ABOUT

Blake Leyh is an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated composer, music supervisor, music producer, and sound designer who lives in New York City. Born in New York in 1962 but raised in England until age fifteen, Leyh has worked in film music and sound for forty years. His credits include films by James Cameron, The Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, John Waters, Alfonso Cuaron, Jonathan Demme, Julie Taymor, Mira Nair, Kasi Lemmons, Zhang Yimou, and Saul Williams. Leyh was the music supervisor and composer for HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire, for which he also composed the end theme music, and has been the music supervisor for all of David Simon’s subsequent television shows. Leyh has written film scores for over twenty feature films and contributed memorable sound work to over fifty movies. He has scored video games, and performed live music and foley on an international tour. He produced albums by 1980s punk band The Holy Sisters of The Gaga Dada, “the voice of New Orleans” John Boutté, and musician-poet Saul Williams. Since 2016 with Tony Jarvis Leyh has led the experimental Harlem-based band N to The Power. He has released seven albums of solo music, plus film scores, soundtrack albums for David Simon’s HBO shows, and in 2021 a compilation album ENDLESS: 40 Years of Ambient Music by Blake Leyh 1980 – 2020. Leyh’s latest solo album release is NEW MODERN STRINGS (2024), which explores the 24-string kora-inspired electric harp called the Gravikord.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • 2025 Big Ears Festival – Gave lecture “How The Avant Garde Consumed Hollywood”
  • Released three albums in 2024: NEW MODERN STRINGS, MORE POWER, & THE APPRENTICE TO THE SURGEON OF THE NIGHTSKY
  • Composer for feature doc STRIPPED FOR PARTS: AMERICAN JOURNALISM AT THE BRINK
  • Sound supervisor & mixer for EXTRAPOLATIONS, 8-hour series for Apple. Also composed main title music.
  • Music Supervisor for David Simon’s HBO series WE OWN THIS CITY
  • Composer for THE AMERICAN DREAM & OTHER FAIRY TALES, feature doc by Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes
  • Soundtrack album producer for Saul WIlliams’ NEPTUNE FROST
  • Sound designer & mixer for NEPTUNE FROST, Saul Williams’ & Anisia Uzeyman’s Africanfuturist musical feature

AWARDS

Prime Time Emmy for Mixing TREME (2014) / Grammy Nomination for producing the TREME soundtrack album (2010) / MPSE Golden Reel for Best Sound on BARTON FINK (1990) / MPSE Golden Reel for Best Sound on THE ABYSS (1989)

MUSIC SUPERVISING CREDITS

WE OWN THIS CITY (2022) / THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA (2020) / THE DEUCE (2017 – 2019) / BOSCH (2014 – 2019) / SHOW ME A HERO (2016) / TREME (2010 – 2013) / HENRY’S CRIME (2010) / THE WIRE (2002 – 2008) / TWIST OF FAITH (2004)

SOUND DESIGN / EDITING / MIXING CREDITS

WOLFS (2024) / EXTRAPOLATIONS (2023) / KIMI (2022) / EXTRAPOLATIONS (2022) / NEPTUNE FROST (2021) / BURNING CANE (2019) / HARRIET (2019) / THE GOLDFINCH (2019) / SHADOW (2018) / THE SNOWMAN (2017) / QUEEN OF KATWE (2016) / INTO THE WOODS (2014) / EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (2011) / THE TEMPEST (2010) / THE READER (2008) / RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (2008) / ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007) / A DIRTY SHAME (2004) / THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004) / FRIDA (2002) / Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN (2001) / BAMBOOZLED (2001) / CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000) / TITUS (1999) / SUMMER OF SAM (1999) / HE GOT GAME (1998) / MATILDA (1996) / GET SHORTY (1995) / CASINO (1995) / BARTON FINK (1990) / STATE OF GRACE (1990) / THE ABYSS (1989) / THE BIG PICTURE (1989) / THE MODERNS (1988) / FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986) / THE HOWLING II (1985) / TJ HOOKER (1985) / MOONLIGHTING (1985) RAPPIN’ (1985)

COMPOSING CREDITS

STRIPPED FOR PARTS: AMERICAN JOURNALISM AT THE BRINK (2023) / EXTRAPOLATIONS Main Title (2022) / THE AMERICAN DREAM & OTHER FAIRY TALES (2022) / THE PEOPLE VS. AGENT ORANGE (2021) / JANZ ARTIST IN TIME (2019) / DISTURBING THE PEACE (2016) / THE TRIALS OF SPRING (2015) / THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA (2009) / KILLING KASZTNER (2008) / PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL (2008) / KNEE DEEP (2007) / THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006) / TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE (2005) / TWIST OF FAITH (2004) / THE END (2004) / THE WIRE (END CREDITS THEME) (2002) / LE MAL DE SOI (2001) / CHAIN CAMERA (2000) / SICK: THE LIFE & DEATH OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPERMASOCHIST (1997) / TRUE CRIME (1995) / SHOWGIRLS: GLITZ & ANGST (2002) / BLOOD RUN (1994) / NEW EDEN (1994) / THE SERPENT’S TALE (1993) / ODILE & YVETTE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (1993) / AMERICAN CYBORG (1992) / SECOND COUSIN ONCE REMOVED (1992) / STAR TIME (1991)