Morricone Youth is a New York City band formed in 1999 dedicated to writing, performing and recording music written for the moving image (e.g., film and television

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

and library

production music Production music (also known as stock music or library music) is recorded music that can be licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media. Often, the music is produced and owned by production music libraries. Background ...

). The band is composed of present or past members of

Creedle Creedle is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. They are most known for their three full length albums released on Cargo Music/Headhunter Records in the 1990s, along with numerous 7-inch singles. The band was primarily compose ...

The Rugburns ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Crash Worship Crash Worship or ADRV (''Adoración de rotura violenta'', Spanish for "crash worship") was a San Diego, California based experimental music and performance art ensemble formed in 1986. They were most renowned for live performances partly inspired ...

, Palomar, Pretendo,

Pain Teens Pain Teens was an experimental noise rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 1985 by Scott Ayers and Bliss Blood. The band used tape manipulation, digital delays, sampling, tape cut-ups and other effects in their music. They also included guitar, ...

, Yellowbirds,

Fruit Bats In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

and

Mikael Jorgensen Mikael Jorgensen (born June 4, 1972) is an American musician known as the pianist and keyboardist for the band Wilco as well as a member of the bands Pronto and Quindar. Career Prior to his days in Chicago and with Wilco, Mikael honed his musical ...

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...

's Pronto. The band regularly composes and performs original music to projected films (e.g., silent films, midnight movies, animated films) in live settings including

Jean Rollin Jean Michel Rollin Roth Le Gentil (3 November 193815 December 2010) was a French film director, actor, and novelist best known for his work in the fantastique genre. Overview Rollins' career, spanning over fifty years, featured early short film ...

's '' Fascination'' (1979), David Lynch's ''

Eraserhead ''Eraserhead'' is a 1977 American surrealist film, surrealist horror film written, directed, produced, and edited by David Lynch. Lynch also created its Eraserhead (soundtrack), score and sound design, which included pieces by a variety of oth ...

'' (1977), Rene Laloux's ''

Fantastic Planet ''Fantastic Planet'' (french: La Planète sauvage; cs, Divoká planeta, lit. "The Wild Planet") is a 1973 experimental adult animated science fiction film, directed by René Laloux and written by Laloux and Roland Topor, the latter of whom a ...

'' (1973),

Lotte Reiniger Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger (2 June 1899 – 19 June 1981) was a German film director and the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Her best known films are ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'', from 1926, the first feature-length animated fil ...

's ''

The Adventures of Prince Achmed ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'' (known as ''Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed'' in German) is a 1926 German animated fairytale film by Lotte Reiniger. It is the oldest surviving animated feature film; two earlier ones were made in Argentin ...

'' (1926), Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog'' (1927), George A. Romero's ''

Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven pe ...

'' (1968),

Ron Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

and Valerie Taylor's ''Inner Space'' (1972),

Robert Clouse Robert Clouse (March 6, 1928 – February 4, 1997) was an American film director and film producer, producer, known primarily for his work in the action film, action/adventure and martial arts film, martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1 ...

's ''

Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. It was Lee's final completed film appearance before his death o ...

'' (1973), Jack Hill's '' Foxy Brown'' (1974),

Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the M ...

's '' Danger: Diabolik'' (1968),

Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, Bass wor ...

's '' Phase IV'' (1974), George Miller's ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...

'' (1979),

Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, scree ...

's ''

Battleship Potemkin '' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...

'' (1925) and F.W. Murnau's ''

Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...

'' (1922) and '' Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'' (1927). In addition to composing its own compositions and themes for such films, the band is committed to reinterpreting portions of the original score for each film it performs. Morricone Youth is currently in the process of recording and releasing a vinyl (and digital) LP or EP for each of the fifteen live scores it has performed to date. The first two, EPs for ''Night of the Living Dead'' and ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'', were released in September 2016. A full length LP for ''Mad Max'' was released in January 2017 and the ''Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans'' LP is scheduled for release on August 9, 2017. The band has performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Philadelphia Museum of Art,

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is a museum in a converted Arnold Print Works factory building complex located in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual art and performing ar ...

(

MASS MoCA The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is a museum in a converted Arnold Print Works factory building complex located in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual art and performing ar ...

) and Sydney Festival. In 2017, the band supported 1970s Italian prog soundtrack legends

Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...

on their North American "Sound of Fear" tour. Morricone Youth recorded its debut full length album of original music entitled ''Silenzio Violento'' in 2004 with

Martin Bisi Martin Bisi (born 1961) is an American producer and songwriter. He is known for recording important records by Sonic Youth, Swans, John Zorn, Material, Bill Laswell, Helmet, Unsane, The Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, White Zombie, Boredoms, A ...

at B.C. Studio in Brooklyn, New York released on October 8, 2005 by Country Club Records. Four songs from ''Silenzio Violento'' were used in documentary film '' Second Skin'' directed by Juan Carlos Pineiro about

MMORPGs A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a character (o ...

(Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) and the people who play them. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2008. Although the band was mostly inactive from 2007 to 2010, Morricone Youth resumed performing live in 2011. Current members include Devon E. Levins (guitar), John Castro (bass/vocals), Dan Kessler and Jefferson Rabb (analog keyboards/synthesizers), Evan Francis and Fraser Campbell (saxophone, flute, clarinet), Aaron Bahr (trumpet), Sami Stevens (vocals), and Brian Kantor and Eric Reeves (drums). Guitarist/founder Devon E. Levins hosted a weekly Internet radio show from 2007 to 2014 under the same name on

East Village Radio East Village Radio (EVR), begun in August 2003, was an Internet radio station which broadcast from a storefront studio in the East Village of Manhattan, in New York City. Originally a pirate radio station broadcasting at 88.1 MHz, the st ...

playing primarily obscure film and television soundtracks and library music and interviewing soundtrack composers such as Lalo Schifrin,

Howard Blake Howard David Blake (born 28 October 1938) is an English composer, conductor, and pianist whose career has spanned more than 50 years and produced more than 650 works. Blake's most successful work is his soundtrack for Channel 4’s 1982 film ' ...

Irmin Schmidt Irmin Schmidt (born 29 May 1937) is a German keyboardist and composer, best known as a founding member of the band Can. Biography Schmidt was born in Berlin, Germany, began his studies in music at the conservatorium in Dortmund, at the Folkwan ...

of Can,

Claudio Simonetti Claudio Simonetti (born 19 February 1952) is an Italian musician and film composer. He moved with his family from Brazil to Italy at the age of 11. The keyboardist of the progressive rock band Goblin, Simonetti has specialized in the scores for ...

and Maurizio Guarini of Goblin, Sven Libaek,

John Lurie John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded the Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble; has acted in 19 films, including ''Stranger than Paradise'' and '' Down by Law''; has composed ...

, Danny Elfman,

Elliot Goldenthal Elliot Goldenthal (born May 2, 1954) is an American composer of contemporary classical music and film and theatrical scores. A student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, he is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various ...

Cliff Martinez Cliff Martinez (born February 5, 1954) is an American musician and composer. Early in his career, Martinez was known as a drummer notably with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Captain Beefheart. Since the 1990s, he has worked primarily as a film sc ...

, Carter Burwell,

Fabio Frizzi Fabio Frizzi (born 2 July 1951) is an Italian musician and composer. Born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, he is best known for his film scores and was a frequent collaborator with horror director Lucio Fulci. Frizzi is the older brother of th ...

Alessandro Alessandroni Alessandro Alessandroni (18 March 1925 – 26 March 2017) was an Italian musician and composer. He played multiple instruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion and piano, and composed more than 40 film scores and ...

Jean Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanie ...

Suzanne Ciani Suzanne Ciani (; born June 4, 1946) is an American musician, sound designer, composer, and record label executive who found early success in the 1970s with her electronic music and sound effects for films and television commercials. Her career ha ...

, Andrzej Korzynski,

Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...

and Alan Howarth. The radio show has since moved to

WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...

under the new name Morricone Island. Bassist John Castro is the son of bebop jazz pianist Joe Castro.

Discography

Albums: *''Magnum Force'' (2003) Country Club Records (CCR-003) *''Silenzio Violento'' (2005) Country Club Records (CC01013) *''Mad Max'' (2017) Country Club Records (CCR-009) *''Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans'' (2017) Country Club Records (CCR-010) *''Danger: Diabolik'' (2018) Country Club Records (CCR-011) *''The Last Porno Show: Original Soundtrack'' (2020) Country Club Records (CCR-012) *''The Lodger: The Story Of The London Fog'' (2021) Country Club Records (CCR-013) EPs: *''The Times Square'' (2001) Country Club Records (CCR-001) *''The Sicilian Clan'' (2004) Country Club Records (CCR-004) *''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'' (2016) Country Club Records (CCR-007) *''Night of the Living Dead'' (2016) Country Club Records (CCR-008)

External links

The Official Morricone Youth WebsiteMorricone Island Radio ShowMorricone Youth Radio Show Archives

References

* class=artist, id=p742806, pure_url=yes Allmusicbr>San Diego ReaderNitehawk Cinema
Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups from New York City 1999 establishments in New York City Light In The Attic Records artists