Antonio Escobar Núñez

Antonio Escobar Núñez (born 1976), known professionally as Antonio Escobar, is a Spanish music producer, composer, sound designer and mixing engineer whose career spans music for film, television, advertising, and recording artists. His work is featured in critically acclaimed and award-winning productions, including the Oscar-nominated animated film ''Klaus'', the BAFTA-winning soundtrack of the same, and contributions to Grammy-nominated albums such as John Legend’s ''Love in the Future''.

Recognised as one of the few Spanish composers to maintain an influential presence across commercial music, cinema, and mainstream record production, Escobar has collaborated with international artists such as John Legend and Zara Larsson, and leading Spanish performers including Malú, David Bisbal, Carlos Rivera, and Vanesa Martín.

His musical style blends rock, electronica, pop, orchestral and Latin influences, and has been awarded in festivals for both advertising and film music.

Early life and education

Antonio Escobar Núñez was born in Pamplona in 1976 and raised in Málaga, where he began experimenting with music at age 15.

Career

Early career in Málaga (2000–2002)

Escobar began his professional career in Málaga in 2000, joining Localia Málaga as a sound technician for live television broadcasts. Shortly afterward, he worked as a recording and mixing engineer in the studio of the Spanish singer Manzanita, participating in studio sessions and developing his technical skills.

Move to Madrid and advertising (2002–2005)

In 2002, Escobar relocated to Madrid to join A.S.K., the advertising music division led by retired Hispano-Argentine producer Alejo Stivel. Within a few years, he became one of the most in-demand composers in Spain's advertising industry, crafting original music for major campaigns by Coca-Cola, Carlsberg or Amena, among many others. His work during this period was recognised with several national and international awards, solidifying his reputation for innovation and versatility in advertising music production.

Antipop Studios and record production (2005–2015)

In 2005, Escobar founded Antipop Studios in Madrid, a creative hub dedicated to music production for film, advertising, and recording artists. Through this venture, he established himself as a leading figure in Spain’s contemporary music scene, delivering high-impact work across multiple industries.

Advertising music: Escobar composed original scores for major brands including Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Carlsberg, Endesa, Movistar, and Aena.

Record production and mixing: His collaborations span both international and national artists:
* John Legend – contributed a track to the deluxe edition of ''Love in the Future'', a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum album.
* Zara Larsson – produced the song “Invisible” featured in the animated film '' Klaus''.
* Spanish artists – worked with a wide array of acclaimed acts including Malú, David Bisbal, Carlos Rivera, Porta, Barei, Dvicio, Vanesa Martín, Carlos Baute, OBK, Anni B Sweet, Carles Benavent, La Mari, Salvador Beltrán, Lolita Flores, Lonely Joe (as Alan May), Lucas, Luis Ramiro, Marwan, Vanexxa, and Zahara.

Selected credits in film and television (2008–present)

Since 2008, Escobar has developed a distinguished career composing and producing music for film and television, contributing to a wide array of internationally recognized projects.

* ''Miente'' (2008) – Composer for this acclaimed short film, which won the Goya Award for Best Fictional Short Film and Best Original Score at the Medina del Campo Film Festival.

* ''Alex’s Strip'' (2019) – Principal composer for this feature film, nominated for a Goya Award for Best Original Score and winner of Best Score at the Las Vegas Film Awards.

* ''Klaus'' (2019) – Member of the music team for this animated film, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, seven Annie Awards, two Quirino Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

* ''Reyes de la noche'' (2021) – Served as principal composer for this Spanish television series.

* ''The King of All the World'' (2021) – Executive music producer, mixer, and score producer.

* ''Memento Mori'' (2023–2025) – Composer of additional music, producer, and mixer for this Prime Video thriller series.

* ''Death’s Roulette'' (2023) – Music producer and mixer.

* ''Marco Polo'' (2023) – Music editor.

* Other works – Escobar’s additional credits include titles such as ''El Cid'', ''Santiago of the Seas'', and select international trailers including ''Black Panther''.

Label collaborations

Escobar has worked with numerous major and independent record labels throughout his career. These include Columbia, EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, as well as Spanish and European labels such as Vale Music, Subterfuge, El Diablo, Lunar, and Weekend.

Capital Sound and later activities

In the early 2020s, Escobar founded **Capital Sound**, a boutique music production studio located in central Madrid (General Lacy, 24), which he established as one of Spain’s most highly regarded facilities for sonic production. The studio comprises four acoustically treated rooms equipped with Dolby Atmos, high-end microphones and hardware, and has hosted artists such as Blas Cantó, Ana Guerra, Porta, La Mala Rodríguez, Belén Aguilera, and TheGrefg.

Capital Sound offers world-class services including production, mixing, mastering, and audiovisual composition. Escobar leads a team that collaborates on advertising, film and record projects, and partners with music-technology companies such as Steinberg. He also maintains an active presence in professional communities like Hispasonic.

Teaching and lecturing

Escobar maintains a robust academic and educational profile, sharing his expertise through university courses, workshops, and publications.

* University teaching and guest lectures
** University of Magdalena (Colombia) – invited lecturer on music production and audiovisual scoring.
** Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Spain – delivered seminars and masterclasses in music production.
** University of Seville, Spain – guest in sessions focused on film scoring and sound design.
** Institutions in Mexico – conducted workshops and masterclasses on mixing and production techniques.
** Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid (ECAM) – guest lecturer in film scoring and sound design workshops.

* Workshops, masterclasses and written contributions
** Over 25 years writing technical and educational articles on mixing, production, and music technology for Hispasonic.com, including “Conceptos básicos sobre la mezcla”.
** Active speaker at events organised by Steinberg, Hispasonic, and ECAM, covering topics such as audio mixing innovation and audio-for-picture methodologies.

Selected awards and recognition

Escobar has received numerous national and international awards across music, advertising, and film industries:

Advertising and commercial music

Recognised for major campaigns with Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Metro de Madrid, among others. Awards include:
* Gold Medal – New York Film Festival (2006) for RTVE's "Comunícate" spot
* Silver and Bronze – Metro de Madrid and Coca-Cola campaigns
* Finalist – Cannes Lions and London International Awards for Coca-Cola's "Musical"

With Maydrïm

* Muestra de Música Joven Ciudad de Málaga (2000)
* International Shock Millennium – Best Song ("Drink My Eyes") (2001)
* Caja España Electronic Music Contest – Best Song ("Lighthouse") (2007)

Film-score awards

* ''Miente'' (2008): Best Original Score – Medina del Campo; also won Best Fictional Short Film at the 23rd Goya Awards (2009)
* ''Alex’s Strip'' (2019): Best Score – Las Vegas Film Awards 2020; nominated for Goya Award – Best Original Score
* ''Looking for Eimish'' (2012): Nominated by Spanish Film Critics Association (CEC) for Best Original Score

Participation in major industry nominations

Part of music teams for award-winning and nominated projects, notably ''Klaus'' (BAFTA, Annie Awards, Quirino Awards, Academy Award nomination).

Production credits on Grammy-nominated albums

* John Legend’s ''Love in the Future'' (deluxe edition)

References

External links

IMDb profileLinkedIn profileHispasonic articles

{{DEFAULTSORT:Escobar Nunez, Antonio
1976 births
Living people
People from Pamplona
People from Málaga
Musicians from Andalusia
Spanish record producers
Spanish composers
Spanish film score composers
Sound designers
Mixing engineers