About Norman Tonnelier

Growing up, I was immersed in my parents’ musical influences, and I was particularly influenced by Mike Oldfield’s albums. My father used to put his vinyl records on at weekends, and hearing his creations gave me a very singular vision of music. Hearing the sounds of telephones and motorcycles in these tracks opened my eyes to the infinite and unusual possibilities of musical creation.
I now consider the processes of creating music and sound design to be identical, and naturally mix the two.
I’ve been playing guitar and piano since I was a teenager, but having grown up with computers around me, I’ve made them my instrument of choice. It became natural to use it to shape my music and explore new sounds. I’m constantly on the lookout for new sounds.

My music is sometimes described as sad and dramatic, but I see it more as a manifestation of melancholy.
I identify with Victor Hugo’s quote: “Melancholy is a twilight. Suffering melts into a dark joy. Melancholy is the happiness of being sad.”
For me, melancholy is a complex sensation that can contain nuanced and poetic emotions such as nostalgia, regret, hope and sorrow.
All these facets bring depth and versatility to the music.

In addition to my work as a music composer, I’ve been in charge of sound design and overall sound (from recording to final mixing) on most of the projects I’ve worked on.

“When I write music for a film, I’m not writing a solo album, and I’m not writing a personal piece. I’m part of a team of artists. So I think like a filmmaker more than a composer.” (Johann Johannsson)