Founded by Scuta Salamanca in 2002, we are a boutique music production company based in our studios
in Hackney.
We specialise in bespoke composition and music supervision for clients and we love it.
Having worked in agencies, we know how music fits into the busy production schedule for our
clients.
We have produced award winning work with composer talent from all around the globe, and we make
sure we hit the brief bang on every time.
Scuta Salamanca
Creative Director
07779 120 339
scuta@sovietscience.com
Tom Cathcart
Project Manager
07702 797 252
tom@sovietscience.com
Follow us on Twitter
Address:
Unit 1
Eastbrook House
Brooksby's Walk
London
E9 6FW
Soviet
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Jagged Whispers Ashore is Julie Greve and Jan Vrhovnik’s glacially beautiful film for fashion label JW Anderson. Inspired by Soviet film maker Andrei Tarkovsky, the film was shot on an abandoned island in Denmark.
Working closely with the directors we created a vintage sounding soundtrack blending woodwind with atmospheric sound design that pulls you into a dream.
While we encourage you to watch the film in full, if you want to skip straight to the music, it gets started at 1:14.
We were asked to re-record a pastiche of the classic Modern Major-General’s Song from Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. The musical arrangement was to be as per the orchestral original but the lyrics were re-written to inspire the general public. The creatives had written some great words to replace the original lyrics and we then helped mould and shape them to really create a perfect pastiche. We then recorded an 18 piece choir from Crouch End Festival Chorus, led by their Chorus Master, David Temple MBE at the legendary Livingston Studios in Wood Green.They delivered an amazing rendition of our new lyrics. It was real pleasure to work with everyone involved and with such a classic song.
We turned the classic 1980s Cadbury’s Roses song “Thank You Very Much…” in to a new sonic mnemonic. Everyone over a certain age can remember the song so we condensed it down to a single line to celebrate 80 years of saying thank yo with Roses. You can hear it for the first time signing off this great spot directed by Ben Liam Jones.
David Reviews gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and Pick Of The Day. Their Editor, Jason Stone, said our new mnemonic was “....a cleverly restrained version!”
It’s rare to get a really great creative concept or idea that is part of the nation’s folklore - cheese gives you weird dreams - that lets us stretch our creative imagination to heighten such surreal imagery on screen.
Moving from scene to scene we seamlessly scored the soundtrack adding weird and wonderful musical themes and elements including dog barks and time signature changes to make a really tightly packed score that is finally disrupted by a giant pack of cheese.
We expanded the music for the main commercial out in to a full score for this making of video. New ideas and themes explore even further depths of cheese dreams.
We created a sound design track using very organic human and craft sounds combined with a very subtle rhythm track to bring a sense of urgency and fun to this fun social media spot.
Kenny the Koala is back. This time he’s soundtracked with our bespoke adventure theme. Intrigue leads to suspense and then to a cunning escape out of the window - just in the nick of time!
TK Maxx’s second Christmas campaign has earned 5 stars and Pick Of The Day from David Reviews. And it’s ridiculous! We’re proud to have arranged the intro underscore to 12 Days Of Christmas as part of the soundtrack. As the festivities take a hike to ridiculous-ness, pop-rock band Pilot’s 1975 hit, Magic, comes barrelling through the door. But this version was re-recorded by the band themselves as a festive version “Ho Ho Ho It’s Christmas”! We love it.
Channel 4 were looking for a track that sounded energetic and futuristic that could also sit well against Guy’s voice on this promo for Guy Martin Vs The Robot Car. “Hyperactive” by our Creative Director’s band Social Skills was chosen and gives just the right futuristic energy to get people watching.
The agency were looking for a slightly spooky murder mystery style soundtrack using a Theremin (an electronic instrument you don’t actually touch when you play it). It was even invented by a Soviet inventor (Léon Theremin) in the 1920s, so you know…it was a natural fit for us!’
Like all classic villainous movies, this one needed a musical theme. The agency approached us to create a dramatic, orchestral, 60s movie score and having worked on the launch films (Arctic and Dinghy) last year, we were honoured to get the call to continue our work with both the agency and brand.
A powerful music anthem was needed as the backdrop to this film reminding us about the power of the dreamers and visionaries who inspire us to succeed.
We salute the mavericks, the vanguard, the visionaries who push the boundaries of what we even call advertising and hurtle it into scary and unchartered territory. These are the minds (and hands) that deserve to hit that stage on 8th November at the 2017 Shots Awards and collect their due praise for changing the game.
This film promoting the 2017 Shots Awards features advertising luminaries all talking to camera repeating the same dialogue, like the advertising trope of the vox pops. And in keeping with the “pledge” style - our Creative Director, Scuta Salamanca wrote some “..sad piano music” to keep the mood earnest and emotive.
We were asked us to find a bold, bittersweet, contemporary song that would stand out on screen and embody the tone and urban vibe of both brand and commercial. We were also told - No straight Hip-Hop, No Bands, No Singer-Songwriters and No Pop. The chosen track is performed by upcoming artist Tala and perfectly reflects Bose’s strap line ‘Nothing comes between you and your music’.
We wrote a dark 80s infused techno track to sit brooding and burning under Pokerstars’ latest campaign starring Christiano Ronaldo. Emerging from the background at the start, the track opens up towards the end of the spot and the music features at the forefront to help reinforce the end logo shot.
The opening titles sequence needed a cool, contemporary synth led Indie track to accompany it. We provided the music package including sound for the titles, loops and stings.
As the two cars jostle for position on the track in this action spot we use just drums and double bass in technically challenging fast paced jazz piece to match the action.
Two arctic explorers are stuck out on the ice. All hope is lost! Radioing for help one of them is attacked by a polar bear whilst the other is more interested in the football scores on the radio. We scored a late 60s style dramatic orchestral piece to top and tail this film helping to set the scene and also enhance the comedy drama
We were asked to write a movie-style score that would complement the humour and ensuing chaos that surrounds the Meerkat caped crusaders as they rush to get to the cinema on time. The agency and client shared our view that we should record the piece with a full orchestra which we did with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra to create the real deal.
A story of West meeting East. We carefully blend the two cultures musically to help tell the story of our young dreamer imagining the future ahead of him.
Our light orchestral score enhances the comic character interplay on screen, whilst playing to the heritage of Jaguar. With a nod to films from the Silent Era, we were really able to play to the timings of the on screen action.
WINNER - 2016 Music & Sound Awards - Best Original Score for Trailers and Promos. We were commissioned to score a soundtrack that blended both Victorian and modern day London for this online trailer. We track the majestic flight of Sidney the Bald Eagle soaring through the sky, building the sense of drama with each scene as she visits iconic landmarks before settling at the Tower of London
What first appears to be a generic tablet/phone ad actually reveals Jaguar’s own state-of-the-art touch screen in-car comms system. We help set up the piece as a pastiche with a suitably happy-clappy soundtrack and at the reveal we switch to a pumping R&B track to help this classic brand show us that they are on the money when it comes to the latest in-car tech.
We were asked to write a selection of different styles of music for the agency to choose for this commercial. The spot sees the car’s driver switch between a Jazz station and a Pop station plus his sat nav and emails. We attended the shoot to rehearse with the in-car band and got them to play along to the tracks. Also notice Scuta’s first foray in to Voice Over Work as he is the R Link Traffic and Email voice!
Tingel Tangel is an experimental dance film we worked on with director, Kathryn Ferguson. We were asked to put together a take on the music of composer Kurt Weill, to fit with the film’s parody of Busby Berkeley style chorus lines of the 1920’s. You might also recognise one of the dancers, a young Paloma Faith…
Scoring a modern latin-influenced Big Band piece we follow Subway’s Bell Boy as he twists and turns through the New York urban jungle to deliver perfection.
Our light orchestral score enhances the comic character interplay on screen, whilst playing to the heritage of Jaguar. With a nod to films from the Silent Era, we were really able to play to the timings of the on screen action.
WINNER Kinsale Sharks 2014 Bronze for Best Use of Sound Design/Music. We wrote an emotive score to help bring stories from our WW1 heroes home. Quintessentially British in sound, we drew from the arranging style of Vaughan Williams to balance heartfelt emotion with respect and understatement.
One music track to cover the evolution of music over the past 100 years. After lots of research we wrote and structured this track that helps place our hero character in each decade’s latest trend. It’s had over 13 million hits on YouTube and hit the Number 1 spot on Adweek’s Top 10 YouTube Brand Videos so people seem to like it.
Things get explosive in the first of our series of three spots for Durex Play. This time Sparks fly as our powerful piece of dubstep ups the ante.
Brain and Mouth are the eccentric Subway character duo who are always at odds with each other. We wrote a quirky soundtrack using Xylophone for Brain and Surf Guitar for Mouth to heighten both of their characters. Scored tightly to their action on screen, both instruments spar over a backing track that would fit right in to a Wes Anderson film.
“Creatures” sees our hero getting it all wrong again in his second attempt to infiltrate the Norwegians. We expanded our launch film theme in to a more early John Barry-esque score this time.
A boy spent his summers in Quetico Park, but he won’t be going back, not after what happened to a girl called Francis Brandywine. ‘Francis’ was an Official Selection at the Raindance Film Festival 2013 and nominated for Best Original Composition/Short Film Score at the Music & Sound Awards 2014. It was also selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
A game of two halves - we start with the percussive tension of a heist with a pay off that’s South American Carnivale.
We worked with Scuta’s band The Dallas Guild to make this rousing soundtrack for the new Nurofen documentary style campaign. The track is also available as a single on iTunes - it’s called ‘The Great Unknown’. Check out our ‘Making Of’ video to see the band in action down at Miloco Studios - Hoxton Square.
Our classic cinematic espionage soundtrack for Telenor plays off Steve Van Zandt’s (Sopranos,Lilyhammer) brilliant comedy performance to create the tension and timings you would expect from Hollywood rather than Norway. Think Pink Panther, Dr Strangelove and Zelig brought together by our deluded secret agent - The Chameleon. Watch out for more in the series!
One of three brilliantly executed mini slice of life films. We wrote a playful track to highlight these light hearted real-life situations. The track was then tweaked to fit each film with the same musical sign-off at the end to tie the series together.
We wrote this track to complement the music being used on the TV campaign and also to add some neat sync points to the story
We wrote this piece using natural instruments to soundtrack an upbeat and modern Scotland.
A simple but stirring soundtrack that took us from the beautiful melancholia of night to the uplifting and inspiring new day.
Definitely not what you’d expect from Scholl. The agency went out to the Ukraine to shoot this beautiful film with a nod to the amazing Technicolor musicals of the 50′s and 60′s. We were asked to come up with music that reflected the pastel tones, impeccable styling and fantastic art direction and make this something really special.
We went with the band to Miloco Studios in Hoxton Square,London to record the Strings Section and the Drums for their track. Here they are talking about it.
Our track “The Great Unknown” also features on the online documentary films in the online support campaign.
Featuring The London South African Singers in this banging tribal electronic track we brought together two cultures that are worlds apart for the Titles and Broadcast Package across the BBC coverage.
Our electronic version of ‘Little Boxes’ continues the O2 theme but gives it a modern twist. Lots of love on YouTube with over 2.7 million hits.
‘Johnny Comes Marching Home’ is played as if Les Dawson himself was your provider of clunky broadband in the first half of this piece. The second half transforms in to a light, effortless Chopin-esque rendition for O2.
We help tell Boris’s story of struggling Russian farmer to becoming a successful web entrepreneur. This one’s in Russian so we used a transition from traditional rustic folk to something Mumford’s would be proud of to make it work in any language.
Sounds and styles from every corner of the world take you on a sonic rollercoaster ride through the story of the world’s untapped potential.
Even before The Dallas Guild had brought out their debut album ‘Hello Darkness’ we sync’d ‘Men In White Coats’ to this stunning summer ad.
We produced the debut mini album for Sandra & The Memory Machine. Their track ‘Electric’ beautifully reflects the creeping atmosphere of anticipation for this nationwide UK ad.
This title sequence covers all the classic styles of cartoon music from the last 70 years tightly synchronized to picture. See if you can name them all!
We wrote this very ‘serious’ orchestral/choral piece with ethereal drama in mind. It’s helps set this spoof’s authenticity in gently mocking fragrance commercials.
Our spooky nursery rhyme arrangement of Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender”. Childlike innocence mixed with a little tension.
The car is quirky, fun and cute. We think the music is too. Don’t forget the popcorn!
Back to basics fingerpicking acoustic guitar sets the scene for this feather light summery ad.
We wanted to make a very organic natural sounding track so we layered up xylophones, marimbas and other orchestral instruments to make a summery soundtrack with SFX made from real instruments too.