Daniel Licht

Daniel Licht (March 13, 1957 – August 2, 2017) was an American soundtrack composer and musician, best known for writing the score of Showtime TV drama series Dexter.

Daniel Licht
Licht at the San Diego Comic-Con International, 2011
Licht at the San Diego Comic-Con International, 2011
Background information
Born(1957-03-13)March 13, 1957
Died (aged 60)
Topanga, California, U.S.
GenresFilm score
Occupation(s)Film composer
Years active1988–2017

Life and career

Licht grew up in suburban Detroit and attended the Roeper School, as well as summer school at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He started playing music at the age of eight with his first instrument being the clarinet. He took up the guitar four years later.[1] He began his musical career while still in high school playing guitar with a small jazz ensemble at clubs in the area. Following high school graduation, he attended Hampshire College[2] in Massachusetts and graduated in composition, jazz and world music. Licht moved to New York City and established himself as a musical artist in the Lower East Side creative music scene. He would travel to Germany, the Netherlands and Northern Europe to perform and compose music for theatre and dance companies. He created scores for such companies as Mercedes Benz, Sony and AT&T.[3]

He then moved to Los Angeles and pursued a career in film scoring, at the suggestion of his former classmate, Christopher Young.[3] His first major project was the 1991 feature film Children of the Night. His composition earned him his first soundtrack CD release.[3]

Licht scored all seasons of Dexter, which he considered to be one of his "more visible projects", but was reluctant to refer to it as his big break.[4]

From 2012 to 2015 he was the main composer of the Silent Hill video game series, replacing Akira Yamaoka, until Konami decided to pull away from the home console video game industry, effectively ending the Silent Hill series. He also composed the soundtrack for the 2012 video game Dishonored, and its 2016 sequel. The third game in the Dishonored franchise, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, (for which he also composed and was released posthumously) was dedicated to his memory.

Licht died of sarcoma at his home in Topanga, California, at the age of 60.[5][6]

Licht was assisted by his nephew Jon for his work on Dexter, Dishonored, and Silent Hill.[7]

Works

Film
Year Title Notes
1991 Children of the Night
1992 Final Embrace
1992 Amityville: It's About Time
1992 Severed Ties
1992 Inside Out III
1992 Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
1992 Inside Out IV
1993 Acting on Impulse
1993 Ticks
1993 Where Are We? Our Trip Through America
1993 Amityville: A New Generation
1993 A Girls' Guide to Sex
1994 The Hard Truth
1995 Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
1995 Zooman
1996 Woman Undone
1996 Hellraiser: Bloodline
1996 The Winner
1996 Thinner
1996 Bad Moon
1998 The Patron Saint of Liars
1998 Brave New World
1998 Legion of Fire: Killer Ants!
1998 Permanent Midnight
1998 Thirst
1999 Splendor
1999 Don't Look Under the Bed
1999 Execution of Justice
2000 Cabin by the Lake
2000 Hendrix
2001 Anatomy of a Hate Crime
2001 Cowboy Up
2001 Soul Survivors
2001 Off Season
2002 Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story
2004 ABC's of Newborn Baby Care
2004 King Solomon's Mines
2005 Icon
2008 The Memory Keeper's Daughter
2008 Gym Teacher: The Movie
2010 Dumbstruck
2010 Wake
2016 Ghostmates

Television series
Year Title Notes
2003 Oliver Beene
2005–2006 Jake in Progress
2005–2006 Kitchen Confidential
2006–2013 Dexter
2008 Cashmere Mafia
2009 Maneater
2010 Romantically Challenged
2011–2012 Humsafar Pakistani serial; Uncredited; Some of the Dexter score is used, most likely in an unofficial capacity.
2011–2013 Body of Proof
2012 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Pilot episode only
2013 Deception[8]
2014–2015 The Red Road
2016 Guilt

Video games
Year Title Notes
2012 Silent Hill: Downpour[9]
2012 Dishonored[1]
2012 Silent Hill: Book of Memories[8]
2016 Dishonored 2[10]
2017 Dishonored: Death of the Outsider[11]

References
  1. Folmann, Troels (December 2012). "Interview with Daniel Licht". 8dio.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018.
  2. "'Dexter' Composer Daniel Licht Dead At 60". Billboard.
  3. Licht, Daniel. "Dan Licht biography". DanLicht.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  4. Mermelstein, David (October 2, 2010). "Composer brings dexterous touch to 'Dexter'". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738.
  5. Barnes, Mike (August 4, 2017). "Daniel Licht, Composer on 'Dexter,' Dies at 60". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660.
  6. Burlingame, John (August 4, 2017). "Daniel Licht, 'Dexter,' 'Children of the Corn' Composer, Dies at 60". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738.
  7. "jonlicht.com". Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  8. "Daniel Licht Composer Credits". Evolution Music Partners. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  9. Pera, Delio (November 19, 2012). "Interview: Daniel Licht". Gather Your Party.
  10. Donnelly, Joe (August 4, 2017). "Daniel Licht, the Dexter and Dishonored composer, dies at 60". PC Gamer.
  11. "Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Game Audio Review". January 26, 2018.
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