Universal Scoring on SoundBetter

Every story has an underlying theme. There is nothing more satisfying than hitting that one single note where it is most needed, becoming your cue's best friend, remembered by people for years to come. That is my musical mindset, infusing the tried-and-true methods with novel ideas.

https://www.rasoul-morteza.com

Rasoul Morteza (born November 7, 1994) is a self-taught composer, sound designer and acoustician based in Montreal, Canada. He runs “Universal Scoring”, a motion picture, video-game and animation scoring company with the mindset of exploring simplicity in musical ideas that not only resonate with a given story, but are capable of evoking indelible memories outside the visuals as well.

Having studied Physics in France, Rasoul continued his research into the intertwined relationship between music and sound and obtained a Master’s degree in musical acoustics at the age of 21 (Concordia University, Canada). Upon graduation, he began his music career as a lecturer in music production and acoustics at audio engineering schools, namely Trebas Institute and Recording Arts Canada. He also holds years of experience in the video game industry and as an engineering consultant.

Rasoul’s compositional style stems from his appreciation of world cultures. His musical journey is an ongoing experiment of infusing the orchestra with the folk music of our past and the futuristic sounds of the modern synthesizer.

Rasoul’s current projects involve Ambisonic recording of live performances and sampling of ethnic instruments at the University of Montreal, as well as soundtrack composition and sound design for the upcoming PC video game “Ardent Seas”.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

2 Reviews

Endorse Universal Scoring

by Stephen Q.
Verified
Professional, Friendly, Responsive and clever composition of my short film soundtrack. Rasoul nearly nailed the track straight away from our first meeting, then went on to do exactly as I requested and more from our subsequent ones based on feedback. Couldn't have asked for more.
by Renee L.
Verified
Universal Scoring provided a great score for my short animated film, "The Closet"; project files were organized and easy to find and share, understood the needs and desires for my film and composed a unique score that fit the emotions and atmosphere; and was friendly and easy to communicate with, always responded in a timely manner. No complaints here :)

Interview with Universal Scoring

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Research on 3D recording technologies, video game composition and sound design.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I enjoy writing themes and creating sound textures (through sound design or orchestration) more than anything else. Secondary to that, MIDI programming is one of my strongest skills.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: My own sound, often product of unusual instrumentation that blends well after many tweaks. I never liked the idea of working on a project just to deliver an inferior version of someone else's musical style.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Practically all of my work is done inside the box. The reason being that my workflow is suited towards using softwares allowing a greater degree of liberty when it comes to modular sound design, and experimental musical choices. I also work more efficiently this way.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: The work won't be finalized until they're completely satisfied.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: The interesting stuff are always born out of experimentation. So let's be open to ideas!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: An infusion of the orchestra with world music and synthesized sounds
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: My list won't fit here!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listen, listen, listen.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Video game and cinematic music
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Based on the provided briefing, I generally spend a good amount of time refining the core idea before any further development. This could mean a particular sound design, sound texture or thematic material. An early draft is then sent to the client to ensure that the artist's vision is properly captured. Once everything is good to go, the track is then fully developed.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: The work of many composers ranging from the baroque era to the modern hip hop scene have greatly influenced my musical taste. However, I often tend to not think about emulating a particular style or artist when writing music, in an attempt to eventually forge my own sound.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Video game and cinematic music