Tim Benjamin

George Orwell's 1984 was adapted for the stage by Nick Stern, and I was tasked with creating an incidental music soundtrack to accompany the stage performance.

I created an imaginary sound-world using a blend of pure electronic and electroacoustic music, with modified field recordings. I also created a voice for Big Brother. My creative aim in this music and sound design was to echo Orwell's masterpiece by stripping away all humanity, yet retain something organic in the sound. The human population of 1984 is not dominated by something alien, automatic, or mechanical, but by fellow humans, hiding behind mechanical devices such as the Telescreen.

The exception to this idea was the one distinctly naturally "human" cue, which appears twice - a song "'Twas only an 'opeless fancy", sung by a drunk woman. The sheet music is included below.

There are around 70 cues in the complete soundtrack. 13 tracks have been created for the original soundtrack album, available on Spotify, iTunes, and elsewhere.

The track listing is as follows:

1. 1984 (Main Title)

2. The clocks were striking thirteen

3. Bluebells for Julia

4. 2713_ASHLEY_D

5. Arrivals

6. REMAIN_WHERE_YOU_ARE

7. Above Charrington's shop

8. 6079_SMITH_W

9. London

10. Waiting

11. Room 101

12. Broadcast, interrupted

13. Victory to Big Brother!