There are moments in each John Wick movie when the bass drops and you realize somebody’s about to be very, very sorry. These moments derive from the virtuosic palms of Le Fortress Vania, the producer who has spent over a decade crafting the digital music behind cinema’s most trendy murderer franchise.
The artist, whose actual title is Dylan Eiland, has been the musical architect behind lots of the John Wick universe’s most memorable scenes for the reason that authentic film again in 2014. His affect has been so important that he even appeared as himself in its first sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, DJing at a rave whereas Keanu Reeves lights up a now-iconic battle sequence because the titular antihero.
What in the end emerged was a uncommon and engaging method. Relatively than composing to completed footage, director Chad Stahelski started calling Eiland throughout pre-production, permitting the music to tell the filming course of itself.
“We have constructed a powerful artistic belief,” Eiland tells EDM.com of his artistic relationship with Stahelski, who famously served as a stunt double for Reeves on The Matrix. “Anytime I begin engaged on music for one among his movies, it begins with a dialog. We discuss in regards to the tone, the emotion, the story and what he desires the viewers to really feel. These conversations assist me lock into the imaginative and prescient and create one thing authentic that matches this universe we have constructed.”
His newest Wickian masterstroke is an EP of music showing within the franchise’s fifth installment, Ballerina, which compliments a rating from its longtime composers, Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard. The problem, Eiland explains, was “introducing a extra sleek and haunting dimension” to the bloodthirsty franchise, like completely urgent a swimsuit concealing a cache of weapons.
Eiland, a adorned DJ who has graced the levels of EDC, Extremely and lots of different main EDM festivals, confronted one other robust process: the load of fan expectations. The John Wick fanbase dissects each element with the depth of forensic accountants analyzing the Excessive Desk’s books.
Relatively than shrinking from this scrutiny, he says he embraces it as gas, continually imagining these essential theater moments when audiences expertise their collective “oh shit” response to the icy Reeves glare meaning somebody’s about to remorse being born. The result’s a composer who has arguably grow to be as integral to the John Wick universe because the actor himself.
Ballerina pirouettes into worldwide theaters immediately, June sixth, with a killer forged that includes Ana de Armas and Norman Reedus, amongst others. Previous to its launch, we caught up with Le Fortress Vania to debate his ingenious work for the movie.
EDM.com: Take us into your studio throughout these 3am periods when inspiration strikes. What’s your secret to capturing these fleeting moments of artistic lightning for such an iconic movie sequence?
Le Fortress Vania: After I sit down to jot down music for these movies, my aim is at all times to carry my musical voice into the world we’re constructing in a method that feels intentional. I would like the music to really feel prefer it lives inside this gritty, underground universe—prefer it belongs there. I by no means need it to really feel like somebody simply dropped an EDM monitor into the background of a membership scene.
I feel plenty of movies have tried to emulate what we’ve performed with John Wick, however that’s one of many marks they at all times miss. They’ll license an current digital monitor and simply throw it behind a battle or membership scene. However our course of goes method deeper. Each cue is sculpted particularly for the power and timing of every shot within the scene. It’s constructed into the DNA of the world.
An enormous a part of that course of over time has been collaborating with Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick sequence. We’ve constructed a powerful artistic belief. Anytime I begin engaged on music for one among his movies, it begins with a dialog. We discuss in regards to the tone, the emotion, the story and what he desires the viewers to really feel. These conversations assist me lock into the imaginative and prescient and create one thing authentic that matches this universe we’ve constructed.
Though Chad didn’t direct Ballerina, he produced it and was deeply concerned creatively. He was truly the one who introduced me in on this mission, and people early conversations helped me get locked into the mindset of this subsequent chapter.
As for these 3am moments—I don’t wait round for inspiration to strike. I’ve constructed a system to generate it. I carve out time, sit down and the rule is straightforward: simply begin. Even when I’ve no particular concepts past the overall vibe that I would like for the scene, I’ll construct a primary beat, experiment with sounds or mess around on a synth. That first small spark at all times leads someplace. Earlier than I do know it, I’m deep within the movement—and that’s when the actual magic occurs.
EDM.com: Showing as your self within the concert-shootout scene from Chapter 2 should have been a wild expertise. How did it form your understanding of your function within the John Wick universe? Do you see your self as a personality inside this world, and the way does that affect your artistic path when producing tasks like Ballerina Code?
Le Fortress Vania: Yeah, that was such an unimaginable expertise. Except for filming the scenes I used to be in, I additionally bought to remain in Rome for a number of additional days simply hanging out on set and watching plenty of the opposite scenes get filmed. That alone was an enormous supply of inspiration.
Seeing the sheer quantity of labor and creativity that goes into making these movies—the lighting, the choreography, the stunts, the digital camera work—was actually eye-opening. So many artistic individuals all coming collectively to construct this huge, stylized world. It’s simply such a cool factor to be a part of, and to see all of it come collectively into one thing that folks join with on such a giant stage… it is actually an honor.
One of many largest issues that got here out of filming that scene was Chad’s concept to flip the standard course of. Usually, composers don’t begin writing till the movie is in submit. We get the edited scenes and write to image. However for that concert-shootout scene in Chapter 2, Chad needed the music enjoying dwell on set so the power could be there within the second. The group may dance in time, the actors may really feel the heartbeat. So I wrote an early demo of the monitor that might grow to be “John Wick Mode,” and we blasted it over the audio system whereas filming. Then later in submit, I refined the monitor to match the ultimate minimize of the scene.
That second actually shifted how we work. Ever since then, it’s grow to be a part of our course of. For large musical scenes—just like the membership sequence in John Wick: Chapter 4 or the brand new one in Ballerina—Chad will name me throughout pre-production and inform me in regards to the scene he is planning. He’ll lay out the vibe, what he desires to attain emotionally or visually, and I’ll write music particularly for him to movie to. Later, we return and dial it in additional throughout submit. It’s this cool back-and-forth that makes the music really feel much more linked to the power of the scene.
As for whether or not I see myself as a personality within the John Wick universe… possibly? I would positively be right down to make one other look in a future movie or spin-off and construct on that concept if the chance arises. I feel it is a enjoyable Easter egg for followers who’re actually tapped into the music of the sequence. However even when that doesn’t occur, I’m very happy simply getting to assist form the sound of this world. That’s the place I really feel most at residence.
EDM.com: You point out introducing “a extra sleek and haunting dimension” for Ballerina, however how do you forestall that grace from defanging the violence that makes John Wick music so visceral? In different phrases, what is the threat of sanitizing brutality in pursuit of class?
Le Fortress Vania: That stability was one thing I considered continually whereas engaged on Ballerina. I at all times need to push myself creatively and lift the bar with every new mission, but it surely was simply as vital to me to ensure the music nonetheless carried the identical visceral, highly effective power that followers count on from the John Wick universe. There’s a sure uncooked depth that’s grow to be a part of the musical DNA of those movies, and I didn’t need to lose that—I needed to evolve it.
My years of expertise as a DJ and remix artist actually helped with that. That background taught me easy methods to mix contrasting parts and create rigidity between completely different moods—gentle and darkish, magnificence and aggression, class and chaos. So once I set out to usher in a extra sleek and haunting dimension to Ballerina, it was by no means about softening the impression. It was about discovering new methods to carry depth and distinction to the music whereas nonetheless hitting simply as laborious emotionally and sonically.
The truth is, I feel weaving in parts of magnificence or class can generally make the brutality really feel much more intense against this. It creates that push-and-pull that pulls the listener deeper into the expertise. The secret is figuring out when to let that class breathe, and when to slam the door with one thing heavy and aggressive. That form of dynamic vary is what provides the music actual weight.
And if anybody’s questioning whether or not this soundtrack nonetheless goes laborious: I’d say tracks like “Ballerina Code” and “One Bullet Properly Positioned” completely ship the form of intense power that Wick followers count on. These tracks are supposed to hit laborious and go away a mark, whereas nonetheless dwelling in the identical elevated world because the movie.
EDM.com: Digital music usually will get dismissed as “simpler” than orchestral composition due to its technological instruments, but your work requires split-second timing with on-screen motion. What’s essentially the most technically demanding side of your craft that folks do not perceive, and the way do you reply to purists who see digital movie scoring as one way or the other lesser?
Le Fortress Vania: I’ve performed each. Over the course of my profession, I’ve written extra conventional movie rating and recorded full orchestral sections—and I’ve additionally created music that’s utterly digital and constructed from the bottom up with synths, drum machines and {custom} sound design. I’ve a deep respect for each side of the spectrum, however they every include their very own set of challenges.
One factor lots of people don’t understand is that with conventional movie scoring or orchestral music, it’s a lot simpler to get away with little methods—like including or eradicating a beat right here and there, or shifting the tempo—to assist sync musical moments to image. However while you’re engaged on a extremely featured, rhythm-forward monitor like those I create for the John Wick membership scenes, you don’t have that very same flexibility. In case you begin warping the groove an excessive amount of, the music can immediately really feel clunky or awkward, particularly if it’s one thing the viewers is actually locked into. It has to hit with surgical precision whereas nonetheless feeling pure and driving.
These scenes current a singular set of challenges that I really feel I’m actually well-suited for, particularly due to my background. I’ve spent years touring the world as a DJ and digital music producer, and now I’ve additionally constructed up plenty of expertise composing to image. That mixture permits me to method these scenes in a method that’s each musically compelling and tightly woven into the visible storytelling.
On the finish of the day, the concept digital scoring is one way or the other “lesser” as a result of it makes use of completely different instruments is simply outdated. The instruments are solely pretty much as good because the concepts behind them. And actually, many of the largest and most revered conventional movie composers immediately are all weaving digital parts into their scores. It’s grow to be part of the trendy sound of cinema—as a result of when used effectively, these parts may be extremely highly effective and emotionally impactful. Whether or not it’s a full orchestra or a gritty modular synth, what issues is the emotion, the timing and the way effectively the music serves the story.
EDM.com: Digital music in movie additionally usually dangers being overshadowed by visuals or narrative, but your work within the John Wick sequence has grow to be iconic in its personal proper. How do you go about composing for scenes which might be inherently chaotic to make sure the music not solely helps however elevates the storytelling? Are there particular strategies or philosophies you lean into to make your tracks really feel integral relatively than supplementary?
Le Fortress Vania: For me, all of it comes right down to intention. After I’m writing music for these sorts of high-energy scenes, I’m at all times fascinated with how the music can heighten the story, not simply sit beneath it. I’m not simply making a monitor and hoping it really works—I’m crafting one thing that’s tailor-made to the rhythm of the scene, the choreography, the power, even the emotional undercurrent.
One of many massive issues I deal with is timing. I’ll usually write music that’s synced to very particular beats within the motion—a punch, a gunshot, a digital camera transfer—even when it’s refined. That form of precision helps blur the road between the music and the motion, so all of it appears like one cohesive factor as a substitute of separate layers stacked on prime of one another.
I additionally attempt to carry a way of environment and rigidity into the combo. It’s not nearly having a hard-hitting drop or a cool groove. It’s about making a sonic world that pulls you deeper into the scene. That would imply utilizing extra cinematic textures, distorted synths, custom-designed drum hits—no matter helps the music really feel prefer it’s a part of the world on-screen.
Luckily for me, the music is usually meant to be a serious a part of the identification of the scenes I’m introduced in to work on. It’s there to push the power, to assist outline the texture of a second. However on the identical time, I’m at all times working to search out that stability the place the music can elevate the scene with out distracting the viewers or pulling focus from the motion. It has to serve the story first—however when it’s performed proper, it turns into one thing individuals bear in mind lengthy after the scene is over.
Dylan Eiland Pictures
EDM.com: The franchise has a rabid fanbase that dissects each element, from choreography to sound design. How do you deal with the load of fan expectations when crafting music for a mission as high-profile as Ballerina Code? Have you ever ever altered your artistic path primarily based on fan suggestions, or do you protect your self from exterior pressures to protect your creative imaginative and prescient?
Le Fortress Vania: The followers are actually superb. I’ve at all times felt plenty of help and kindness from them, and I actually respect how deeply they care about each element—together with the music. Over time, a lot of them have grow to be followers of my different music exterior the movies, and meaning loads to me.
I positively put plenty of stress on myself, however I don’t see it as a foul factor. It’s extra like gas. It pushes me to boost the bar each time and to create one thing that’s actually going to get individuals hyped.
After I’m writing, I’m usually imagining what it’s going to really feel like as a fan sitting within the theater—and asking myself, how do I ship that “oh shit!” second that will get individuals bouncing of their seats? That mindset drives me to make the music pretty much as good as it could actually presumably be and to assist elevate the scenes in a significant method.
EDM.com: If John Wick ended tomorrow, what could be your largest remorse about alternatives unexplored inside that sonic universe? What concepts have you ever been holding again?
Le Fortress Vania: Actually, if I had one remorse, it will be not having extra alternatives to collaborate straight with my pals Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard. The three of us have all contributed music throughout the John Wick movies, and I really admire their work. What they’ve created for this universe—particularly the thematic threads and sonic character that run via the scores—is unimaginable, and I’ve discovered loads simply from listening to what they’ve performed.
Most of my music for the sequence has been written individually, often targeted across the massive, stylized membership and motion scenes. However I’ve at all times thought it will be cool to do some deeper artistic collaboration with Tyler and Joel—simply getting in a room collectively and constructing one thing from the bottom up. Tyler and I did co-write and produce a monitor for this movie with the band Evanescence, which was an amazing expertise. I might’ve liked extra possibilities to mix our types in surprising methods. I feel they’re two of the very best within the enterprise.
So yeah, if the Wick world have been to wrap up tomorrow, that might most likely be the one factor I want we may’ve explored extra.
EDM.com: Past John Wick, what style or sort of story do you assume your explicit model of digital composition may revolutionize subsequent? The place do you see the most important hole between what movies want sonically and what they’re getting?
Le Fortress Vania: I positively really feel like I belong within the motion house, particularly in the case of stylized movies, sci-fi or something set in a close to or distant future. Any form of story that requires a hybrid digital rating, the place the music may also help form a heightened, fashionable world—that’s the place I thrive.
Among the first soundtracks that ever made me assume, “Rattling, I need to do music for movie sometime” have been The Matrix and Combat Membership. These have been two of the best films I had ever seen on the time, and each leaned closely into digital music in a method that felt recent and impactful. Attending to work with Chad, who has deep roots in The Matrix, and now having Keanu because the star of the movies I’m most recognized for… that’s been a surreal full-circle second for me.
However I additionally need to present individuals I’m not simply “the membership scene man.” I’ve constructed my chops as a composer and I’m hungry to tackle larger challenges. I’ve scored complete video video games for studios like PlayStation, the place I’ve recorded dwell orchestras, percussion sections, soloists—and fused all of that with my very own digital instrumentation to create daring, hybrid cinematic scores, and I do know I may ship one thing actually particular for the precise movie.
I’d like to be often known as the man you name when your movie must really feel massive and badass—while you want music that brings edge, energy and emotion, however nonetheless feels recent and fashionable. That’s the house I need to hold pushing ahead.
Observe Le Fortress Vania:
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