Constantin Roman is an exceptionally talented member of the So Fare Films team and the mastermind behind the creation of the Ikhaya soundtrack. The film explores themes of identity, belonging, and the meaning of home, and Constantin was tasked with creating a heartfelt and empowering soundtrack that added depth to these ideas without overshadowing the narrative.
With intricate attention to detail and creative approaches to common instruments, Constantin’s score captures the emotional core of the film beautifully. His work not only enhances the already impressive efforts of the Ikhaya film crew but also elevates the project toward cinematic perfection.
We began our conversation by asking him about the challenges of this project.
Composing the score of a film is a very daunting task. What made you decide that composing the Ikhaya score was a challenge you wanted to pursue?
Constantin: My background is actually playing in bands, most of which have been instrumental. The types of songs we would end up writing were generally these long pieces that slowly evolved over time, so I think transitioning to writing a film score felt like a natural progression. I’ve never really been interested in writing lyrics, but I like how music and visuals can work together to convey specific moods, or how one can really amplify the other.
It was a real honor to be offered the opportunity to work on a project for a young artist. Despite the daunting nature of writing for what is essentially someone’s life story, I wanted to treat it with the care and respect that story deserved.
Were there any unusual instruments or methods you utilized to create the final product of the score?
Constantin: Most of the instruments I used were very vanilla: a guitar, some synthesizers, drum machines, that kind of thing. Nothing really out of the ordinary, in my opinion. The obsession with gear is something I really don’t like; I’ve tried hard to stick to a “use what is available to its maximum potential” approach, and not get new things just for the sake of it.
I did record a lot on cassette, though. I have a 4-track recorder that adds a nice layer of warmth to everything and helps make some of my digital synthesizers sound a little less sterile.
One funny thing happened with the guitar part in Chapter 1. I wanted to play some specific harmonics, so for the sake of convenience (and maybe a little laziness), I tuned my guitar to play those specific harmonics. But then I never tuned it back to normal, and it ended up becoming the “special Ikhaya tuning.” All the guitar parts were recorded with that tuning, so I couldn’t rely on regular chord shapes. This forced me to take a more intuitive and exploratory approach, which led to melodies I probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
Artists and musicians always take inspiration from others. Who inspired you while making this score?
Constantin: A lot of what I listen to is from 20+ years ago; I’m really bad at keeping up with new music! But I’ve always been a big fan of Boards of Canada, and borrowed a lot from Geogaddi and Tomorrow’s Harvest on this score. They have an amazing talent for making something that feels nostalgic but in a way that’s very difficult to explain.
Ikhaya brings up the idea of “home” and trying to define what a home is, so writing something that leaned into the ideas of comfort and longing felt like the right move. Albums like Amber and Tri Repetae by Autechre were also major sound design inspirations.
Not many people see the trial and error that comes with creating a soundtrack. What was the most difficult part of creating the score?
Constantin: I think timing is probably the most difficult aspect. Scene changes and cuts have a big influence on how a track comes together, or how many times something can repeat. Coming from a band background, it was tough not to write songs with that mindset. Repeating something X number of times isn’t as important in a score as it would be in other contexts. Consciously avoiding that was a challenge but also kind of liberating.
Another tricky part was making changes as new cuts came in. I would write something for a specific scene length, and then a new cut would arrive where that scene was slightly longer or shorter. It’s a normal part of the process, but it required constant adaptation.
Sound plays an extremely important role in evoking emotion from the audience. How did you utilize the score to support the dialogue without overpowering it?
Constantin: The “less is more” approach really helps; at the end of the day, the role of the score is to support what’s happening on screen. A few times, I made something way too complex only to realize it didn’t fit the mood at all. That led to exercises in stripping things down as much as possible.
Sometimes that meant simplifying melodies, other times it meant making the sounds themselves less intricate. More often than not, it was a combination of both. I limited myself to relatively simple sounds to leave as much room as possible for vocals and natural sound to shine through.
Did the score change throughout the time you worked on it, or did it stay true to your original vision?
Constantin: In the beginning, I had some doubts about the soundtrack’s direction, but once I settled on a consistent set of sounds, it started to take shape on its own. The most significant change came in how everything was structured. Initially, I thought I might create one long piece for the entire score, but I ended up with five pretty distinct songs.
That said, I tend to second-guess a lot of ideas, which leads to a lot of trial and error. Once I found the sonic palette and a good workflow, though, the rest came together fairly naturally.
Is there anything you want the audience to know about your soundtrack before they watch the film?
Constantin: This project was really special to me because it helped me reconnect with making music. Over the last few years, for a number of reasons, I found it difficult to work on music. Even starting something felt like a challenge. For a while, I started convincing myself that I couldn’t make music anymore and seriously considered selling off almost everything.
So I’m very grateful this project offered me the opportunity to write music again. It helped me realize that my passion for music never really left—it was just napping for a while.
We’re excited to share the movie with you!
Experience the heartfelt story of Ikhaya and Constantin Roman’s unforgettable score on December 7! Follow us for updates and RSVP to the premiere here. Don’t miss this incredible journey into the meaning of home.
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