There are moments in each John Wick movie when the bass drops and 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 identify 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 combat sequence because the titular antihero.
What in the end emerged was a uncommon and engaging strategy. Somewhat 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 inventive belief,” Eiland tells EDM.com of his inventive relationship with Stahelski, who famously served as a stunt double for Reeves on The Matrix. “Anytime I begin engaged on music for considered one of his movies, it begins with a dialog. We speak concerning the tone, the emotion, the story and what he needs 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 swish and haunting dimension” to the bloodthirsty franchise, like completely urgent a go well with concealing a cache of weapons.
Eiland, a adorned DJ who has graced the phases of EDC, Extremely and lots of different main EDM festivals, confronted one other robust activity: the burden of fan expectations. The John Wick fanbase dissects each element with the depth of forensic accountants inspecting the Excessive Desk’s books.
Somewhat than shrinking from this scrutiny, he says he embraces it as gasoline, 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 develop into 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 classes when inspiration strikes. What’s your secret to capturing these fleeting moments of inventive lightning for such an iconic movie collection?
Le Fortress Vania: After I sit down to jot down music for these movies, my aim is all the time to deliver my musical voice into the world we’re constructing in a approach 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 observe into the background of a membership scene.
I feel lots of movies have tried to emulate what we’ve accomplished with John Wick, however that’s one of many marks they all the time miss. They’ll license an present digital observe and simply throw it behind a combat or membership scene. However our course of goes approach 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 collection. We’ve constructed a powerful inventive belief. Anytime I begin engaged on music for considered one of his movies, it begins with a dialog. We speak concerning the tone, the emotion, the story and what he needs 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.
Regardless that Chad didn’t direct Ballerina, he produced it and was deeply concerned creatively. He was truly the one who introduced me in on this venture, 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 final vibe that I would like for the scene, I’ll construct a fundamental beat, experiment with sounds or mess around on a synth. That first small spark all the time leads someplace. Earlier than I do know it, I’m deep within the circulate—and that’s when the true 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 position within the John Wick universe? Do you see your self as a personality inside this world, and the way does that affect your inventive path when producing tasks like Ballerina Code?
Le Fortress Vania: Yeah, that was such an unbelievable expertise. Apart from 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 lots 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 inventive 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 truthfully an honor.
One of many largest issues that got here out of filming that scene was Chad’s concept to flip the normal 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 wished the music enjoying dwell on set so the power could be there within the second. The group might dance in time, the actors might really feel the heartbeat. So I wrote an early demo of the observe that might develop into “John Wick Mode,” and we blasted it over the audio system whereas filming. Then later in submit, I refined the observe to match the ultimate minimize of the scene.
That second actually shifted how we work. Ever since then, it’s develop into a part of our course of. For giant 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 concerning the scene he is planning. He’ll lay out the vibe, what he needs 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… perhaps? I might undoubtedly be all the way 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 collection. However even when that doesn’t occur, I’m more than pleased simply getting to assist form the sound of this world. That’s the place I really feel most at house.
EDM.com: You point out introducing “a extra swish and haunting dimension” for Ballerina, however how do you stop 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 steadiness was one thing I considered continually whereas engaged on Ballerina. I all the time wish to push myself creatively and lift the bar with every new venture, but it surely was simply as necessary to me to ensure the music nonetheless carried the identical visceral, highly effective power that followers anticipate from the John Wick universe. There’s a sure uncooked depth that’s develop into a part of the musical DNA of those movies, and I didn’t wish to lose that—I wished to evolve it.
My years of expertise as a DJ and remix artist actually helped with that. That background taught me tips on how to mix contrasting components and create pressure between completely different moods—gentle and darkish, magnificence and aggression, class and chaos. So once I set out to usher in a extra swish and haunting dimension to Ballerina, it was by no means about softening the affect. It was about discovering new methods to deliver depth and distinction to the music whereas nonetheless hitting simply as onerous emotionally and sonically.
In truth, I feel weaving in components of magnificence or class can generally make the brutality really feel much more intense in contrast. It creates that push-and-pull that pulls the listener deeper into the expertise. The secret’s realizing 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 onerous: I’d say tracks like “Ballerina Code” and “One Bullet Properly Positioned” completely ship the form of intense power that Wick followers anticipate. These tracks are supposed to hit onerous and depart 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 probably 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 by some means lesser?
Le Fortress Vania: I’ve accomplished 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 notice 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 once you’re engaged on a extremely featured, rhythm-forward observe like those I create for the John Wick membership scenes, you don’t have that very same flexibility. If you happen to 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 absolutely locked into. It has to hit with surgical precision whereas nonetheless feeling pure and driving.
These scenes current a novel 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 lots of expertise composing to image. That mixture permits me to strategy these scenes in a approach that’s each musically compelling and tightly woven into the visible storytelling.
On the finish of the day, the concept that digital scoring is by some means “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 truthfully, many of the largest and most revered conventional movie composers immediately are all weaving digital components into their scores. It’s develop into part of the fashionable sound of cinema—as a result of when used nicely, these components 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 nicely 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 collection has develop into 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 all the way down to intention. After I’m writing music for these sorts of high-energy scenes, I’m all the time excited about how the music can heighten the story, not simply sit beneath it. I’m not simply making a observe 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 concentrate on 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 delicate. That form of precision helps blur the road between the music and the motion, so all of it seems like one cohesive factor as an alternative of separate layers stacked on prime of one another.
I additionally attempt to deliver a way of ambiance and pressure 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 might 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.
Fortuitously for me, the music is usually meant to be a significant 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 all the time working to seek out that steadiness 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 accomplished proper, it turns into one thing individuals keep 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 burden of fan expectations when crafting music for a venture as high-profile as Ballerina Code? Have you ever ever altered your inventive 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 truthfully superb. I’ve all the time felt lots of help and kindness from them, and I actually recognize how deeply they care about each element—together with the music. Over time, lots of them have develop into followers of my different music outdoors the movies, and meaning loads to me.
I undoubtedly put lots of stress on myself, however I don’t see it as a foul factor. It’s extra like gasoline. It pushes me to lift 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 possibly probably be and to assist elevate the scenes in a significant approach.
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: Truthfully, if I had one remorse, it could be not having extra alternatives to collaborate immediately with my mates Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard. The three of us have all contributed music throughout the John Wick movies, and I actually admire their work. What they’ve created for this universe—particularly the thematic threads and sonic character that run by way of the scores—is unbelievable, and I’ve discovered loads simply from listening to what they’ve accomplished.
Most of my music for the collection has been written individually, often centered across the massive, stylized membership and motion scenes. However I’ve all the time thought it could be cool to do some deeper inventive 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 observe for this movie with the band Evanescence, which was an amazing expertise. I’d’ve liked extra probabilities to mix our kinds 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 in all probability be the one factor I want we might’ve explored extra.
EDM.com: Past John Wick, what style or sort of story do you assume your specific model of digital composition might 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 undoubtedly really feel like I belong within the motion area, particularly in terms 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 can assist form a heightened, trendy world—that’s the place I thrive.
A few of the first soundtracks that ever made me assume, “Rattling, I wish to do music for movie sometime” have been The Matrix and Battle 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 approach that felt contemporary 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 wish 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 total 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 might ship one thing actually particular for the best movie.
I’d like to be often known as the man you name when your movie must really feel massive and badass—once you want music that brings edge, energy and emotion, however nonetheless feels contemporary and trendy. That’s the area I wish to hold pushing ahead.
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