Entertainment · Gaming · 3 hrs ago
007 First Light composers blend Bond's classic sound with modern music
Joe Henson and Alexis Smith composed the music for 007 First Light, a James Bond video game.
The duo, known as The Flight, drew on their experience blending electronic and acoustic sounds.
They combined Bond's classic brass, strings and jazz with modern elements to create a score that feels connected to the franchise while sounding original.
The composers said the music should place players in Bond's world, with spy intrigue, action and romance.
The score aims to keep Bond's musical identity while giving it a current edge, as the franchise's music has changed over time.
The soundtrack is nominated for Best Original Video Game Score at the Ivors Composer Awards, scheduled for November 17, 2026, in London.
The sources do not say whether it won.
Composers Joe Henson and Alexis Smith of The Flight say they combined classic James Bond sounds with modern elements for the 007 First Light soundtrack.
They included brass, strings, orchestral and jazz elements while retaining their own synth-and-acoustic style.
Smith said the music should make players feel they are inhabiting the James Bond universe.
The soundtrack is nominated for Best Original Video Game Score at the Ivors Composer Awards.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on November 17, 2026.
- Who
- Composers Joe Henson and Alexis Smith, known as The Flight, created the soundtrack.
- What
- They blended traditional Bond sounds with modern musical elements for 007 First Light.
- When
- The interview was published on November 13, 2026. The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 17, 2026.
- Where
- The Ivors Composer Awards are taking place at Grosvenor House in London.
- Why
- The composers wanted the music to capture Bond’s legacy while making players feel they are inhabiting the James Bond universe.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Henson said the pair’s accumulated experience gave them the tools to compose the score.
TechRadar published its interview with Henson and Smith about the soundtrack.
The Ivors Composer Awards are scheduled to take place at Grosvenor House in London.
- Composers
- Joe Henson and Alexis Smith, known as The Flight
- Game
- 007 First Light
- Musical elements
- Brass, strings, orchestral and jazz elements, alongside modern sounds
- Award nomination
- Best Original Video Game Score at the Ivors Composer Awards
- Ceremony
- November 17, 2026, at Grosvenor House in London
What people are saying
There was never really a question about how we would attack the project; our sound is what we do, and we were confident that it would marry with the more ‘legacy’ elements of Bond.
That’s one of the great things about the James Bond franchise, and especially the music – it moves with the times, always changing, always balancing the classic sounds with a current edge.
While it’s true that this is probably the score of ours that has gone furthest in that direction, there was still plenty of room for more modern elements.
must make the player feel like they are inhabiting the universe of James Bond