Marcel Barsotti

From Film Scores to AI Cinema

Portrait of Marcel Barsotti.

Marcel Barsotti is an internationally active film composer based in Germany. Since 1995, he has composed the scores for over 100 films and commercials, both in Germany and abroad, earning numerous awards and nominations along the way. His work includes scores for productions such as La Línea Imaginaria, Pope Joan, The Miracle of Bern, and Germany. A Summer’s Tale.

He studied composition, piano, conducting, and clarinet at the Conservatory of Munich (Germany), and between 2019 and 2022 he released his first electronic solo albums Transpicuous, Earth, and YOX as well as the orchestral cycle Americana, which led to his first orchestral concert tour.

He is active in various German film and television industry associations, including the German Film Academy, the German Television Academy, and the German Film Composers Union. He also gives lectures and workshops for music artists, and in 2017, he founded the production music company Tunesformovies.

In 2002 he published the first version of the vast sound library Ethno World for ethnic instruments. This is a lifelong project from someone passionate about music, who spent 16 years gathering a massive selection of instruments from all over the world, along with a wide range of solo voices and choirs from diverse cultures, to create this very extensive ethnic sample collection. Ethno World 6 Complete is the summit of all this work.

Marcel began directing music videos in 2020, but in 2024 he made his debut as a film director with the international multi-awarded short film Transformation, a dystopian sci-fi production created using artificial intelligence. He composed the soundtrack using our Waldorf’s Iridium and Quantum MK2.  In this conversation with Waldorf Music, he talks about how these instruments shaped the sonic world of Transformation and shares more about his creative journey as a film composer and director. Have fun!

How would you introduce yourself as an artist?

I am often said to be a chameleon. In addition to my work as a film composer for international films, I am also the owner of the Ethno World software library, which has been the world market leader for ethnic instruments for 25 years. I also founded the production music company TUNESFORMOVIES and have been teaching as a coach for over 20 years, both privately and at universities. In 2024, I decided to become a director and released my first international film, Transformation, which was realised with artificial intelligence. I also give concerts with orchestra, where my film scores from Pope Joan and The Miracle of Bern are performed. My great passion is electronic music, where I have also released several internationally successful albums. To date, I have received 70 awards and 50 nominations for my film projects.

How did you start making music?

I started out as a child with drums and vibraphone and then discovered the Hammond organ. But the Hammond was only available in the shop; I had a small Farfisa organ myself. I learnt to play traditional music and discovered hard rock and jazz at 16, where I played in many different bands. At 19, I started studying classical music and conducting at the conservatory in Munich. At the same time, I was already working for the composer Harold Faltermeyer (Top Gun) and began writing my first film scores for commercials and series. It wasn’t until I was 33 that I had my breakthrough at a film music competition. Since then, I have written music for over 300 international and national projects.

Studio setup of composer Marcel Barsotti featuring multiple synthesizers and audio equipment.
Portrait of Marcel Barsotti with three awards received for his AI film Transformation.

Awards for Transformation - Photo by TFM

What inspires your music?

I grew up with Star Wars (John Williams) and Kraftwerk, two extreme opposites in music. While I was always a fan of opulent Hollywood film scores, I also loved minimalist electronic music. But I’ve also incorporated many ethnic influences, jazz, and pop music into my film scores. I’ve even used hard rock in film scores, as in The Midwife. This genre of film music is perfect for combining different styles.

What was your first synth?

My first synths were a Roland Juno-106 and a Korg Poly-800. I only looked at the big synthesizers in the shops because I never had much money in my youth.

Close-up of the Roland Juno-106 synthesizer.

What do you appreciate most in a synthesizer?

I particularly appreciate the different ways synthesizers create sound. The flexibility of working with granular synthesis or conventional oscillators, and the combination of wave synthesis or modular systems, is something I value. With a synthesizer, I can create a completely unique style of expression, which I often miss with an instrument because the instrument is fixed to its body. I can also play an instrument with a synthesizer but completely alienate it. The creativity is inexhaustible.

What is the first thing you do when approaching a new synth?

The most important thing for me is whether the new synthesizer can be integrated into the concept of my existing setup. I’m not a fan of collecting synths that just stand around and are tried out once a year. My synthesizers run hot all day long and work together to create a unique sound. That’s why it’s important to me that every new synth adds a whole new colour and inspiration to the setup.

Presets or tweaking yourself?

I also work with presets, but I almost always completely change the basic sound until it fits the music. Sometimes, though, I program a sound from scratch—or, as with the Hydrasynth from ASM, I like the fact that you can create interesting new sounds using a random generator. This should be integrated more into digital synthesizers!

Marcel Barsotti in his studio.

Photo by TFM

What are your “must-have” tools in your studio?

My Moog One, my Waldorf Quantum MK2, my Prophet 12, and my OB-6 by Dave Smith. And of course, my Quested monitoring system, which Hans Zimmer also uses.

What role do Waldorf synths play in your music?

Waldorf’s sound has played a major role for me in recent years, it sounds very modern and innovative, offers an outstanding filter, and is ahead of its time, just like the PPG back then. Perfect for film soundtracks. In addition to my MK2, I also have the Iridium, and I think I’ll have other Waldorfs soon.

At what time will we meet you most often in your studio?

I’m a classic civil servant: I go into the studio at 9am and leave at 6pm. If I have a difficult deadline, then of course I work overtime. But the weekend is always sacred to me so that I can come up with new ideas.

Do you follow a specific workflow when starting a new project?

For me, the best creativity comes from an unconventional initial sound—be it a sequencer, drone, or FX sound. I used to compose everything from the piano. Those days are over, as I now only write electronic film music. I love the orchestra, but everyone does it and I find that super boring now. Electronic music, on the other hand, is much more diverse and sounds different every day, inviting you to improvise.

How do you manage the balance between productions for others and your personal projects?

That’s always a bit difficult, as I’ve already done over 300 projects in my life. As a coach, I also teach time management. That’s the magic word: organizing the day, the week, the month very explicitly—and including the necessary breaks. That’s the only way music can be successful: if you can still breathe and laugh in between (laughs).

How do you think working on a project like the ETHNO WORLD music library influenced your scoring approach?

Ethno World has had a huge impact on my life. I was the first CEO ever of a comprehensive ethnic library worldwide—back in 2000 I started with the first version in my student digs. At that time, there were already many ethnic influences in film music, such as Éric Serra. I was fascinated by how ethnic instruments could work in scores. But there was hardly a good library. Then I started collecting over 300 instruments and sampled them, so Ethno World 1 was born. Now we’ve just launched Ethno World 7 with my long-time and reliable partner Andreas Hofner, and EW7 has become really very good, a high level of sound quality and inspiration.

Cover of the Ethno World 6 Music Library.

Do you think there’s a growing space for ethnically diverse sounds in modern film music?

Absolutely. You keep hearing great scores with ethnic influences. Gladiator was one of the first scores to be marketed commercially through the female voice. Then there were hundreds of scores in that style. I now find it more interesting to integrate ethnic influences into electronic music.

What motivated your transition into directing with Transformation?

I had started writing the music for a science fiction film in 2024, but I didn’t like the film. So I came up with the idea of realizing my own sci-fi film. As I would have needed around 9 million dollars for a CGI realization, I got into AI software and practiced for months before creating the first scenes. Then, six months later, the film won awards worldwide and I knew I wanted to continue. That’s why I’m about to finish the AI2 film (working title)!

How do you think your background in film composition has influenced your approach as a director?

Extremely! Because I always followed the other trades: I read scripts, listened to sound design, watched dubbing, followed film editing, and was involved in almost every film mix. That’s why I did EVERYTHING on Transformation myself. Of course, it was incredibly time-consuming, but when the film became a success, I knew that some things must have been done right.

How did AI affect the music in Transformation?

As the film is very modern in its visual structure, I knew the music also had to be very modern. A combination of soundscapes, drones, FX, and little melody. More of a collage of partial, dark, and archaic sounds. The music should demonstrate the threat from the very first second, that we humans only play a very small role in the evolution of the universe.

Cover of the AI film "Transformation".
Marcel Barsotti in his studio.

Photo by Arlet Ulfers

How did Waldorf synths help shape the sound of Transformation? Which features helped your creativity the most?

I immediately fell in love with the sounds of Sascha Dikiciyan, Peter Jung, and Kevin Schroeder back then. I love it when sounds evolve over time—be it through morphing or granular synthesis, an infinite number of LFOs, or various filter movements and sequencers. The programmers at Waldorf put a lot of effort into this. I love the depth of the sounds, the width, and the absolute clarity, especially with the Quantum, which adds a lot of warmth with its additional analogue filters.

Do you see yourself directing more films?

I will definitely continue directing and writing the soundtracks for my own films. I’m currently working on a very elaborate second AI science fiction film, with various film companies on board, much more elaborate than Transformation. With lots of AI actors and characters, a big sci-fi world is being built here. Emotions are forming, and adventures are being created. This could be something really big. We’ll see!

What are you working on now?

The working titles are AI2 (Artificial Intelligence Film 2) and AI3. I can’t reveal any more yet. They will all be international film projects with lots of Waldorf sounds, that’s for sure.

What are your thoughts on the future of film music, especially with AI and advanced synthesis involved?

A lot will change in this world, AI is everywhere. It will revolutionize and also create new jobs. And old jobs will be lost. It will be particularly difficult in music, because every 10th production already has AI music. In any case, I will continue to compose analog music.

What advice would you give to young composers trying to break into the industry today?

Individuality. Don’t constantly adapt to trends, develop your own style while staying open to good collaboration. Because we’re not alone, we all work together in film, often with hours of discussions and corrections. In the end, that’s what makes good music. Ego is only marketable to a limited extent.

Marcel Barsotti

From Film Scores to AI Cinema

Portrait of Marcel Barsotti.

Marcel Barsotti is an internationally active film composer based in Germany. Since 1995, he has composed the scores for over 100 films and commercials, both in Germany and abroad, earning numerous awards and nominations along the way. His work includes scores for productions such as La Línea Imaginaria, Pope Joan, The Miracle of Bern, and Germany. A Summer’s Tale.

He studied composition, piano, conducting, and clarinet at the Conservatory of Munich (Germany), and between 2019 and 2022 he released his first electronic solo albums Transpicuous, Earth, and YOX as well as the orchestral cycle Americana, which led to his first orchestral concert tour.

He is active in various German film and television industry associations, including the German Film Academy, the German Television Academy, and the German Film Composers Union. He also gives lectures and workshops for music artists, and in 2017, he founded the production music company Tunesformovies.

In 2002 he published the first version of the vast sound library Ethno World for ethnic instruments. This is a lifelong project from someone passionate about music, who spent 16 years gathering a massive selection of instruments from all over the world, along with a wide range of solo voices and choirs from diverse cultures, to create this very extensive ethnic sample collection. Ethno World 6 Complete is the summit of all this work.

Marcel began directing music videos in 2020, but in 2024 he made his debut as a film director with the international multi-awarded short film Transformation, a dystopian sci-fi production created using artificial intelligence. He composed the soundtrack using our Waldorf’s Iridium and Quantum MK2.  In this conversation with Waldorf Music, he talks about how these instruments shaped the sonic world of Transformation and shares more about his creative journey as a film composer and director. Have fun!

How would you introduce yourself as an artist?

I am often said to be a chameleon. In addition to my work as a film composer for international films, I am also the owner of the Ethno World software library, which has been the world market leader for ethnic instruments for 25 years. I also founded the production music company TUNESFORMOVIES and have been teaching as a coach for over 20 years, both privately and at universities. In 2024, I decided to become a director and released my first international film, Transformation, which was realised with artificial intelligence. I also give concerts with orchestra, where my film scores from Pope Joan and The Miracle of Bern are performed. My great passion is electronic music, where I have also released several internationally successful albums. To date, I have received 70 awards and 50 nominations for my film projects.

How did you start making music?

I started out as a child with drums and vibraphone and then discovered the Hammond organ. But the Hammond was only available in the shop; I had a small Farfisa organ myself. I learnt to play traditional music and discovered hard rock and jazz at 16, where I played in many different bands. At 19, I started studying classical music and conducting at the conservatory in Munich. At the same time, I was already working for the composer Harold Faltermeyer (Top Gun) and began writing my first film scores for commercials and series. It wasn’t until I was 33 that I had my breakthrough at a film music competition. Since then, I have written music for over 300 international and national projects.

Studio setup of composer Marcel Barsotti featuring multiple synthesizers and audio equipment.
Portrait of Marcel Barsotti with three awards received for his AI film Transformation.

Awards for Transformation - Photo by TFM

What inspires your music?

I grew up with Star Wars (John Williams) and Kraftwerk, two extreme opposites in music. While I was always a fan of opulent Hollywood film scores, I also loved minimalist electronic music. But I’ve also incorporated many ethnic influences, jazz, and pop music into my film scores. I’ve even used hard rock in film scores, as in The Midwife. This genre of film music is perfect for combining different styles.

What was your first synth?

My first synths were a Roland Juno-106 and a Korg Poly-800. I only looked at the big synthesizers in the shops because I never had much money in my youth.

Close-up of the Roland Juno-106 synthesizer.

What do you appreciate most in a synthesizer?

I particularly appreciate the different ways synthesizers create sound. The flexibility of working with granular synthesis or conventional oscillators, and the combination of wave synthesis or modular systems, is something I value. With a synthesizer, I can create a completely unique style of expression, which I often miss with an instrument because the instrument is fixed to its body. I can also play an instrument with a synthesizer but completely alienate it. The creativity is inexhaustible.

What is the first thing you do when approaching a new synth?

The most important thing for me is whether the new synthesizer can be integrated into the concept of my existing setup. I’m not a fan of collecting synths that just stand around and are tried out once a year. My synthesizers run hot all day long and work together to create a unique sound. That’s why it’s important to me that every new synth adds a whole new colour and inspiration to the setup.

Presets or tweaking yourself?

I also work with presets, but I almost always completely change the basic sound until it fits the music. Sometimes, though, I program a sound from scratch—or, as with the Hydrasynth from ASM, I like the fact that you can create interesting new sounds using a random generator. This should be integrated more into digital synthesizers!

What are your “must-have” tools in your studio?

My Moog One, my Waldorf Quantum MK2, my Prophet 12, and my OB-6 by Dave Smith. And of course, my Quested monitoring system, which Hans Zimmer also uses.

Marcel Barsotti in his studio.

Photo by TFM

What role do Waldorf synths play in your music?

Waldorf’s sound has played a major role for me in recent years, it sounds very modern and innovative, offers an outstanding filter, and is ahead of its time, just like the PPG back then. Perfect for film soundtracks. In addition to my MK2, I also have the Iridium, and I think I’ll have other Waldorfs soon.

At what time of day or night will we meet you most often in your studio?

I’m a classic civil servant: I go into the studio at 9am and leave at 6pm. If I have a difficult deadline, then of course I work overtime. But the weekend is always sacred to me so that I can come up with new ideas.

Do you follow a specific workflow when starting a new project?

For me, the best creativity comes from an unconventional initial sound—be it a sequencer, drone, or FX sound. I used to compose everything from the piano. Those days are over, as I now only write electronic film music. I love the orchestra, but everyone does it and I find that super boring now. Electronic music, on the other hand, is much more diverse and sounds different every day, inviting you to improvise.

How do you manage the balance between productions for others and your personal projects?

That’s always a bit difficult, as I’ve already done over 300 projects in my life. As a coach, I also teach time management. That’s the magic word: organizing the day, the week, the month very explicitly—and including the necessary breaks. That’s the only way music can be successful: if you can still breathe and laugh in between (laughs).

How do you think working on a project like the ETHNO WORLD music library influenced your scoring approach?

Ethno World has had a huge impact on my life. I was the first CEO ever of a comprehensive ethnic library worldwide—back in 2000 I started with the first version in my student digs. At that time, there were already many ethnic influences in film music, such as Éric Serra. I was fascinated by how ethnic instruments could work in scores. But there was hardly a good library. Then I started collecting over 300 instruments and sampled them, so Ethno World 1 was born. Now we’ve just launched Ethno World 7 with my long-time and reliable partner Andreas Hofner, and EW7 has become really very good, a high level of sound quality and inspiration.

Cover of the Ethno World 6 Music Library.

Do you think there’s a growing space for ethnically diverse sounds in modern film music?

Absolutely. You keep hearing great scores with ethnic influences. Gladiator was one of the first scores to be marketed commercially through the female voice. Then there were hundreds of scores in that style. I now find it more interesting to integrate ethnic influences into electronic music.

What motivated your transition into directing with Transformation?

I had started writing the music for a science fiction film in 2024, but I didn’t like the film. So I came up with the idea of realizing my own sci-fi film. As I would have needed around 9 million dollars for a CGI realization, I got into AI software and practiced for months before creating the first scenes. Then, six months later, the film won awards worldwide and I knew I wanted to continue. That’s why I’m about to finish the AI2 film (working title)!

How do you think your background in film composition has influenced your approach as a director?

Extremely! Because I always followed the other trades: I read scripts, listened to sound design, watched dubbing, followed film editing, and was involved in almost every film mix. That’s why I did EVERYTHING on Transformation myself. Of course, it was incredibly time-consuming, but when the film became a success, I knew that some things must have been done right.

How did AI affect the music in Transformation?

As the film is very modern in its visual structure, I knew the music also had to be very modern. A combination of soundscapes, drones, FX, and little melody. More of a collage of partial, dark, and archaic sounds. The music should demonstrate the threat from the very first second, that we humans only play a very small role in the evolution of the universe.

Cover of the AI film "Transformation".

How did Waldorf synths help shape the sound of Transformation? Which features helped your creativity the most?

I immediately fell in love with the sounds of Sascha Dikiciyan, Peter Jung, and Kevin Schroeder back then. I love it when sounds evolve over time—be it through morphing or granular synthesis, an infinite number of LFOs, or various filter movements and sequencers. The programmers at Waldorf put a lot of effort into this. I love the depth of the sounds, the width, and the absolute clarity, especially with the Quantum, which adds a lot of warmth with its additional analogue filters.

Marcel Barsotti in his studio.

Photo by Arlet Ulfers

Do you see yourself directing more films?

I will definitely continue directing and writing the soundtracks for my own films. I’m currently working on a very elaborate second AI science fiction film, with various film companies on board, much more elaborate than Transformation. With lots of AI actors and characters, a big sci-fi world is being built here. Emotions are forming, and adventures are being created. This could be something really big. We’ll see!

What are you working on now?

The working titles are AI2 (Artificial Intelligence Film 2) and AI3. I can’t reveal any more yet. They will all be international film projects with lots of Waldorf sounds, that’s for sure.

What are your thoughts on the future of film music, especially with AI and advanced synthesis involved?

A lot will change in this world, AI is everywhere. It will revolutionize and also create new jobs. And old jobs will be lost. It will be particularly difficult in music, because every 10th production already has AI music. In any case, I will continue to compose analog music.

What advice would you give to young composers trying to break into the industry today?

Individuality. Don’t constantly adapt to trends, develop your own style while staying open to good collaboration. Because we’re not alone, we all work together in film, often with hours of discussions and corrections. In the end, that’s what makes good music. Ego is only marketable to a limited extent.