Miguel d’Oliveira’s selected themes from the Louis Theroux documentary series

Dominated by figurative and curious melodies, the contemplative soundtrack was written for a small ensemble to support Louis Theroux’s intimate and thoughtful portraits of America’s and UK’s alternative life choices. Featuring idiosyncratic, distinctive sounding instruments, such as Alto flute, Clarinet, bass clarinet, Bassoon, sax, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, piano, composer Miguel d’Oliveira has created an inimitable sound world for Theroux’s World-renowned authored documentaries.

The tracks on this album come from seven Louis Theroux films, first broadcast on BBC Two between 2018 and 2020. Handpicked by the composer, the album features music themes from the BAFTA winning series Altered States, encompassing themes of birth, love and death, as well as Theroux’s latest documentaries about consent, sex, religion and motherhood. Curiously compelling, observant and cordial, the programmes offer collision between Theroux’s rational approach and emotional themes and subjects.

Miguel d’Oliveira graduated with an MA in Composition for Film at the NFTS in 2007. After graduating, Miguel’s first commissions included several documentaries for television before landing the job of scoring a 5-part docudrama The Queen for C4. Since then, Miguel has honed his craft writing music for a number of documentaries and documentary series, including The Bible: A History (C4), Battle of Britain (BBC1), Simon Schama’s Shakespeare (BBC), The Met: Policing London (BBC), First Dates (C4). Miguel has also written for drama productions, including the 6-part mini-series Homefront (ITV), based on the experiences of army wives in the UK, and two episodes of Merlin (BBC). Most recently Miguel released his score to the original television soundtrack to Michael Palin in North Korea.

Tracklist
1. Excommunicated
2. Life Changing Moments
3. Stubborn Beliefs
4. I’m Off To Hell
5. Where Are We Going?
6. A Kind of Nursery
7. Who Wouldn’t Want My Life
8. Fight Hate With Love
9. A Better Place
10. Accountable
11. Feel Free to Take Off
12. Whatever It Takes
13. How Could You Know?
14. Excuses Algorithm
15. Last Exit
16. Five Families To Choose from
17. Yes But Wait
18. Some Hours Are Forever
19. You Never Forget
20. Morning Follows the Night