Composer David Fleming (pictured) received two Emmy nominations for his recent work. Fleming is nominated for "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series" for his work on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while his contributions to
Jim Henson Idea Man landed him an Emmy nomination in the "Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary" category.
"Making music for Mr. & Mrs. Smith was an insane adventure in the best way," he recalls. "Donald Glover, Francesco Sloane and Hiro Murai created an incredibly-fresh take on the spy genre, encouraging me to double down with the score and be as risky as possible. 'Art school espionage' became my mantra in pursuit of matching the show's unique tone, both in the action set pieces, as well as the romantic storyline. Most of the music is extremely synth heavy, but this is the first time I've recorded synths live, often as improvised instrumental performances, rather than strictly programmed and edited, as is typical."
The Osmose synthesizer became the centerpiece of this approach, with Fleming noting that its expressive playability leant a feeling of spontaneity.
"For the orchestral string sound, both live violin as well as virtual instruments were processed through tape emulators to give the feeling of vintage recordings, perhaps evoking the feel of classic spy scores of the past. Doubled with detuned synths, an eclectic array of organic instruments rounded out the palette, including kalimba, bucket drums and saxophone."
Fleming adds that Jim Henson Idea Man was also a pleasure to work on.
"Ron Howard was the perfect person to tell the story of such a prolific and colorful imagination," says Fleming. "It was very important to Ron that we tapped into Jim Henson's creative spirit, and for me that meant embracing irreverence and heart, wherever possible."
The score revolves around live soloist performances, all recorded closely to preserve the individual character and bold presence of each sound. Percussion serves as a main character.
"We recorded both drum kit as well as small, unconventional objects, like glass bottles and trash cans," he notes. "Woodwinds, harp, cello, violin, piano and guitar made up the rest of the live ensemble, often recorded with Royer R-121s through BAE preamps and presented very dry when the score is at its most kinetic. At more somber moments, reverbs like the Eventide Blackhole, are used to create a feeling of space and spirituality."
Software instruments and synths were used to expand the sonic palette, but never to overpower the live instrumental spirit at the center of the score.