Yum Cha Chats: Ferry Corsten reviews the best cinema scores of all time

Sunday's are hard but can be made easier with unexpected delights — so here's some fluff to get you through it. Inspired by a recent jaunt for dim sum with Miss Yellow in Hong Kong, allow us to present the first of many Yum Cha Chats — which means let's go eat dim sum and drink tea in Cantonese. The series will dig into the obscure and tasty 'fillings' you never knew about your favourite DJs and have nothing to do with music — every Sunday. Best enjoyed from bed…

With the planet on lockdown, we've all got a little extra time on our hands. If you're looking for something to watch, Ferry Corsten has delivered us a list of films not just to watch but also to listen to. And this goes beyond soundtracks, this is about the music that blankets a film and is as essential to the story as the narrative. A film score can define a film's mood, tone and structure, and is its importance is often overlooked by even the most hardcore movie buffs — but Ferry Corsten has had an ear on them since he was young. Ferry Corsten’s latest album is called ‘As Above So Below' under his ambient alias FERR and it, he in fact explores the worlds of neo-classical, ambient and film score sounds. Without further ado, read through Ferry's review of the best film scores of all time.

"An obvious choice for many of us but Hans Zimmer’s work is truly exemplary. Whilst there’s a vast depth and range to his music it is the score of ‘Interstellar’ that resonated with me on the deepest level. What he does with the music on its temporal limits in the movie is so power. Anyone I’ve ever spoken with about ‘Interstellar’ has always referenced Hans Zimmer’s score. That just shows the impact synchronized sound has in cinema."

"Although it was my dad who sparked the initial idea of creating a War Of The World’s inspired project with my ‘Blueprint’ album. I have to say rekindling my love for this incredible body of work by Jeff Wayne was such a joyous occasion in the process of making the album. It brought me right back to my childhood. The power and temperament of his score is breath-taking and it gives such a strong current to the theme of the story."

"My love for discovery science runs deep both in my interests away from music but also within my music creation. It’s actually what feeds much of the inspiration with Gouryella. Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score on this Stephen Hawking biopic is one of pure passion and beauty. The emblematic tone he creates through the movie holds such texture and density. In alignment with Eddie Redmayne’s landmark portrayal of Stephen Hawking, Jóhann Jóhannsson gives us a mesmerising score."

"I’ve selected John Williams not for any one movie but for his entire body of work. His ability to score a movie that crosses so many age groups and eras is magical. From all of our love for Star Wars to my kids’ fascination with the Harry Potter movies to his score on films like Schindler’s List, E.T., Indiana Jones, Home Alone films, Jaws, Jurassic Park and so many more. His list of scores is awe-inspiring for me as a producer."

"I’ll profess I’m not much of a fan of the horror genre, but I have a lot of admiration for John Carpenter’s scores. Especially if that composer also writes and directors his movies. Listening to John Carpenter’s music makes me feel he has such a gifted ability to create palpable atmosphere with his scores. Considering some of the movies themselves perhaps don’t quite stand the test of time his music feels both timeless and contemporary. As a producer who plays his music out live, I’ve always strived to bring this quality to my productions and so hold any composer who achieves that in high regard."

'As Above So Below' by FERR was released on Friday March 27.