FYC - the 2025 grammy awards

Hello, and welcome! This film and soundtrack, DEAD WHISPER is a love-letter to the classic horror films like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Shining”, with the modern aesthetic of “Hereditary”.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:

The film charted on the Apple TV Horror Charts and was mentioned by COLLIDER as one of the “Top Horror Movies Releasing in July”, alongside such heavyweights as MaXXXine and Longlegs.

The score won the SESAC / New Music USA Reel Change Grant, and features a 30 pc string section (recorded in Macedonia), woodwinds by Ashley Jarmack (The Witcher, The Wheel of Time shows), vocals by Abby Lyons (featured vocalist on The Wheel Of Time), and percussion by Bobak Lotfipour (Netflix’s Hellraiser, A24’s The Green knight).

I found and recorded an ancient thai instrument, Mayan death whistles, wind wands and other exotic instruments to create a sense of musical worldbuilding throughout the score.

I hope you enjoy all the love that went into the making of this, and thanks for watching and listening!

LISTEN TO ALBUM

ALBUM CREDITS

Music by Nikhil Koparkar

Produced by Nikhil Koparkar

Live Score Production by: Joy Music House

Live Score Producer: Catherine Joy

Live Score Supervisor: Robbinton Hobbs

Orchestrators:

Edith Mudge

H. B. Thal

Ray D. Kim

Louis Stevens

Joss Saltzman

Somesh Yatham

Copyists:

Seth Crail, Aleph Cervo

Score Mixed & Mastered by: Brian R. Taylor

Score Performed By:

Strings - FAMES Project

Winds - Ashley Jarmack

Vocals - Abby Lyons 

Percussion - Bobak Lotfipour

THE ALBUM INSPIRATION

This score is a labor of love, and my 4th collaboration with filmmaker Conor Soucy. This inherent friendship and trust allowed me to run with my crazy ideas, including learning to play the ancient Thai bamboo instrument (Khaen), and combine it with a 30 pc live string section, woodwinds, Mayan Death Whistles, vocals, percussion and more experimental and exotic instruments. I even wrote themes in front of him whilst spotting the film! A true collaborative experience.

It was a fun challenge figuring out how to make that work logistically, whilst still feeling like an homage to throwback horror films with a modern twist.

We all inspired each other throughout the process, and the end result is that everyone on the team (from Brian Taylor the score mixer to the fabulous musicians), went all out to create a score we hope will remind people of the films they grew up with.

RECENT PRESS

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Nikhil Koparkar is an award-winning composer and performing artist who creates scores and songs for Film, Television and Gaming.

He is the composer of the 2024 psychological horror film, Dead Whisper, named one of the “Best Horror Movies Releasing July 2024” on COLLIDER, and charting on the Apple TV Horror Charts.

In 2023, he wrote the official main theme for Riot Games’ League Of Legends - Lunar New Year Campaign, which is featured in all their videos, in-game, as well as the foundation for other composers’ music

He previously worked as an additional composer alongside Lorne Balfe at 14th Street Music, writing and arranging music on TV shows like Netflix’s Life On Our Planet, Amazon’s The Wheel Of Time, HBO’s His Dark Materials, and the Hulu docu-series, Victoria’s Secret: Angels & Demons.

In addition to scoring, Nikhil works with Joy Music House on score production, most notably on the Oscar-Nominated score to A24’s Minari and Amazon’s Homecoming for Emile Mosseri, as well as the Netflix show, Untold for Brocker Way.

In December 2021, Nikhil wrote the trailer music for Riot Games’ League of Legends: Wild Rift champion reveal. His official theme song for the Cusco Futbol Club (a Peruvian national soccer team) will soon be played at stadium games and press events in Peru, and his 90 minute live orchestra score for the upcoming film The Candle & the Curse will be released soon.

His specialty of combining instruments from different cultures with a modern western cinematic palette led to his being invited to give a Talks At Google in 2019.