Some films ask music to accompany the image. Die, My Love asked music to become part of its nervous system. Over three years, Raife became one of Lynne Ramsay's closest creative confidants on the project, working alongside the acclaimed filmmaker from the first draft of the script, through to the final mix to help shape a musical world that feels inseparable from the film itself.
Through its soundtrack curation, original composition and creative production, every musical decision was guided by character, psychology and emotional truth. Each piece was carefully chosen and placed to become part of the film’s DNA.
With 22 needle-drops needing to be licensed from artists across multiple territories, Raife worked alongside his longtime collaborator and dear friend Ian Neil to navigate complex rights negotiations. At the same time, he co-composed the original score with Lynne Ramsay and George Vjestica of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
The project's defining musical collaboration saw Raife, Lynne Ramsay and George Vjestica write and record the punk song, Zero, for the films explosive opening sequence. For the closing credits, the trio returned to the studio to create a reimagining of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, transforming it into a deeply personal final statement that lingers long after the film ends.
Raife was also on set in Calgary, ensuring the musical backdrops were perfectly placed for Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s feral opening dance scenes as well as the film’s unforgettable musically driven wedding sequence.
The soundtrack has since been recognised by both critics and filmmakers alike, with Martin Scorsese describing Raife's placement of Cream's Crossroads as "Brilliant. Fucking brilliant. One of the great uses of music in a film.
The Los Angeles Times also named Raife’s placement of John Prine and Iris DeMent’s “In Spite of Ourselves” among its “12 Best Needle Drops of the Year,” describing the song as “arguably the heart of the movie.”
You can check out Lynne and Raife’s episode of Soundtracking with Edith Bowman below, where they share a little more about their process and reveal how the soundtrack came to life.
The film received eight British Independent Film Award nominations, winning Best Music Supervision and Best Cinematography for cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. Raife and Ian were subsequently nominated for the Guild of Music Supervisors Award for Best Music Supervision, while Jennifer Lawrence received Best Lead Performance nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, the Gotham Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. The film was also nominated for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTA Film Awards.
