This episode stars pulp fiction lover and sound designer extraordinaire, Brian Emrich.

Tucked away in an unassuming Brooklyn apartment, Brian Emrich puts the finishing touches on sound design for The Fountain, the next release from director Darren Aronofsky. From howler monkey’s he recorded in the jungles of South America to cricket sounds created from deconstructed bits of dialogue from actress Rachel Weiss, Brian meticulously crafts the sonic landscape of the final edits of the movie, Surrounded by his collection of pulp fiction novels, original cover artwork and insects mounted in shadow boxes, not to mention exotic instruments like waterphones and singing rods, Brian seems at home with all things just a wee bit left of center.

Which is precisely why he’s rapidly becoming one of the most sought after talents in the world of sound design for films and commercials.

Brian’s quick to point out that he "stumbled" into sound design when Aronofsky tapped his creativity for the movie Pi, a film which landed Brain and the young director critical acclaim for its raw visual power and assaultive sonic palette. But it was their collaboration on the follow-up Requiem for a Dream that set the bar. For Brian, it was a defining moment.

Brian followed up the success of Requiem with work on One Hour Photo, Phone Booth and Wonderland. His commercial credits also began to accumulate, as directors sought his talents to compliment their visuals. He's handled the sonic scoring for projects that range from numerous Nike and Adidas ads to commercials for Audi, Toyota, The Home Depot, Gatorade, Calvin Klein and Propel.

But Brian’s talent isn’t limited to sound design. An accomplished bassist and composer, he’s been a part of projects that mirror the diversity and eccentricities of his approach to sound design, including Congo Norvell, Foetus and The Toasters. His compositions have been featured in soundtracks for the movies Pi and Requiem for a Dream, on Pink Floyd tribute albums and in commercials.

We’re happy to have Brian as a member of our creative community. If you’re interested in having him brand your next spot with his unique brand of sound design, contact me.

We’ll hook you up.

For another interesting look at Brian, check out this article in Vintage Microphone.

This episode stars über-remixer Rolf "Jam" Ellmer.

Uli and I climbed the narrow, cement staircase at the back of club Elfer, one of the premier punk clubs here in Frankfurt, Germany. As we took the last step, we walked through a narrow door and into a small studio littered with guitars, vintage synths, consoles and computers.

This is the world of Rolf Ellmer, a classically trained musician, composer, producer and artist best known to his fans as one half of the duo Jam and Spoon.

It was 1992 when Jam and Spoon broke through the early trance scene with their innovative remix of the self-titled single by Age of Love. With their follow-up smash, “Stella” (from their first ep Tales from a Danceographic Ocean,) the duo took the remix genre by storm, remixing material for Moby, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Deep Forest.

In 1993 they released “Right in the Night (Fall in Love with Music),” which featured American-born vocalist Playka. The single shot to the top of the charts around the world. For the next few years, Jam and Spoon became part of every clubber's regular diet. Their next world-wide hit emerged in 1999, with a rework of their earlier hit, "Stella." Their most recent album, Tripomatic Fairytales 3003 (the follow-up to Tripomatic Fairytales 2001 and Tripomatic Fairytales 2003) was released in June, 2004. In addition to their work as Jam and Spoon, both Rolf and Markus Löffel (aka "Spoon") continue to work on remix projects and independent productions.

As passionate as he is about grooves, Rolf is just as passionate about melody. He considers writing a craft, and particularly enjoys creating sonic landscapes that are lush and cinematic. Rolf infuses his work with a decidedly global flair, and we’re happy to count him as a member of the iV creative community.

If you’d like to hear more from Rolf, or if you're interested in having him work on your next spot, contact me.

We’ll hook you up.

For a more complete Jam and Spoon discography, check here.