla
41. Cut The Thread Of Fate
42. Make Your Passage / Valhöll
43. Ættartré / End Credits