We caught up with Australian composer, Daniel Greis, to hear about his latest work, his music production setup, and experiences at Berklee College of Music.

Daniel Greis is an independent composer/producer, whose diverse musical taste introduced him to a wide range of musical realms, styles and mediums. As far back as he can remember, Daniel has passionately pursued the world of music. He’s been a dedicated drummer and classical trumpet player since the age of 7, an ambitious composer and producer for 13 years, and an enthusiastic academic in the field of music.

His Melodie works have been placed in TV shows such as The Amazing Race (10/Paramount+), Meet the Penguins (ABC), Take Me Home (Nine) and Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery (ABC).

Melodie: Hey Daniel! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. What first inspired you to write music for film and television?

It’s an interesting question as I don’t exactly know where it all came from, but I have always been fascinated with movies and the magical worlds that are portrayed through screen.

Alongside this fascination was my love for music, and especially film scores. There’s something behind the power of a good film score that affects people. It can do funny things to one’s emotions.

Growing up I had a natural talent for music and there were clear and direct tools and resources to help me level up as a musician. On my journey as a musician, I often just wrote and experimented with music that sounded like a film score but it was composed to nothing, no picture. I just did it for the love of what film scores sound like. It was soon after that I realised I could pursue and enjoy both my love for creating music and also be involved in the magical world of film. I just needed to take the leap to become a film composer. So, I went full steam ahead and it has been an amazing journey so far.

You studied at the illustrious Berklee College of Music, how was that? 

It was definitely the ultimate boot-camp to level up my musical skills and knowledge. The high-level benchmarks and expectations they set keep you extremely driven, you end up finding what your full potential can look like – what you are truly capable of.

On top of that, you are just surrounded by such creative and talented individuals from all around the world who come with different cultures, styles and each have something musically unique to give. Overall Berklee was a very defining period and was invaluable as I continued forward as a film composer.

You’ve worked on a number of really interesting projects in the past such as “Superman & Lois” (2021) and scoring a killer video game trailer in 2017. What are you currently working on? 

Currently I am working on Season 3 of “Superman & Lois”, which is wrapping up soon. Additionally, I am working on an animation project that will be coming out next year and I am also currently studying a Master’s degree at AFTRS where I am working on a few independent films. Also in the works is some new music for Melodie!

How’s your set-up these days? What kind of equipment are you using to get your sound? 

I was fortunate enough to get a computer built for me specifically to run large sessions. This computer runs Windows. Then, my DAW used to produce and compose is currently Pro-Tools. In the past I’ve used Cubase (for a few years) and also Logic-Pro (for about 14 years).

My speakers are Eve Audio SC205 2-Way 5” active studio monitors that runs through a Solid-State Logic SSL2+ Audio Interface amplifier.

I have an L shaped desk with two screen monitors, a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 mk2 MIDI Keyboard, with an M-Gear sustain pedal and a touch pad, a keyboard and an Elgato Stream Deck controller for customized shortcuts.

Finally, in regards to hardware, I have a Rode NT1 studio condenser microphone and HIFIMAN HE-400 open ear headphones. With regards to software, plug-ins and virtual instruments, I use Spitfire Audio, East West, Native Instruments, Kontakt, FabFilter, Toontrack, U-He, Valhalla, Waves Audio, Xfer Records, SoundToys, Arturia and more.

What are you listening to at the moment? Which artists inspire you to make music?

It’s quite an eclectic range of artists… In terms of cinematic writing, my biggest influences are James Horner and Thomas Newman. Then, I also love electronic and house music, so artists like The Presets and Deadmau5, as well as the Anjunadeep label. I’m also a progressive rock/metal fan, so I listen to bands like Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, Genesis, TesseracT. I also hold a special place for hip-hop, so artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Anderson Paak, J Cole, Eminem are great. I’ll also throw Radiohead in there as I find they are quite a big inspiration for me.

What is your favourite Daniel Greis track in the Melodie library and why? 

I would say “Retribution” is my favourite. It’s just such a fun track that takes you on this adventurous action-packed journey. I love writing music in that style.