Cliff Martinez to receive Lifetime Achievement Award during SoundTrack_Cologne

The largest German conference for music and sound in Film, TV, Games and Media to honor award winning composer Cliff Martinez (“Neon Demon”, “Drive”) during Soundtrack_Cologne 13, taking place August 24th- 28th in Cologne, Germany

Cologne/ Los Angeles – Over the past 13 years Soundtrack_Cologne has become a fixture in the cultural calendar of the Media City of Cologne, which is home to the biggest German TV stations. Each year the conference welcomes guests from around the globe and is now an inspiration for the growing landscape of music festivals and conferences in Europe. As a symbol of recognition for exceptional achievements in the art of film music, Soundtrack_Cologne honors an outstanding individual each year with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Soundtrack_Cologne CEO Michael P. Aust announced today that Cliff Martinez will receive the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award on August 27th, 2016 during the award ceremony of this year’s conference.

Soundtrack_Cologne CEO, Michael Aust and program director Matthias Hornschuh state, “Cliff Martinez's talent is to contribute a very specific atmospheric frequency to movies through sound. Most recently this worked beautifully on Nicolas Winding Refn’s aesthetic masterpiece “The Neon Demon”. 

Martinez’s music adds to the visual level and his sound therefore becomes part of the narrative. His next-level electronic film scoring doesn’t make you miss the orchestra, but makes you experience a new and different quality”.

BAFTA Award winning composer Cliff Martinez, and former drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, most recently received the Cannes Soundtrack Award for his work on “Neon Demon”, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, which marks the third collaboration between Martinez and Refn. Another director Martinez frequently collaborates with is Steven Soderbergh on over 10 projects including “Traffic” (for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award), “Sex, Lies and Videotapes”, “Kafka”, “The Limey”, “Solaris”, “Contagion” and the Cinemax series “The Knick”. His upcoming projects include “War Dogs” (directed by Todd Phillips), “The Foreigner” (directed by Martin Campbell), and "Wolverine 3” (directed by James Mangold).

“I am honored to be receiving the Lifetime Achievement from Soundtrack_Cologne”, says Cliff Martinez. “I have heard many wonderful things about the festival and city and look forward to being a part of it this year.”

Soundtrack_Cologne was founded in 2003 and is a film conference from a music perspective. From August 24th to 28th participants get a chance to attend three different themed music days ranging from Film to TV to Video games. Beside Cliff Martinez, Soundtrack_Cologne is proud to welcome composers Gary Yershon (“Mr. Turner”), Ilan Eshkeri (“Young Victoria”) and German composer Jasmin Reuter (“Two Mothers”) for their Film Day. Furthermore for their Television Day, Soundtrack_Cologne is excited to welcome Jeff Russo (“Fargo” TV Series), Reinhold Heil (“Deutschland 83”), Miriam Cutler (“The Hunting Ground”), and Łukasz Targosz („Floating Skyscrapers“). Lastly, for their Game Day: Jessica Curry (“Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture”), Christian Henson (“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag”) and Christophe Héral (“Rayman Origins”).

SoundTrack_Cologne makes its audience experience how influential, diverse and versatile music and sound help to narrate a film. In some 30 workshops, talks, case studies and panel discussions, a dialogue is established between the various film trades. Experienced and established film composer pass on their knowledge to the next generation, while  contests like the European Talent Competition and Peer-Raben Award appeal to the younger generation of composers and sound-designers.