International creative audio network Squeak E. Clean Studios has brought Justin Hori on board as creative director out of the Chicago office, marking his return to the company. A talented composer, Hori has developed a knack for crafting poignant, contemporary audio stylings for branded content, crafting original music for award-winning projects with such clients as Apple, Reebok, Adidas, Volkswagen and Budweiser, among others.
His earlier tour of duty at Squeak E. Clean saw him serve as creative director for five years, creating tracks like the famous “Da Diddy Da” for Apple’s 2018 iPad campaign, and the anthem for Adidas’ 2016 “Your Future is not Mine,” which earned him a Silver at the Clio Music Awards and the coveted Cannes Gold Lion for “Best Use of Original Music.” Other notable wins for the spot included D&AD Pencils, The One Show Awards, and additional Clio and AICP Award wins.
Squeak E. Clean Studios co-executive creative director Sam Spiegel described Hori as “a tremendous talent” and “a great person to work with.”
Hori said he’s enthused over the prospects of collaborating creatively with Spiegel and the team again, sharing, “Squeak E. Clean Studios has such an artist-driven culture and that helps keep a fresh approach to my work, both within and outside of advertising.”
Hori was steeped in the Chicago music scene early on, starting as a DJ at 13 in hip-hop and underground electronica before taking his first part-time job slinging records at the legendary Gramaphone Records. After studying music theory and composition at Columbia College–gathering an extensive education and client base for future projects–he cut his teeth with stints at Comtrack and Comma Music, eventually moving to open their Los Angeles office. He returns to Squeak E. Clean Studios after expanding Human Worldwide into the Chicago market.
Hori is currently scoring the upcoming dark comedy Big Gold Brick, his first independently-scored feature film, which stars Andy Garcia, Lucy Hale, Megan Fox and Oscar Isaac. The reunion also sets the stage for future collaborations outside of adland for Hori with Spiegel, whose first full-length album in 10 years, “Random Shit From the Internet Era,” will be out on April 5 via Spectrophonic Sound.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More