Biography

As a composer, director, and producer, Nathan Johnson's innovative film scores and hybrid media performances have consistently blurred the lines between stage, screen, music, and narrative. Best known for his unconventional work in film music, Nathan favors modified, organic instrumentation paired with unique approaches to recording and performing. Beginning with his critically acclaimed work on the neo-noir film 'Brick,' Nathan has made a practice of combining unorthodox audio sources such as filing cabinets, cheese graters, and tuned wine glasses with traditional instrumentation. A similar approach has underpinned all of Nathan's work, perhaps most famously in the vast sonic palette of his score for 'Looper', which he constructed using field recordings of industrial detritus and tuned treadmills to create a hybrid, found-sound orchestra. Nathan continues to compose and produce while directing short films and music videos, many of which employ a similarly painstaking approach. He is the recipient of numerous film and music awards, and his work has been featured extensively by NPR, Wired, the AV Club, and Rolling Stone. He is a founding member of The Echo Society, a Los Angeles-based collective of composers, visual designers, and engineers. When he is not creating music or videos, he works as an art director with The Made Shop, a boutique design firm that specializes in graphic and architectural projects. He lives in Los Angeles with the help of his friends.