RICHI JAMES

Richi James is an award-winning Film Composer from the United Kingdom. Born near London, Richi first studied music under Hollywood composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who was a music teacher at a school in Surrey at the time. Richi began playing the guitar aged 10, going on to achieve Grade 8 in both electric and bass guitar, as well as becoming a competent pianist and drummer. After studying Music and Music Technology at College he went on to complete a Music Degree (BMus) at University; specialising in Film Music, Sound Design, and Music & The Moving Image.

Following his graduation, Richi joined the British Army as an Officer, enjoying a successful career in the Royal Tank Regiment as a Challenger 2 Tank Commander. It was following this that he started working as a freelance composer, where he began his career writing and producing music for TV commercials such as MI5, MI6, Sainsbury's and Nickelodeon, before moving into scoring feature films.

Richi's musical style derives from a number of different influences. As a guitarist, he draws a lot of inspiration from rock bands such as Queen and Guns N' Roses, although he has stated that much of his orchestral works also reflect heavy influence from composers such as Thomas Bergersen, Hans Zimmer, Steve Jablonsky, and Brian Tyler. He recently revealed that the odd spelling of his nickname "Richi", was inspired at a young age by the guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

In 2018 Richi began working with Jon Altham and Soundwave Studios, and has composed and collaborated on numerous projects in recent years, including The Great Artist (2020) where he won 6 awards including "Best Composer", "Best Original Score" and "Best Soundtrack". He also orchestrated the film's title track "Brave" featuring vocalist Pia Toscano, which went on to win a Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA).