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Jonathan Morali

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Jonathan Morali
Born22 May 1980
Paris, France
GenresVideo game music, Indie, Folk, Pop, Rock
Years active2002–present
Websitejonathanmorali.com

Jonathan Morali (born 22 May 1980) is a French composer, songwriter, singer, founder and frontman of the band Syd Matters. He is also the composer of many films and videogames original scores (e.g., Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange 2).[1][2]

Biography

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Debut and Syd Matters

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Jonathan Morali was born in Paris[3] on 22 May 1980. He began his performing career playing at small bars until he was noticed by Third Side Records and signed to a recording contract.[citation needed] His first album, A Whisper and a Sigh, which was recorded during the summer of 2002 and released 28 June 2004.[citation needed] Developing an atmospheric folk-pop style that featured acoustic settings combined with electronica-influenced touches that sounded a bit like a hybrid between Nick Drake and Radiohead.[citation needed]

Since Syd Matters’ debut, their experimental genre has been continuously reviewed by critics. Their second album, "Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles", brought the band mainstream attention with a review in the 32nd issue of Music Week.[4] The unique sound they produce has been said to draw inspiration from genres such as prog rock,[5] dub music,[6] and Traditional pop,[7] while also resembling that of singer-songwriter artists[7][8] but at its core is often considered a mix between folk and electronic genres.[4][6][7] In their reviews, they have also been compared to other artists such as Fleet Foxes, Fionn Regan, Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, and Nick Drake.[5][6][8]

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His songs "To All of You" ("American Girls") and "Hello Sunshine", a Super Furry Animals cover, were featured in the television series The O.C. in season 3's The Party Favor and season 4's The Metamorphosis, respectively.[9][10] Additionally, "Obstacles" and "To All of You" were featured in Dontnod Entertainment's 2015 video game Life Is Strange.

Featured Syd Matters songs :

Film score

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In addition to his career with Syd Matters, Morali is a film composer. His most notable works are the soundtracks for Möbius, Les Adoptés (The Adopted), and La Question humaine, the latter of which was composed under the name Syd Matters. Morali also collaborated with director Rémi Chayé to create the score for the animated film Long Way North (2015), where he included two tracks by Syd Matters in the soundtrack.[11]

Video games and Life Is Strange

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Morali is also well-known for the creation of Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange 2 original scores.[12] A gamer himself, he had been contacted by directors Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch to work on the first season of Life Is Strange at the very beginning of the development of the game. Director Raoul Barbet wanted to have some songs from his band in the game, and Morali agreed to compose the whole soundtrack in addition to allowing the use of "To All of You" and "Obstacles".[13]

The soundtrack of Life Is Strange has won numerous awards including: Best Soundtrack at the 2015 PlayStation Universe awards, best soundtrack at the Game Informer Best of 2015 awards and best soundtrack at the Titanium Awards.[14]

Morali also composed the Life Is Strange 2 original score.[15]

Other projects

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Jonathan has also composed music for plays, radio plays, opera and museums:

  • 2016: Original creation around Dante's Inferno for France Culture radio, with Syd matters members. It will be played at Avignon festival.[16]
  • 2019–2020 : Soundtrack creation of Pas de deux play by Julien Favart.
  • 2019–2020 : Original creation for Abu Dhabi's Louvre museum.
  • 2020: Original creation around Franz Kafka's "La 'Métamorphose, still with Syd matters, for France Culture radio.

Video games

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Film

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As Jonathan Morali

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As Syd Matters

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Albums (Syd Matters)

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Studio albums

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Singles/EPs

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Compilations

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Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2002 Syd Matters – A Whisper and a Sigh CQFD Inrocks Mag Won
2008 La Question humaine Victoires de la musique, "Album de musique originale de cinéma ou de télévision" Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange (video game) Fun and Serious Game Festival – ES Titanium Awards – Best Soundtrack Won
2015 Life Is Strange US DarkCast: Games of the Year 2015 – Best Music Won
2015 Life Is Strange Quebec PlayStation Universe 2015 Awards – Best Musical Soundtrack Won
2015 Life Is Strange US Game Informer – Best Of 2015 Awards – Best Soundtrack Won
2015 Life Is Strange Golden Joystick Awards – Best Audio Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange Paste Magazine – Best Videogame Soundtracks Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange Hardcore Gamer – Best of 2015 – Best Licensed Soundtrack Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange Game Revolution – Best of 2015 Awards – Best Soundtrack Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange Playstation Blog – Game of the Year – Best Soundtrack Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers – Original Light Mix Score, New IP Won
2015 Life Is Strange National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers – To All Of You – Song, Original or Adapted Won
2015 Life Is Strange National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers – Song Collection Nominated
2015 Life Is Strange Ping Awards – Meilleure Bande-son Nominated
2016 Life Is Strange Polygon – Emotional Game Awards – Best Emotional Music Nominated
2017 Tout en haut du monde European Animation Awards – Best Soundtrack in a Feature Film Production Nominated
2018 Life Is Strange 2 Ping Awards – Meilleure Bande-son Nominated
2019 Life Is Strange 2 Académie des Arts et Techniques du Jeu Vidéo – Pégases – Meilleure Univers Sonore Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Ducome, Arnaud (2 July 2019). "" Des millions de gens découvrent l'art et l'histoire manette en main "". Usbek&Rica (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. ^ Metreau, Joel (23 January 2016). "La bande originale folk à lier d'un jeu vidéo". 20 minutes (France) (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. ^ Priya Matharu (27 November 2017). "Emile Awards: Long Way from Stage to Screen with Jonathan Morali". Score It Magazine.
  4. ^ a b Syd Matters: Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles. (2005). Music Week.
  5. ^ a b "Syd Matters // Brotherocean". Outline Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Yann Tiersen / Syd Matters @ The Junction, Cambridge 11.11.10". beardedmagazine.com. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "Syd Matters: Syd Matters". PopMatters. 1 August 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Album Review: Syd Matters – A Whisper And A Sigh". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  9. ^ "The OC Music: Tracks that are played on TV series The OC Season 4 Episode 4 The Metamorphosis". www.theocmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  10. ^ "The OC Music : tracks that are played on TV series The OC Season 3 Episode 23 The Party Favor". www.theocmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Emile Awards: Long Way from Stage to Screen with Jonathan Morali". Score It Magazine. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Life Is Strange Full Cast and Crew". IMDb.
  13. ^ "The Music of LiS2 with Raoul Barbet". Steam. 8 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Life is Strange Awards". IMDb.
  15. ^ "Life is Strange 2 Full Cast and Crew". IMDb.
  16. ^ ""L'Enfer", le spectacle le plus dantesque". France Culture (in French). 1 July 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
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