From Marilyn Manson to MaXXXine: Tyler Bates Horror, Grit, and Creative Surrender
Interview with Tyler Bates
Conducted by Michiel Marsman
Tyler Bates is not your average film composer. With a résumé spanning over a hundred film, television, and game projects — from 300, John Wick, and Guardians of the Galaxy to collaborating with Marilyn Manson and producing for Jerry Cantrell — Bates’ creative reach is vast. But behind the genre-spanning credits lies a restless spirit: part philosopher, part guitar-slinging producer, part emotional architect. In this conversation, Bates opens up about his score for Ti West’s X, the collaborative alchemy between director and composer, and why becoming a film composer is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Tyler Bates (TB): ...I think horror is embedded in my bones. Not just the genre itself, but the emotional range it allows you to explore. It’s raw, visceral, uncomfortable. And that, for whatever reason, has always appealed to me.
Michiel Marsman (MM): You’ve scored so many kinds of films—action, superhero, drama—but horror seems to hit a different nerve. X really stuck with me. That eerie, sensual, vocal-driven soundscape—it’s both grotesque and beautiful.
Tyler Bates - Film composer
TB: Thank you. Scoring this trilogy was an amazing experience. With Maxxxine, Ti and I wanted to play with the context of various musical idioms, to make the familiar feel slightly off-kilter. Chelsea Wolfe’s vocal while mirroring the film’s themes, also helps tilts the lens to help the audience take this story in through a fetishized lens.
MM: It’s genius. Can you tell me more about the collaboration with Ti West?
TB: Ti always has a very clear objective, but he reserves space for me and the other artists contributing to the film to do what they do best, which is ideal. Scoring for film and television is not a solo act. Sure, we typically work alone, but the real magic comes from the dialogue between a director and composer—the in-person conversations, impromptu musical experiments that take you somewhere unexpected. I find this aspect of the process to be absolutely integral to realize the director’s vision as deeply as your own creative instinct. A composer’s job is to transcend the emotion of the story as well as contribute to the audience’s understanding a character’s depth. Not being precious, yet maintaining one’s focus and dedication through the permutations of the film’s edit is very challenging for composers on a number of counts. One, being a skosh of frustration that is derived mainly from the exhaustion, that is inevitable as a composer nears the end of creating the score for a film.
MM: That takes a certain mindset.
TB: Definitely. It’s absolutely necessary to be open, collaborative, and resilient. Becoming a composer is not for the faint of heart. It’s not particularly glamorous in your day to day. It’s long hours, late nights, and a lot of experimentation and letting go. But when it clicks—when the music, the picture, and the actors’ performances all come together— when you crack the code - it’s entirely thrilling. That never gets old.
photography: Jim Louvau
MM: You’ve had this career where you started out as a guitarist, producer, songwriter. Do you think that background influences how you work now?
TB: 100%. It’s in my DNA. Sometimes I approach scores like records. Consider tone, space, emotional immediacy, among other aspects of story and character. I work with musical artists on a regular basis, which keeps things alive and dynamic in my life. My album work as a writer/producer was key to Chelsea Wolfe’s voice becoming a central element in the score for this trilogy. Which is an example of how my album work complements my film work. With X, I wanted to play with classic horror tropes. The eerie ethereal vocal embedded in discordant organic instrumentation, designed to create kaleidoscope of emotion and perspective. Chelsea and I had a series of experimental recording sessions to explore vocal textures through improvisation – literal reactions to the film itself, that gave my initial sketches a personality and intention that became apparent as a result of these recording sessions.
MM: Did you start writing before seeing the film, or was it more post-picture?
TB: I did begin working on this film early on before Ti presented me with a cut of the film. We had a few conversations about tone and concept. Ti knows precisely how he wants each scene to land visually, and emotionally, which brings clarity to my objective. Ti has a fun way of challenging those around him to bring their complete talent to his projects. I don’t require hand-holding, but I love a director with a strong vision.
MM: Do you have one routine when scoring? Or does it change with every project?
TB: I find that “process” is a dynamic concept that is determined by understanding everyone who has a creative interest in the score beyond the director (i.e., producers, executives, editors, etc.). My goal is to create a vernacular for everyone to comfortably communicate their ideas and interests so that everyone is heard. At the end of the day, I work for the director. In developing a score concept, it might begin by developing the primary themes. Or perhaps it’s a tone or a texture that is important to determine before deep diving into character development and their corresponding themes. Sometimes you’re begin by scoring to picture, or perhaps you’re writing musical suites before the picture is shot. Every director, every film is different. You’ve got to read the room in order to succeed in your task as a composer, which stretches beyond music.
MM: And what about the technical side—do you mix in stereo or surround from the start?
TB: I mix in stereo as I write the music. My mixes clearly illustrate my intentions, so whomever is working with me on the score mix understands the syntax of how the score serves the film, and its finite tone. The surround mix happens in the last stage of developing the score before we deliver the music to the dub stage, but I stay involved. I don’t just hand over stems and disappear. That final mix is where all of the creative decisions are tested in context. It’s important to be present whenever time and circumstances permit me to participate in the final dub.
MM: That seems to reflect your overall attitude—you’re very hands-on, but you also clearly trust your collaborators.
TB: Exactly. Film scoring is not a solo act. Yes, you write alone sometimes, but the real work is connecting with the director and the material through discussion, experiments, and more discussion. You have to care about the director’s vision as much as your own ideas.
MM: Has that openness always come naturally to you?
TB: I think it comes from being in bands and in studio sessions much of my life. I have worked with singers since I was a teenager. I came to the understanding early on, that a song cannot succeed completely unless the vocalist expresses themselves however necessary to make their point. This requires co-writer/producers to understand the singer’s point of view. You learn to serve the song—or in this case, the film. This job isn’t for the faint of heart. Tight deadlines, intense pressure, notes, revisions... it can crush you if you’re not built for it. But if you love the process, if you get a thrill from making something that didn’t exist yesterday, it’s the best job in the world.
MM: That’s a quote right there—not for the faint of heart. I love that. Do you have any rituals or practices that keep you sane?
TB: For me, it’s about staying grounded. I try to learn something and create something every day. Even if it’s small. A riff, a sketch, a conversation that sparks something. That’s the fuel for the fire. And honestly, that’s where the real reward is—not the credits, accolades, or premieres, but the act of creating.
MM: Beautifully said. Love that. One last question, do you still play guitar every day?
TB: I try to. I want to get back to playing like I did when I was a kid—where you just lose yourself for hours. That’s the goal. Among other projects, I’m to make a totally fucked up jazz album at some point soon. Just for me. No pressure, no picture, just sound. That’s my oxygen.
MM: That’s beautiful. Thanks so much, Tyler. This has been inspiring.
TB: My pleasure, man. Thank you.
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