Ilan Eshkeri is about to embark on four, special, live concert shows with Andy Burrows (Of Razorlight) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their work creating the score for the television sequel to the beloved family favourite, ‘The Snowman’. ‘The Snowman And The Snowdog’ came some 30 years after the original and has cemented itself as a quintessential part of Christmas television. The four-anniversary shows will see the pair perform first in Birmingham and then London, bringing the film to life with a live orchestra, special guests and surprises in-store.
Ilan’s previous work includes scores for well-known pieces of television and film including ‘Get Santa’, ‘Stardust’, ‘Kick-ass’, and most recently the major new BBC drama series ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’. The six-part historical drama has already received rave reviews adding to a highly successful year for Eshkeri. A major highlight of this was selling out the Royal Albert Hall for his uniquely unforgettable ‘Space Station Earth’ event where the composer was joined by ESA astronaut Tim Peake. The show allowed the audience to see through the eyes of an astronaut, taking you on the emotional journey they embark on giving an insight into the universe from their vantage point.
House of solo spoke to the award-winning composer about the special anniversary shows, how he stays authentic with his compositions, and how his collaboration with Tim Peake came about.
Hi Ilan, in conjunction with Andy Burrows, you are about to embark on four special live concert shows for the 10th anniversary of ‘The Snowman and the Snowdog’. How did the idea to mark the occasion this way come about and have you both always known you wanted to do something special for it?
Andy and I always wanted to reprise the Snowman gigs we did and the 10th anniversary seemed like the perfect moment to do it. We have lots of ideas, special guests and special surprises for the evening. It’s going to be a Christmas spectacular!
‘The Snowman’ is an incredibly iconic Christmas film favourite for so many people, with the original score being created by Howard Blake. How did it feel thirty years later after the original, to be contributing to such a lasting legacy with the score to the sequel ‘The Snowman and the Snowdog?’
It was incredibly daunting as both Andy and I grew up watching ‘The Snowman’ and loved it. When something is a part of a country’s culture like ‘The Snowman’ is, you start to worry you might spoil it and somehow ruin it for everybody when adding to it. In the end, we accepted we could never be as great as ‘The Snowman’ so would just create our own thing and hope people would love it. Looking at it 10 years later, I feel like we did an okay job.
Having created scores for some well-known pieces of television and film such as ‘Stardust’, ‘Get Santa’, ‘Layer Cake’, and ‘Kick-Ass’, accomplishing some incredible things during your 20-plus years in the business, what would you say are your real stand-out achievements so far?
It’s really hard to answer that question because I love the process of creating more than I love the finished product. When I look back on my work, there is always something that could be improved.
At the moment I am in the middle of touring a show I created called ‘Space Station Earth’ which was performed a few months ago at the Royal Albert Hall with Tim Peake. I can’t wait to carry on sharing this show with audiences. We won’t be back in the UK for a little while now but if you want to experience the emotional journey of astronauts, then you can listen to the ‘Space Station Earth’ album.
We must talk about a television production you have recently worked on–a major new BBC drama series, ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’. The series was created by Steven Knight (‘Peaky Blinders’), features an all-star cast, and has been very well-received. How did you find working on it and how did your involvement first come about?
I got involved after randomly meeting the director in a whiskey bar. He told me he wanted a punk rock score and it just sounded like so much fun so I brought in friends from rock bands to sit around making big noises. We all had so much fun making this show, I’m so glad people are loving watching it.
You mentioned in a previous interview, the first score you owned was ‘Back To The Future’ on vinyl which featured a great collection of 80s music. Are there any scores you can pick out which may have had a particular impact on you and the way you create?
Being an ‘80s kid, I was hugely influenced by Back To The Future, Indiana Jones and Star Wars soundtracks but as I explored the world of film scoring, I fell in love with Bernard Herrmann’s work such as Vertigo and also Max Steiner who wrote the first ever film score the 1933 King Kong movie. A lot of my influences come from the great romantic classical composers and 80s synth bands like Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre.
You’ve had a very successful year, a major highlight being your sold-out ‘Space Station Earth’ show which took place at the Royal Albert Hall. The event featured an exclusive pre-show Q&A with ESA astronaut Tim Peake and you recently took the show on a huge tour. How amazing was it to work on such an exciting project and how did the pairing come about?
A few months before Tim blasted off to the space station he contacted me on Twitter after having discovered my music. I was of course completely amazed to have an astronaut as a fan and took the opportunity to visit him at NASA in Houston where he was training. I was given the tour that you can only get if an actual astronaut accompanies you around and my mind was completely blown.
At dinner that night I told Tim I thought we should make a big show and tour it around the world. It took seven years but we finally got there!
Everyone is aware of how music plays such an integral role in accompanying a film or television piece, enhancing drama, creating mood, magnifying the imagery and heightening the emotional impact of each scene. What is your starting point when working to brief and from where do you take most inspiration?
In film, music tells the emotional narrative. It’s all about getting inside the head of the characters and expressing their emotional journeys. When words fail us, music is the next best thing we can use instead.
Sometimes I find myself asking simple questions like what music does this character listen to? What sounds exist within the landscape?
It’s always a great journey of exploration when music, images, and dialogue can go together in the most surprising and powerful ways.
You were asked in a previous interview what you believe the difference between authenticity and cliché is. You said you don’t use samples or fake things within your music as you want to give the audience authenticity and honesty. Of course, it’s not always possible to have a large orchestra around you when writing, so, when you begin composing a new piece of music, what is the process of laying your ideas down before recording them with live musicians? Do you begin with a particular instrument or software?
If I am writing orchestral music I do use samples. It’s part of the modern creative process and also gives an opportunity for your collaborators–director/producer–to engage with what you are creating. The point is to not use fake things in the final product because if you are duping your audience, the work you are creating lacks authenticity and the only thing that gives art cultural value is authenticity.
If this was not the case then an exact copy of the Mona Lisa would mean just as much as the original
Finally, what is next? Are there any other exciting projects you may like to tell us about?
I am writing a TV show with Time Wheeler from Ash. I cannot say too much about it but keep an eye on our socials!
I am also working on a new expansion pack for the Sims and even though I have been doing it for nearly 10 years, I still love it and think it’s better than ever!
