The score at The Twelve plays with the inner psychological journeys of complex character relationships.
The music emotionally reflects family betrayal, failed romances and the search for connection between people gathered to judge a defendant, when their own lives are far from innocence.
I began the score by contrasting the rival themes in a sensational court case. It was the story of grooming prosecutor, abuse by an arrogant and selfish entertainer leading to murder and the dumping of the body in the waters of Sydney Harbour. Then the story of the defense of family love, shared artistic passions and warmth. The choices are murky and contradictory and the score never reveals the truth until the last betrayal. For this purpose, I avoided knowing the verdict before working on the final episode. To emphasize the mystery, the music takes on twisted organic textures in electronic sonorities and neoclassical elements: solo violin and cello, deep piano chords, detuned guitars, synthesized moods, set with dark bass lines; I love music that is made up of things you can visualize and melodically poignant, backed by indefinite and murky bespoke elements.
Requiem was created as the ending theme for all episodes and is the significant theme of the series. It was written after the rest of the music for Episode One and Episode Two was finished and was done incredibly quickly. It is a mourning for the loss of a promising young life in a watery grave played like a beautiful violin and cello lament with sultry chord patterns sustained over a sustained bass.
Fallen was created for the callous actions and subsequent culpability of one of the jurors who dumped an injured illegal worker they employed at a construction site. It is one of the most dramatic plays in the series. Music is a loss of control with inevitable consequences. A falling synthesizer motif speaks of the loss of innocence through the choices made (and is a repetitive melodic theme in the series) while below, an intense percussive background throbs, created by striking an acoustic guitar, distorting it and detuning it. There is an insatiable pull in music because every wrong turn inevitably forces another.
Family ties is a warm and loving reminder of where the perfect family life could be. The family life of our characters is strongly impacted by the ordeal of the trial and the choices they have to make. This music was written in a moment of respite and shines with angelic guitars and tonal treatments. Sweet but a bittersweet reflection of the loss of comfort.
The Twelve The soundtrack is now available on all music streaming services.