Josh Mancell | |
|---|---|
 Mancell in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Website | joshmancell |
Josh Mancell is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist who writesmusic for film, television, andvideo games. He is best known for his work on theCrash Bandicoot andJak and Daxter series of video games.
Mancell has received twoDaytime Emmy Award nominations for his work on thechildren's television series,Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Mancell attendedSarah Lawrence College.[1]
As a child, Mancell learned to play thepiano,drums, andguitar and was a "rabidrecord geek". The exposure of playing music in different types of bands (such aspunk rock,jazz,marching bands, andorchestras), combined with fandom in many genres, led Mancell to pursue a composing career. He was encouraged by his college professors to move toLos Angeles to write music for film and television.[2]
Mancell has developed a successful career writing musical scores for film and television. In film, he has scored a range of films such asBongwater (starringLuke Wilson,Alicia Witt andJack Black) andLove Comes to the Executioner (starringJonathan Tucker,Ginnifer Goodwin andJeremy Renner) as well as contributing music to the cult indieChuck & Buck (Independent Spirit Award winner).[3]
Mancell's music has been used for the animated television showsGary the Rat (starringKelsey Grammer),Shorty McShorts' Shorts (starringWilmer Valderrama), andClifford the Big Red Dog (starringJohn Ritter), which has earned him two Emmy nominations.[4]
Mancell is known for his music in video games includingSony'sCrash Bandicoot andJak and Daxter series, and other titles such asJohnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie andInterstate '82. This work was done with the assistance ofMutato Muzika, the music production company whichMark Mothersbaugh formed with several other former members ofDevo including his brother,Bob Mothersbaugh.[5]
Mancell has been a member of the following bands and musical groups outside of his solo composing career:
Mancell's influences include electronic artists such asMouse on Mars,A Guy Called Gerald,Aphex Twin,Juan Atkins,Richard H. Kirk andKraftwerk, as well as progressive rock bandPink Floyd. He has cited their "interesting rhythmic elements" and said that "melodically they're simple but kind of leftfield too".[2]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie | — |
| 1996 | Crash Bandicoot | — |
| 1997 | Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | — |
| 1998 | Crash Bandicoot: Warped | — |
| 1999 | Crash Team Racing | — |
| Interstate '82 | — | |
| 2001 | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | — |
| 2003 | Jak II | with Larry Hopkins |
| 2004 | Jak 3 | |
| 2015 | Totome | — |
| 2016 | Vairon's Wrath | Two tracks[11] |
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bongwater | Richard Sears | withMark Mothersbaugh |
| 1999 | This is Harry Lehman | Brian King | Short film |
| 2000 | Chuck & Buck | Miguel Arteta | "Nwo Tew" |
| 2006 | Love Comes to the Executioner | Kyle Bergersen | — |
| 2008 | Milkshake | Renji Philip | Short film |
| Stanley | |||
| 2009 | The Lights | John Sjogren | — |
| 2010 | Love & Other Unstable States of Matter | David Marmor | Short film |
| 2011 | Eat the Sun | Peter Sorcher | Documentary |
| The Dude | Jeff Feuerzeig | Short documentary | |
| 2012 | Cheesecake Casserole | Renji Philip | — |
| 2013 | A Star for Rose | Daniel Yost | — |
| 2015 | Dirty Laundry | Renji Philip | Short film |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
