Playlist: Jack Whitney

What’s a standout piece of music you’ve seen on TV recently and why?

I got hooked on the latest series of The Traitors UK earlier this year and really enjoyed the epic soundtrack. 

There are so many standout pieces of music in that series, but one that stands out is the cover version of Chris Isaak - Wicked Game.

Over the years, there have been so many amazing covers of this track, but hearing this particular arrangement in this series really grabbed me. The lyrics felt so apt, really resonating with the show, making it much more impactful. Hats off to the music supervisor of this series!

What’s one of the first pieces of music you remember being impressed by?

I remember as a teenager the first time I heard Jeff Buckley. It wasn't like the type of music I was listening to at the time, and the way he carried emotion in his voice instantly grabbed me, I had to hear more! 

Since then, his album, Grace, has been without a doubt one of my favourite records of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone. What that man could do with his voice is truly inspiring, I get goosebumps every time I hear the song Grace.

Favourite TV or film score and why?

I don't think I could ever say that there is one favourite, but a recent favourite would definitely be the score for the Succession TV series. To me, the composer has captured the essence of the characters perfectly in the music. There's a real sense of grandeur and pompousness to it, and yet the composition itself feels as if there might be a sense of underlying sadness that never really comes to fruition. Much like a lot of the characters in the series, you could argue! 

Another thing I love about the score is that the main title theme played such a big part throughout the series, rewritten in different ways to reflect the scene.

What are some of the most interesting innovations emerging in the audio landscape?

All of the music AI innovations that are coming out are fascinating, and the speed in which they are developing is pretty remarkable too. Generative AI companies are making some insane advances with music creation. 

There are so many quirky and inspiring AI music tools that are emerging too, take Tone Transfer for example, it uses machine learning to transform everyday sounds into musical instruments, you can take the sound of birdsong as the source and output the melodic information in the form of a violin! With all these news tools becoming readily available, I feel that it’s down to us as creators to embrace these new technologies where possible and in an informed manner.

Where do you see the audio industry being in five years’ time?

I see content continuing to become more cinematic and aimed more at consumers listening over headphones. With the likes of Apple stepping into the world of VR and Audible offering Dolby Atmos-ready audio content, audio is only going to become more forefront and immersive.