J. Ralph's aletoric piece "Evolocean" is available now. Recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Voices choir and an infant at Abbey Rd studios, the experimental piece is an ever evolving living dialog exploring mankind and it's effect on the oceans. The limited edition release will be avail only for a short time. email info@jralph.com to find out how to get your copy.
MOVIES | By Matt Donnelly on November 17, 2015
TheWrap Screening Series: “The rules of the game fundamentally favor bad behavior,” Tesla founder says, joining documentary director Louie Psihoyos and composer J. Ralph
Entrepreneur, inventor and engineer Elon Musk has made a fortune raging against convention, but when it comes to a passion of his — environmental protection — he says we have to play by the rules.
Appearing in “Racing Extinction,” a documentary about the myriad ways the human race is diminishing the planet, Musk joined a Wrap panel after a screening of the film and said a crucial way to effect change is on the ballot.
“It’s really important that people demonstrate to governments around the world that they care about climate change,” Musk said at TheWrap’s Screening Series on Sunday at Paramount Pictures. Musk was joined by the film’s director Louie Psihoyos, an Oscar winner for his previous acclaimed documentary “The Cove,” along with composer J. Ralph.
“The issue we’re facing is that, even the vast majority of scientists, even those that don’t have a vested interest and aren’t crazy, even they think this is a serious issue,” Musk said of the film, which explores issues like carbon dioxide emissions, manta-ray hunting, methane gas production from livestock and various man-made strains on the planet.
Musk, founder of electric car company Tesla Motors, said he was looking forward to the 2015 Climate Change Convention to be held Nov. 30 in Paris, despite the recent terror attacks that crippled the city and shook the world.
“The rules of the game fundamentally favor bad behavior,” Musk noted, recognizing the challenge of confronting industries that are heavily subsidized by governments. “The oil and gas companies have basically infinite money. They’re using the same playbook as the tobacco industry did.”
For the filmmakers, the challenge is also to raise awareness beyond those who are already environmentally conscious. “It’s about scale. We can show this in theaters like this with like-minded people but it’s about scaling up,” said Psihoyos, who achieved the ambitious effort with financing from Musk and an emotional score by J. Ralph (Oscar-nominated composer on “Virunga” and “Finding Vivian Maier”).
“Discovery is showing this film, they’re releasing this in 220 countries and territories the world, across networks,” Psihoyos told TheWrap’s Awards Editor Steve Pond. “They reach about a billion people, and if we reach only a fraction of that we hope it’s a tipping point.”
Indeed, Discovery will roll out the film for the world the watch on December 2. It’s got a great shot at captivating a small-screen audience across platforms like Facebook and Twitter — J. Ralph recruited big-time talent for the film’s original music.
“All of the music of the film is in response to the animals, a sort of song back to them,” Ralph said of calls from endangered species like whales and birds featured on the soundtrack. “When Louis and I were thinking about how to get the message out further… we thought, ‘Who would be the best voices?'”
They decided on Sia, who sings the anthem “One Candle,” and soul singer Anthony for the chilling “Manta Ray,” who co-wrote the music in collaboration with Ralph.
“The wilingness is there, you just have to activate people with something that is familiar. People look to the Tesla as the future, as credibility and something that can change the world, just like artists they trust for emotional resonance,” Ralph said.
Hear Sia's "One Candle" and Antony's "Manta Ray" off the soundtrack to new documentary 'Racing Extinction.'
On August 1st, digital images of endangered species were projected onto the side of the Empire State Building. It was the first time moving images had been projected on the historic NYC skyscraper, according to The New York Times, and it was soundtracked by new songs from Sia and Antony of Antony and the Johnsons created with composer J. Ralph. "One Candle," the massive and upbeat Sia song off the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary Racing Extinction, is now available to hear in a new trailer for the film premiering on Rolling Stone.
"The whole projection event happened live in front of thousands of people and was choreographed in sync to 'One Candle' and [Antony track] 'Manta Ray,'" J. Ralph, who scored the entire documentary, tells Rolling Stone. "Both songs are essential to the film's narrative and integral to the awareness campaign worldwide. Our hope was that we could inspire people with the understanding that every individual has the power to create global change from even one small idea."
Racing Extinction, which will premiere on Discovery December 2nd, explores how the human footprint has exarcerbated the extinction of half the planet's species, many of whom are at risk to be fully extinct by the end of the century. Sia and Ralph's "One Candle" is a shimmering and optimistic call to action for a cause at the forefront of both artists' minds. "As an animal advocate, how could I pass up an opportunity to turn the volume up on this issue?" Sia says. "I am proud to lend my voice to this important film."
Antony and J. Ralph's intimate ballad "Manta Ray" is also available to hear in full. Director Louie Psihoyos, who also helmed The Cove, was looking for a very specific type of vocalist to appear on the soundtrack. "I remember Louie and I having a discussion once about what the world would sound like without any music or sounds from nature [and] what it would sound like if there was only one voice left on the planet," J. Ralph recalls. "If I had to pick one artist to represent the fate of humanity, it would be Antony."
Like The Cove, Psihoyos created Racing Extinction in conjunction with the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS). More information on the documentary, the challenges predicted for the future and potential solutions are available at Racing Extinction's official site.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO "ONE CANDLE" written and performed by J. RALPH & SIA
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO "MANTA RAY" written and performed by J. RALPH & ANTONY hyperurl.co/qhb5io
WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S ACTIVIST GRACA MACHEL, SUPERMODEL KAREN ELSON AND THOUSANDS TO GATHER IN SUPPORT OF GLOBAL POVERTY GOALS
“ONE CANDLE” TO SERVE AS A UNIFIYING AND ATHEMIC CALL TO ACTION
ON THE EVE OF POPE FRANCIS ADDRESS, SUPPORTERS TO LIGHT THE SKY IN FRONT OF UNITED NATIONS
September 24, 2015 NYC - Tonight at 6pm, thousands will gather in Dag Hammarskjold plaza at the United Nations in support of the UN Global Poverty Goals. This event, part of the action/2015 movement, on the eve of the signing of the new Global Goals will be the flagship event in North America, with concurrent events across the globe.
Together with flashlights, candles, cell phones and more, thousands will hold a vigil and light the way for leaders to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change just hours before they sign the UN Global Goals.
New York City, is just one of the over 100 cities hosting events as night falls. Hundreds-of-thousands are expected to take part globally, from London, England to Sydney, Australia, Delhi, India to Johannesburg, South Africa and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The event will also feature musical performances and special guests including Ghanaian musician and activist, Rocky Dawuni, environmental hip-hop artist and youth activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez or “Kid Warrior” – culminating in the world premiere of the song "One Candle”, a unifying and anthemic call to action written and performed by J. Ralph and Sia for the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary ‘Racing Extinction’ as well as the entire global awareness movement.
The new Global Goals is a historic global agreement that governments will sign that will redefine efforts to end extreme poverty, confront global inequalities and help tackle climate change for the next 15 years.
WHEN: Tonight September 24, 2015
6:00-8:00PM
WHERE: Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
action/2015 is one of the world’s largest citizens’ movements active in more than 150 countries. Made up of over 2000 organisations with nearly 100 in the UK including Save the Children, Age International, Amnesty International, Anglican Alliance, Comic Relief, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Marie Stopes International, ONE, Plan UK, Restless Development, Royal Commonwealth Society, SightSavers, VSO and WaterAid