Silva Screen Records digitally release Jeroen Swinnen’s dark Symphonic score for Before We Die, the Channel 4’s Bristol Noir remake of Sweden crime series Innan Dör...

Those that have seen Before We Die will already know how integral the music is in helping to create the building suspense and drama on the show, but that doesn't mean that it it doesn't work outside of the medium it was composed for. On the contrary. In fact it works wonderfully well as a melancholic, richly layered collection of themes in its own right. The tracks build and grow as the music moves ever forward, creating an eerie, rather sad soundscape that never stands still for a minute, nor does it descend into cliched territory.

Discussing the project, composer Jeroen Swinnen says: "In many series these days the music tends to be more of a minimalistic underscore for the scenes it supports. It is usually a matter of ‘less is more’. For the score of Before We Die I was constantly challenged to do more, give it more energy, bigger melodies, more drama, bigger action, and I loved every bit of it! To compose a soundtrack to the poetic and filmic style of director Jan Matthys was a gift and a challenge at the same time. It is quite rare to get that much space from a director."

The themes spread over these 21 tracks (52 min, 55 sec) represent a wonderfully diverse selection of themes. I mellow, atmospheric pieces are your thing, then you'll love tracks like 'Guilt'. 'Requiem for a Lover' is a brooding, melancholic piece that tugs at the heart strings. There's real menace and suspense packed into 'Dark Place'. In fact, from track to track there's so much to enjoy that it really is a score you should seriously consider adding to your music library.

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Darren Rea