Recording the Contemporary Soloists series is something we have had at the back of our minds since starting Sonixinema. We see it as the culmination of everything we've learned throughout our sampling adventure, and it truly represents Sonixinema's ideals and taste. After being introduced to Bruce and hearing him play, we knew we had to get together in the studio to record the next in line for our Contemporary Soloist series, the viola.

The full version of the instrument captures the rich and delicate tone of Bruce 19th century viola. When choosing a place to record, we decided to choose a dry scoring stage in the heart of London, to get that real up close and personal sound that we were looking for. Inspired by modern film composers such as Jed Kurzel, Hildur Guðnadóttir and Jóhann Jóhannsson, we wanted to capture not only a very particular tonal quality, but also some very specific articulations which we feel represent the musical landscape that is featured throughout many of our favourite film scores.

We captured a range of basic articulations such as Legato, Sustains, Spiccato, Pizzicato, Tremolo and Col Legno, however it is what we captured next which truly brings the library to life. In collaboration with Bruce, we curated a range of unique and inspiring articulations, some of which aren't featured in any other sample libraries. These include Arpeggio Crossings, Warped Sustains, Circular Bowing, Harmonic Falls, Harmonic Wavers, Harmonic Glissando and Seagull Screeches. Not only do these sounds work wonderfully as aleatoric effects but also can be used very musically and can be used to create fascinating and dark, soulful atmospheres which enrich scores and bring an amazingly raw and lifelike sound which is usually unachievable with samples. 

We were incredible lucky to work with Bruce. As one of the worlds most in demand viola players, Bruce has played on the soundtrack over over 900 blockbuster films over the past 25 years. Here are just a few of the amazing soundtracks that he has played a part in in recent years.