Cliff Martinez
Cliff Martinez
Cliff Martinezis an American musician and composer. Early in his career, Martinez was known as a drummer notably with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Captain Beefheart. Since the 1990s he has worked primarily as a film score composer, writing music for Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Drive, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon, Contagion, Solaris, and Traffic...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth5 February 1954
CountryUnited States of America
boundaries guess learned
I guess what I've learned is that there are no boundaries when it comes to imagination. It's limitless.
background drums gone rock roll ten work
I've often thought that my background in rock 'n' roll has gone to waste in film work. My background was that I was a rock 'n' roll drummer and I don't think I used drums in my first ten years of film scoring.
home average years
I work at home but average 15,000 to 18,000 miles per year on my Honda.
thinking people guy
I don't want to be typecast as the 'ambient guy' or someone who only does electronic scores. I think most of the work that comes my way is because people feel they know me musically.
writing cutting waste
For me, the work begins with a rough cut of the film. I can't do much with the script. I've tried to write music to a script prior to seeing the film, but I've found it turns out to be a waste of time.
degrees demand isolation
Composing demands a degree of isolation.
diversity radio film
I've always been very left of center and the radio never had much diversity and film did.
writing years two
Singer/songwriters spend two or three years making an album, and then it goes up for sale and everybody pirates it and you don't make any money. Whereas, writing a film score you still get presented with a paycheck.
kids thinking careers
If I had kids, I don't think I would recommend they pursue a career in music.
thinking discipline
I've never tried to work chronologically. I don't think I have the discipline to do that.
creative vision important
It's very important that you never depend on money to fulfill your creative vision. If you do that, you're doomed to fail.
thinking always-trying years
I think there is quite a continuity over my 25 years of doing music, and I'm always trying to break away from it.
challenges chameleon
I like challenges and I definitely would like to be more of a chameleon.