HBO 'Industry' Complete Soundtrack: Who wrote the music? From hip-hop to woozy R&B, here's the blazing playlist
HBO’s new Monday night drama ‘Industry’ has kicked off on November 9th and the blazing soundtrack of the album has been a talking point so far. From hip-hop to woozy R&B, the playlist covers a wide spectrum of genres and moods.
The music for the show has a characteristic upbeat but it also flows through the high and low of the show. The show’s writers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay created a playlist that reflects the overlapping culture of London’s diverse cityscape. The music constantly remiss us of what it might be to be a twenty-something, sitting in a London office while sailing with the wave of the trading market. From the loud music played on the bars they visit to the quant ones played on their laptop, this playlist is a journey in itself. "We wanted the score to represent the grads’ emotions, mood and feelings; to be their inner spirit coming out through music", said music supervisor, Ollie White. He also shared that the music was important in conveying the emotions of the characters. The boiling pressure of the trading rooms served a high for the bunch of young people. He said, "This was a place they wanted to be and hang-out, and we needed the music to help the audience realize this."
To match the dark and upbeat tone of the show, the music supervisor explained that he needed someone who would be able to produce the hypnotic and energetic beats pulsating through the trading rooms. "We knew we needed a composer that could bring the intensity and euphoria of a dancefloor to Pierpoint's (the fictitious bank) trading floor", he shared. For which he chose the electronic producer and DJ Nathan Micay unforgettable with his song 'Blue Spring'. Nathan’s 'Blue Spring' was chosen as the title track for the show while he also worked through the eight episodes to create a complete catalog. The music supervisor stated, “The hardest part is finding a tone/style of composition that works with the show. Nathan has an intricate, unique sound which was a perfect fit and he’s delivered an incredible, original score.”
The music team also features award-winning Music Editor, Daniel Elms to help with the technicalities of various composition and delivery. Ollie shared, “Daniel was also a huge influence creatively. We gave him access to Nathan’s back catalog in stems format so he could repurpose to picture. This was a massive help when working to a ridiculous schedule as we had!”
On the overall playlist of the show, Ollie said, “The soundtrack is a vast collection of amazing songs that help paint a picture of what it is like to be in London in your early twenties. The score unifies all of these genres and styles together and helps create a totally unique sonic identity for the show.”
Here are the tracks played so far
Swan Lingo’s ‘Can’t See Your Face Anymore’ sets the mood for the show. This upbeat hip-hop number with a progressive low sound fits the show in every way possible.
Blood Orange’s Dinner is another upbeat number, though it sounds more of a summer-jam featuring a heartbroken, airy synth mix.
Ben Khan’s Youth is an R&B number. Bluesy guitar plus heavy on the low-end showcase a sultry and warm melody.
The playlist also includes ‘Bring it up’ by WH lung with pulsing rhythms, Blue Spring by Nathan Micay, a true upbeat number with a soaring high, “Letters” Jeremy Olander Remix by W.H. Lung and “Do it Without You” by Jacques Greene.
The original series uncovers a bunch of entry-level traders who navigate through the spirals of the trade market in the day and ride a euphoric night of youth and hormones. ‘Industry’ doesn’t simply play around this concept. The show will cover the nitty-gritty details of the finance industry and for a lot of viewers, some terms thrown around in the show can sound gibberish as they use vernacular language for trading.
