Lakeshore Records has released 'Together' — the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — with music by Melbourne-based composer Cornel Wilczek.
Known for his work on Talk To Me and various film and television projects, Cornel combines vocal experimentation, atmospheric textures, and noise-driven extremes in Michael Shanks' new horror film starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie. The score builds on his reputation for pushing film music into unexpected spaces, balancing intimacy with moments of intense emotion.
For this project, Cornel relied heavily on IK Multimedia's iLoud MTM monitors in his compact, acoustically designed studio. From the earliest writing sessions, he composed spatially in 7.1, using the monitors to navigate between fragile detail and full-scale chaos.
Their accuracy allowed him to shape reverbs, control dynamics, and trust that the psychoacoustic cues he designed would translate beyond his room. That trust became the foundation for a score that moves fluidly between tension, beauty, and dread.
When asked about the album, Wilczek said "The score for 'Together' is a playful act of misdirection—initially familiar, it swiftly shifts into something entirely unexpected. Built around atmospheric textures created through sympathetic resonance, it dynamically mirrors the story's push-and-pull of separation and unity, mixing twisted romanticism with cathartic noise and tongue-in-cheek orchestral flourishes."
In the interview that follows, Cornel explains how the iLoud MTMs supported the creative process behind Together. He also reflects on how tools like these democratize spatial work for smaller studios, opening the door for more composers to deliver theater-ready mixes and a whole lot more...
At A Glance
- Managing range with iLoud MTMs
- Deciding spatial placement in mixes
- Shaping reverb tails with clarity
- Monitors that reveal imperfections
- Democratizing spatial work for studio
- Why iLouds matter for horror scores
- Hot Seat: Cornel's six essential tips for composers
So let's get into the interview and see how he worked his magic and trusts what comes out of his monitors.
On Together, you move between fragile whispers and full-on sonic chaos. How did iLouds help you manage that range in the mix?
I like making music in small, intimate spaces, and my studio is a very compact but acoustically designed room.
The iLoud MTMs immediately felt at home in my environment, giving me a perfect working volume where I could hear every detail across a wide dynamic range.
I've always gravitated toward nearfields, and the iLouds proved exceptional for that purpose. For Together, I did something slightly unusual — I composed spatially in 7.1 from the very beginning.
That approach allowed me to isolate sounds and give each element its own distinct space in the palette. As a result, quiet and loud passages could coexist without fighting each other, and I felt free to push extremes knowing the monitors would faithfully reveal the balance.
In a partial spatial mix, how did iLouds help you decide when a sound should feel like it's approaching or surrounding the listener?
Those decisions always begin with the story — the film and the scene dictate whether a sound should envelop the audience or press in on them.
What makes the iLoud MTMs invaluable in this process is their remarkable midrange detail.
For me, that frequency range is the most important when working spatially, because so much of the psychoacoustic "trickery" of immersion happens there. A violin, a breath, a processed vocal—those cues live in the midrange, and if you don't hear them accurately, you can't place them with intention. With the iLouds, I know I'm getting a truthful representation, which lets me make spatial choices with confidence, knowing they'll translate across different rooms and playback systems.
Reverb tails are critical for building dread. Did iLouds help you decide how long to let spaces breathe without losing clarity?
Absolutely. Reverb isn't just an effect in my writing — it's an integral part of the palette, something I compose with as much as any instrument. The breath in those spaces is what creates tension, unease, and sometimes beauty, so being able to hear tails with absolute clarity is essential.
The iLoud MTMs gave me that accuracy, allowing me to shape reverbs so they sat exactly where they needed to be without cluttering the mix.
Because the monitors also encouraged me to work at a consistent, optimal volume, I developed a strong sense of dynamics that carried through the whole score. That consistency made it easier to trust the way a tail would bloom or dissolve, even in the most fragile moments.
How important is it to have monitors that expose imperfections quickly, so you can stay focused on creative storytelling rather than technical second-guessing?
Second-guessing is the enemy of creative flow. There's nothing more frustrating than being pulled out of a moment because you can't trust what you're hearing. For years, I worked on speakers that constantly made me check mixes in other rooms, wasting time and energy I should have spent composing. I thought that was normal — that endless room-hopping was just part of the process.
I can now trust what I'm hearing, stay in the zone, and know with certainty that it will translate in the theatre or on another system.
That reliability lets me focus entirely on the storytelling, which is really what scoring is all about.
Do you feel tools like iLouds democratize spatial work, letting smaller studios compete at the highest level?
That's exactly how I described them the first time I heard them. I had just finished mixing in a high-end Atmos room with over $120,000 worth of monitoring. It was an amazing space, and the mixes sounded fantastic.
But then one of the assistant engineers invited me into his much smaller, 12m² acoustically treated room, where he had an iLoud MTM Atmos setup. We put the mixes on, and I was stunned — they sounded every bit as good, with the same clarity and spatial integrity.
I kept going back and forth between the big room and the iLouds, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
That experience convinced me: these monitors truly democratize spatial work, letting composers like me compete at the highest level from smaller, more personal studios.
If another composer asked why iLouds matter in horror scoring, how would you sum it up in one sentence that ties back to Together?
Together needed a score that very skilful blended between the close and the far, the subtle and the extreme and the iLouds allowed me to work with that range in confidence.
Hot Seat: Wilczek's 6 Tips for Composers
1. When starting out, explore and experiment.
Don't worry about chasing trends or copying what's already out there — the most valuable thing you can do early on is discover your own voice. Try weird ideas, mash genres together, break rules, and see what sticks. The projects you land at the beginning may be small, but they're the perfect playground for figuring out what feels authentic to you. If you believe in what you're doing, other people will too.
2. Choose gear you can rely on.
People often say "it's all about the music," and while that's true, your tools matter because they shape your workflow. If you're constantly second-guessing what you're hearing or troubleshooting technical hiccups, you'll lose creative flow fast. You don't need to own everything under the sun, but the gear you do invest in should be rock solid. Do the research, talk to other composers, and build a setup you trust.
3. Bring something new to every project.
Once you're getting a few gigs, challenge yourself to push further each time. Give yourself at least one new musical idea or technique to explore on every project. Maybe it's a fresh instrument, an unusual processing chain, or a new approach to harmony. Over time, these little experiments add up and help you refine your sound. Plus, directors love working with composers who keep things evolving.
4. Surround yourself with good people.
Scoring is collaborative — you'll be dealing with directors, producers, editors, musicians, and engineers all the time. Working with people you actually like makes the long hours and tight deadlines so much more bearable. Find collaborators who "get" you and give you the freedom to try things. Those relationships will carry you further than any single project.
5. Build a space you want to live in.
By the time you're working regularly, your studio will feel like a second home — so make it somewhere you actually enjoy being. It doesn't need to be fancy, but it should inspire you, whether that's through good lighting, comfortable furniture, or gear that excites you. If you love being in the room, you'll naturally put in the hours without feeling drained. That's when the real growth happens.
6. Protect your joy.
Once you're fully professional, the pressure can get heavy: deadlines, budgets, expectations. The moment you stop enjoying the work, step away. Go for a walk, take the afternoon off, reset. Creativity only thrives when you're in a healthy headspace, and forcing it through negativity rarely leads to good results. Recalibrating will bring back the spark — and that spark is the thing people hire you for.
iLoud MTM's built-in ARC self-calibration means it adjusts in seconds to any placement, including ceiling-mounting, correcting its output to ensure the most precise, balanced sound from every position, without struggling with placement and spacing. Learn more about iLoud MTM MKII.
iLoud MTM MKII Immersive Bundle 11