Revista Plural interviews Rubén Gallardo exclusively on AMY
Revista Plural has exclusively interviewed Mallorcan composer Rubén Gallardo, in a conversation conducted by journalist Juan Ramón Pons, in which the musician talks about his career, his approach to film composition and the creative process behind AMY, his latest soundtrack.
The interview focuses on one of Gallardo’s most particular works to date: the original music for AMY, a film directed by Ismael Luna that combines suspense, psychological horror and fantasy elements to tell a story of obsession, jealousy and toxic relationships through the unusual relationship between Alan and his 1990 Nissan 300ZX.
An interview to discover Rubén Gallardo’s creative world
During the conversation, Gallardo explains how the sound world of AMY was created and how the project represented a different challenge in his career as a film composer.
From the beginning, director Ismael Luna wanted to move away from the composer’s more usual sound and create an identity connected to mystery and 1980s cinema. Synthesizers and keyboards therefore became a key part of the creative process, with references to the cinematic world of John Carpenter.
The process led Gallardo to spend several weeks researching the possibilities of synthesizers from that period until he found the musical language the film needed. Later, the composer also added orchestral elements, a decision that ultimately convinced the director.
The result is a soundtrack designed to follow the emotional development of the story and help create the tension experienced by the viewer as the relationship between Alan and Amy develops.
AMY: a soundtrack to enter the story
One of the aspects Gallardo highlights during the interview is the importance of listening to the music beyond the images.
The concept of AMY created a particular challenge: the sound of the Nissan 300ZX, a key element of the film, had a strong low-frequency presence that could conflict with the music. For this reason, the soundtrack had to be adapted to the vehicle’s sound effects.
With the independent release of the music, Gallardo wanted to achieve the opposite: to allow listeners to enter the world of the film through the music alone and feel how the tension between the characters gradually increases.
This approach to composition connects directly with one of the main ideas of the interview. Music is a language capable of expressing emotions that often cannot be explained through words.
This is reflected in his description of himself as “a craftsman who creates a story that very rarely can be explained”, a phrase that gives its title to the interview published by Revista Plural.
The importance of music in film
The conversation also gives an insight into Gallardo’s view of the role a soundtrack should play in a film.
The composer believes that music should not compete with the image or necessarily become the main element. Its role is to accompany what happens on screen, reinforce emotions and help the viewer enter the story.
In AMY, this role is especially important, as the music helps build the psychological tension and accompany the transformation of the relationship between Alan and the vehicle that gives the film its name.
A new project already completed: Lo Invisible
The Revista Plural interview also reveals an important update about Rubén Gallardo’s immediate future.
The composer confirms that he has already finished composing the soundtrack for Lo Invisible, a new audiovisual project directed by actress Lara Martorell and filmed in Asturias.
While AMY currently highlights his work as a film composer, Gallardo continues to expand his soundtrack catalogue with new projects and collaborations.
A career that continues to grow
The interview published by Revista Plural offers an insight not only into the music of AMY, but also into the person behind it and his approach to composition, based on emotion, storytelling and the ability to tell stories through sound.
The full exclusive interview with Rubén Gallardo is available on Revista Plural, where you can also find the link to listen to the composer’s conversation on Radio Balear.
