September 19, 2023
On September 19th 2015 in the seaside city of Brighton, England, history was made in what is now known as perhaps the biggest sporting upset of all time: Japan’s defeat over South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. As Japan’s victory over the two-time world champions sent shockwaves around the world, a seed was planted in the mind of Australian director Max Mannix.
Now available on-demand, and broadcast across Japan on WOWOW, The Brighton Miracle tells the story of this sporting upset through a combination of drama and documentary, featuring an impressive cast including Temuera Morrison (Mandalorian, Moana) and Lasarus Ratuere (Ghost In The Shell).
With an original score by Syn Creative Director, Nick Wood, including an original song by Duran Duran frontman, Simon Le Bon called ‘The Story of How’, the soundtrack is now available on Spotify and Apple Music. Syn incorporated innovative production techniques to bring the story to life through music and sound, including recording drum-mallets on rugby balls to mimic the sound of orchestral drums, embracing the spirit of the film and supporting Nick Wood’s original score.
Japan has had a long love-affair with drums; with the epic sound of Taiko Drums now synonymous with the sounds of Japan. Honouring Japan with this cultural nod, Nick Wood set up a field-recording in a lower-ground car park of all places, and recorded the sound of mallets on rugby balls to mimic the grandeur of taiko and orchestral percussion. Using a variety of techniques and different attacks, Nick recorded these sounds and processed them at Syn Tokyo, ultimately layering the score with these cinematic hits to impressive effect.
Singer-songwriter and classically trained guitarist, Ichiko Aoba, is a fast-rising star of the independent Japanese music scene.
Born in Chiba, and raised in Kyoto, her signature style of Japanese folk has garnered a reputation leading to collaborations with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mac DeMarco and Haruomi Hosono among others.
Embracing the much-loved Japanese song ‘Sukiyaki’ - composed by Kyu Sakamoto in 1960 - Aoba’s delicate style and emotional intensity brings a heartfelt embrace to ‘The Brighton Miracle’ soundtrack.
Recorded at Syn Tokyo, with string arrangements by Nick Wood and Todd Hayen, Aoba’s cover of ‘Sukiyaki’ resonates with a Japanese audience, where the song is widely known, and introduces western ears to this song, with a nostalgic reference to the post-war emergence of 20th century Japan.
Co-founder of Syn and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Simon Le Bon, is a life-long sports fan. Combining a mutual passion for Rugby with globally renowned songwriting talent, it was a natural fit for Nick Wood and Simon Le Bon to collaborate on an original song, ‘The Story of How’, for The Brighton Miracle Soundtrack.
Recorded in Simon’s hometown of London, with additional production in Tokyo and Los Angeles, this recording session embraced Syn’s ethos of discovering ‘What The World Sounds Like’. Recording Electric Guitar in London (Benji Compston), Bass and Acoustic Guitar in Los Angeles (Jordan Teal), Keyboard Programming in Tokyo (Nick Wood and Alan Mawdsley) and Orchestral Strings in Macedonia (Courtesy of ‘Fames’ Orchestra, with arrangements by Todd Hayen and Nick Wood), this track truly embraced a global pool of creative talent and - much like the sport itself - leant in to a borderless collaborative spirit.
With the soundtrack’s release comes a rare example of Simon Le Bon’s writing and vocal talents outside of Duran Duran; profoundly in-keeping with the film’s message of hope against the odds. Lyrics such as ‘these are paramount times, never give up, never give in’ remind us to always pursue goals, despite myriad challenges, and emphasize the humanity of this film - not just for fans of sport, but for people of all passions and interests.
‘The Brighton Miracle’ is available on the below platforms in Japan:
For Purchase:
Google Play
YouTube
Amazon Prime Video
RakutenTV
Video Market
Videx
J:COM on Demand
Subscription On-Demand:
Amazon Prime Video
DMM
FOD
U-NEXT
Hulu
Broadcast:
WOWOW
‘The Brighton Miracle’ Soundtrack is available now on Apple Music & Spotify
