Soundtrack - Despicable me 3: Composer Heitor Pereira Returns to Despicable Me Franchise with a great score

Par Mulder, 30 juin 2017

GRAMMY winning musician and composer Heitor Pereira, who has scored all of the films in Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise, returns to score Despicable Me 3, which arrives in theaters on Friday, June 30. Illumination, who brought moviegoers Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.

Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud. From Back Lot Music, the score album releases digitally day & date with the film.

After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.

Steve Carell not only reprises his role as Gru, but also takes on a second part—that of Dru, Gru’s long-lost twin. Kristen Wiig returns as super-spy Lucy, while Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker voices new villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who has become obsessed with the evil TV character he played in the ’80s. Gru’s most formidable and comedic nemesis to date, Bratt is out to take down Hollywood…and anyone who stands in his way.

Dru hails from the country “Freedonia” and as such, has an affinity for the nation’s infamous cheese. This note was not lost on Pereira, who utilized numerous unique instruments and objects to reflect this in the score, including cheese graters and a choir. In addition to incorporating a full orchestra and choir, Pereira performed with many instruments in the score.

Pereira played more than a dozen instruments for the score including: guitar, bass, piano, drum machines, ukulele, mandolin and a “bucket base” (one string on top of a bucket). Two days of the recording sessions were spent on percussion with drummers. Alex Acuña, Bernie Dresel, and Mike Shapiro played simultaneously on complete drum kits. Pereira then had them play orchestral percussion on ethnic instruments including taiko drums, African jun juns and Brazilian Surdos. The addition of 60 members of a choir—who sing through tin foil—created a distortion complementing Pereira’s original ’80s sounding synth score to match Balthazar Bratt’s style. Bratt’s persona is displayed through ’80s pop hits along with the unique score. Pereira’s score also represents the themes of family to highlight the brothers’ relationship, as well as Lucy and the girls, and of course, the mischievous Minions. Pereira has a reputation for bringing a unique sensibility to his film scores, ones built from his solid foundation of musical craftsmanship. Prior to beginning his career in film composing, Pereira was a member of the platinum selling band Simply Red. He has released three solo albums and has arranged music for and performed with such artists as Elton John, Shania Twain, Willie Nelson, and Jack Johnson. He received a GRAMMY award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for his collaboration with Sting and Chris Botti.

The original motion picture score contains 38 tracks and is edited by Back Lot Music:
01 - Evil Bratt Show (01:45)
02 - Up the Tower (02:01)
03 - Considered Impenetrable (02:09)
04 - Stealing Candy (01:40)
05 - My Brother! (01:49)
06 - Pizza (00:51)
07 - Sinister Revenge Plot (01:14)
08 - Morning Papers (02:07)
09 - Monsieur Pom-Poo (01:23)
10 - Dad's Legacy (01:20)
11 - Here We Are (01:01)
12 - Minions Quit (01:09)
13 - Sneaking (03:37)
14 - Here We Go! (01:20)
15 - In the Dark, Alone (01:15)
16 - Villainy Is In Your Blood (01:21)
17 - Crushing It (00:28)
18 - Get Ready for What? (00:49)
19 - Evil Bratt Action Figure (00:35)
20 - Agnes in Trouble (00:33)
21 - Divorce Flashback (00:33)
22 - Say Cheese! (01:03)
23 - Rejected Me (02:06)
24 - In the Crooked Forest (00:44)
25 - Mel's Flashback (00:46)
26 - Parenting 101 (02:32)
27 - Ramsbottom vs. DaVinci (01:19)
28 - House-Napped (00:37)
29 - Long Walk Home (00:28)
30 - Can We Go Back Now? (01:12)
31 - Traditional Dance (01:19)
32 - Tipsy Unicorn (01:31)
33 - What Is Wrong With You? (00:52)
34 - Why Cancelled? (01:10)
35 - We're Going to Hollywood (00:42)
36 - Mel? Gru? (00:42)
37 - Back and Bigger Than Ever (07:00)
38 - Family Traditions (01:04)

Synopsis:
Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.

Despicable Me 3
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda
Produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
Written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio
Based on Characters by Sergio Pablos
Starring voices from Steve Carell (Gru), Kristen Wiig (Lucy), Trey Parker (Balthazar Bratt), Andy Nyman (Clive), Russell Brand (Dr Nefario), Pierre Coffin (Kevin / Bob / Stuart), Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Dana Gaier (Edith)
Music by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams
Production company Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment
Distributed by Universal Pictures

(Source: press release June 2017)