A Conversation with Jonathan Snipes, Film Score Composer for A Glitch in the Matrix [Sundance Film Festival 2021]

A few days before the Sundance film festival began, I spoke with Jonathan Snipes, who composed the film score and created all of the sound design for the Sundance premiere, A Glitch in the Matrix, directed by Rodney Ascher. Snipes also created the scores for two of Ascher's documentaries, Room 237 and The Nightmare.  

Our delightful conversation meandered from his background and love for sound and music, his working relationship with Ascher, the way he approaches pairing sound with moving images, and the story behind the most difficult moment to score. Snipes was inspired by 90s electronic beats and hacker music to create the perfect soundscape to match Ascher's trippy documentary-horror hybrid.

About A Glitch in the MatrixA Glitch in the Matrix centers on simulation theory, as popularized by the Matrix films, through footage culled from other sources, filmed interviews of its proponents, digital 3D renderings of the scenes described by the speakers, and extensive curated clips from popular films. Read my full review.  

About Jonathan Snipes: Snipes has a background in theater, specifically theater sound design and teaches courses on that at UCLA. He is one of the founders of an experimental hip hop group named clipping, along with Daveed Diggs. He has over 45 film scores listed on IMDB, including shorts and his collaborations with Ascher. 

Website: Jonat8han.com; Instagram: @jonat8han; Bandcamp: Jonat8han.bandcamp.com

clipping website







About Interviewer: Lindsey Dunn is a member of the North Carolina Film Critics Association and writes movie reviews at the website 1ofmystories.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @1ofmystories.

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