When I first heard Jóhann Jóhannsson‘s soundtrack to Prisoners, I forgot that I have heard it once before. I was sitting in a theater in Seattle, watching this thriller by Denis Villeneuve about an abduction of two young girls. The bleak environment surrounding the sorrow, dread and a peculiar discomfort was punctuated by the orchestral strings transcending tension, angst and heartache. The atmosphere of the music was haunting and even frightening at times. The numerous variations on a prevalent melody were wrought with worry, turmoil and suspense. The textured ambiance took me to a place that I’ve attempted to escape. Except there was no place to run, the sonic storm was moving fast and soon it was upon me. It was only after the film ended that I spied Jóhannsson’s surname in the credits. Ah, but of course! A few weeks prior, this Icelandic composer of neo-classical, electronic, and cinematic music sent me a promo copy of his latest work. In my rushed preparation for a week-long immersion in Seattle’s Decibel Festival, I dropped the files on my iPhone, and listened to the music on my flight to the West Coast. So once the melody broke down and the instruments have wept, back in that theatre in Seattle, I have felt that melancholic touch. And I have felt at home again… In the past decade, besides his critically acclaimed full length releases on labels such as Touch, 4AD and FatCat, Jóhannsson has composed numerous scores for feature films and stage works. The soundtrack to Prisoners is available from WaterTower Music on CD, and via Jóhannsson’s own label, Kitchen Motors, on vinyl.