Elia Cmiral

Ronin thrust Czech-Swedish composer Elia David Cmiral into the international spotlight, and with good reason -- this sleek, stylish thriller score is a profoundly visceral listening experience, illustrating an expert grasp of pacing and atmosphere. While the bulk of the music employs ominous synthesizers and thunderous bursts of brass, Cmiral creates his beautiful main theme on the Armenian duduk, an unusual but effective choice that immediately establishes Ronin's unique place within the modern thriller canon. And while he ratchets up the tension with surgical precision, the score never errs on the side of bombast -- themes like "Thank You" and "Passion" possess a sophistication and complexity all too rare within the action genre. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide