Ramin Djawadi and the Importance of a Good Soundtrack

Pirre Vaarala
Dec 20, 2016
3 min read

Think about the Harry Potter movies. Does the theme song start playing in your head, or possibly some other song from the movies? Now think of James Bond. Same reaction? It usually is.

Soundtracks are a crucial part of a movie or series production as they really set the tone for the product AND they either finalize or break the immersion the movie/series is attempting to establish. A good soundtrack will live on for years and even decades after the release of the movie/series - like Titanic's soundtrack has done.

The key to a successful soundtrack is a talented composer who, in case they get to compose the whole soundtrack, can create a singular musical piece that flows through the story and comes all together even when it is presented through many different songs. Composers who can do that get their share of the fame the franchise gets, and after a few successful hits they will be known by their name rather than just the melody so people can point them out: this is my favourite composer.

For me that composer is Ramin Djawadi.

The first time I got introduced to Djawadi's music was in Iron Man (2008), even though back then I had never heard his name and didn't pay much attention to it either. The first time I learned his name and connected it to his music was when I started watching Game of Thrones (2011-) and fell in love with it opening credits. And the moment I found out that Djawadi was also the man behind one of my all-time favourite soundtracks, Pacific Rim (2013), I knew I had found my favourite composer.

Ramin Djawadi is arguably the most famous for composing the soundtracks for all seasons of Game of Thrones. Aside from that and the two mentioned earlier the 42-year old German-Iranian composer has created soundtracks for Prison Break (2005-2009), Warcraft (2016) and now latest Westworld (2016). Especially Game of Thrones has gained him multiple industrial awards for his work.

The funny thing about finding your favourite composer is the change in the way how you look at new titles being released. Once you notice the composer's name being connected to the new series/movie you immediately get more curious - at least that's how it has worked for me. The composer's credit is already a proof that there is one thing to look forward to: the soundtrack.

I recently started watching the new HBO series Westworld and even though I was already curious about the series, the final push came when the opening credits kicked in and Djawadi's name was displayed on screen. I was sold because I knew it would be a ride worth every non-paid penny, at least for the soundtrack. And I was not let down.

By now I've pretty much learned to detect Djawadi's work which is rather easy given his distinguishable style of using piano, keyboard, guitar and synthesizer in a beautiful harmony. For me he is a musical genius of this era and I look forward to what new projects he will get to work with now that he has gotten into the public attention - of course given, that HBO is willing to let him work for anyone else than them from now on.

To end this confusing ramble I'd like to post some of my favourites of his pieces.