BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Australian composer Darren Lim writes music for the screen. He uses sound to help fuel the narratives of feature films and documentaries. He has freelanced with Bleeding Fingers Music (Hans Zimmer and Extreme Music), and runs Onyx Music — a sound production company for local TV shows and ads.
Songs of the Nightingale, however, symbolises a moment in which Darren has stepped away from the screen, and composed music for the stories he sees in his mind. His debut album was inspired by night. Without a script or vision to guide him, he crafted original music to evoke scenes he’d imagined: moonlit skies, wild water, and fields of war.
Darren tells CutCommon about this ambient new release.
Darren, your debut album came out in January — congratulations! How would you describe the feeling of achieving the goal you’ve worked towards?
Thank you so much! Releasing my debut album was a surreal and incredible experience. It’s been a long journey of hard work, and to finally have it out in the world was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
There was a lot of anticipation and excitement leading up to the release, but also a bit of anxiety about how it would be received. However, the positive feedback and support from listeners has been truly overwhelming, and has made all the hard work and long hours worth it.
It’s a great feeling to know that my music is out there and connecting with people.
Tell us the backstory of Songs of the Nightingale. I understand you were interested in exploring “the complexities of the night and its associated emotions”. Why did you find the night a source of inspiration?
Songs of the Nightingale is a conceptual album about the stories of a nightingale and the things she witnessed in her nocturnal wanderings.
It is definitely a love letter to the night. However, rather than a simple love letter, the album also presents a complex and thought-provoking exploration of the world we live in today.
Firstly, the night has always been a source of fascination and inspiration for me. I feel like it’s a time when I can truly be myself, without any distractions or pretenses. It’s like the darkness provides a kind of shamanic guidance, leading me towards my truest self, and helping me explore my deepest thoughts and emotions. I wanted to explore the main themes of reflection, melancholy, longing, and romance, and weave them together in a way that felt both cohesive and authentic.
For me, the darkness of the night was the perfect environment to write the album. What’s really interesting is that I think everyone can relate to the experience of the night in their own way. There’s something universal and metaphysical about being accompanied by the moon and stars that resonates with everyone. And that’s what inspired me to create an album that could be experienced differently by each listener, like a canvas upon which we can all project our hopes, fears, and dreams.
What are some of the themes you’ve explored within this context of night?
As I explored the night as a source of inspiration for my music, I found myself drawn to certain themes that were especially poignant and powerful. Reflection, introspection, melancholy, and longing were certainly among them, but two themes stood out in particular: war and death.
I know these are heavy topics, but I feel that they are important to explore in the context of the night. My connection to these themes is more about empathy than personal experience. I haven’t personally experienced war, but I can’t help but feel a deep sense of helplessness and sadness when I think about those who have.
Knowing the concept behind the album, I’d love to know how you designed your soundworld. We seem to be able to hear the emptiness or stillness of the night, and also the tension that brings us closer to those specific themes of war and death.
When I started working on the album, my goal was to create a sonic landscape that was as vast and varied as the night sky with all its stars, while simultaneously conveying the tranquility and serenity of the night. Balancing intimacy and grandeur was fundamental to what I wanted to achieve emotionally. It allowed me to explore a wide range of emotions for the listeners to feel like they were on a journey through different emotions, so finding the right balance between these two elements was crucial.
Sound design was also important, such as the sound of the ocean, wind, grass, and even human conflict. These elements were important to me because they added depth and texture to the storytelling of the album. Each sound effect was chosen to enhance the emotion and atmosphere of the music, and help tell the story in a more immersive way.
I’ve also incorporated spoken word elements — another important aspect of the album. They added a sense of familiarity and intimacy, inviting the listener to engage in true introspection and reflection on the themes and emotions explored in the music. I wanted the album to be a complete experience, both musically and emotionally, and the spoken word elements helped to achieve that.
Your music feels cinematic, and I’m assuming this draws from your experience in film. What was it like to create something without vision, and tell a story that was yours from the ground up?
For me, the process of writing without any visual cues or script was a truly liberating experience. It gave me complete creative freedom, and allowed me to explore my imagination to the fullest. I often found myself transported to imaginary places such as dark cliffside rocks with raging waters, moonlit skies filled with stars, a battlefield wrought with conflict, serene autumn fields, and peaceful forests. These vividly imagined settings had a profound impact on the music I created, influencing the mood, tone, and texture of each piece.
Moreover, I enjoyed envisioning many talented people I wanted to work with as protagonists in my story, with no limitations or constraints. This was perhaps my favourite part of the creative process because it invited new ideas and allowed me to explore new possibilities. Writing to these characters in my own settings helped me to craft a story that was truly unique and authentic to my own creative vision.
Why was it important to you to include spoken word in this album, and what are some of the stories you wanted to share through words?
For me, spoken word and sung word offer different experiences. Spoken word can feel more immediate and raw, whereas sung word can be more abstract and open to interpretation.
The most significant reason why I chose to incorporate spoken word into the album was to personify the nightingale herself. I wanted the bird to speak to the listener; to share her stories and observations from her nocturnal wanderings. Kind of like holding up a mirror to ourselves.
The spoken word piece on the album was actually a commissioned poem written by the award-winning Melbourne poet Bella Li. Working closely with Bella for months, we carefully crafted the poem to act as a canvas for the album, guiding listeners through specific themes while still allowing room for interpretation. Incorporating Bella’s words into the album gave it a deeper level of meaning, and helped to bring the concept of the nightingale to life in a very powerful way.
How did you find the process of collaborating with the artists involved in the album?
When it came to bringing Songs of the Nightingale to life, I was very particular about whom I wanted to collaborate with. I had a clear vision for the sound and atmosphere of the album, and I wanted to work with artists who shared that same vision.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Budapest Art Orchestra, as I have long admired many of the films and composers that they have been associated with. In addition to the Budapest Art Orchestra, I also worked with a number of soloists based in Sydney, whom I had been admiring for a while.
Collaborating with these musicians was a great professional highlight. Throughout the process, we found ways to push ourselves creatively further, which made it immensely enjoyable.
Now that you have released your debut album, how do you imagine this experience may influence your music for screen?
Releasing my debut album has been a huge milestone in my musical career, and it’s been an incredibly enriching experience. I feel like I’ve grown so much as an artist and as a person throughout the process, and it’s definitely given me a lot of confidence in my abilities.
As far as future music for screen, I think this album has given me a lot of valuable experience in terms of crafting a cohesive and immersive sonic landscape. It’s also given me a chance to work with some incredibly talented musicians and collaborators, which I know will help me in future projects.
But beyond that, I think this experience has really just reminded me of the importance of staying true to my creative vision and following my instincts. So I’m excited to take everything I’ve learnt, and apply it to whatever projects come my way next.
Parting words before we give it a listen?
I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to create this album and share it with the world. I hope that listeners will find themselves transported to a world of reflection and introspection, and that the music will inspire them in their own journeys. I hope that everyone enjoys listening to Songs of the Nightingale as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Hear Songs of the Nightingale on your chosen music service, and learn more about Darren Lim on his website.
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