Michael Palin in North Korea (Miguel d’Oliveira)

Digital: iTUNES | AMAZON | SPOTIFY

MovieScore Media goes where no Python has gone before with Michael Palin in North Korea, broadcast on Channel 5. As relations between North and South Korea begin to slightly thaw after decades of hostility, comedian turned world traveler Michael Palin is allowed to visit North Korea for two weeks and try to better understand this enigmatic country from the average citizens right up to its supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un.

“When I was asked to write the music for this series, I immediately knew I wanted to make the sound seem more impressive than it was, but in a recognisable way” says Miguel d’Oliveira about the project. “That meant synthesizers would play the role of orchestra with the odd real acoustic instrument thrown in. I also tried to have at the core, cheap old synths from the 80s, the more dilapidated and temperamental the better, which would always be trying to punch above their weight. Loosely based on global perception, I tried to do a score that was looking at the future with some outdated concepts firmly rooted in the recent past. It needed to be a vast spectrum of emotions, from martial menace to poetic hope. Finally I tried to avoid at all costs the cliche of making the music sound North Korean, which seemed reasonable, since it was all seen through the eyes of an Englishman.“

Following his graduation from medical school, composer Miguel d’Oliveira taught himself music and became a multi-instrumentalist playing in several ethnic and jazz bands as well as symphonic orchestras. After scoring his first short for a film school graduate,  he completed an MA in Composition for Film at the National Film and Television School. The composer’s credits include the hit series First Dates (2013), the BBC documentaries The Battle of Britain (2010), The Last Miners (2016) and Louis Theroux: Altered States (2018), the HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017) and Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure (2015), released by MovieScore Media. Each of these scores highlight the composer’s unique ability in melding ethnic elements with a symphonic sound.

MMS18018 • MICHAEL PALIN IN NORTH KOREA (Original Television Soundtrack)
Music Composed by MIGUEL D’OLIVEIRA
Release date (digital): October 12, 2018