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{{Infobox Person|name = Segun Akinola|job title = [[Incidental music|Music]]}}Segun Akinola is the composer for ''[[Doctor Who]]'', beginning with the [[Series 11 (Doctor Who)|eleventh series]] of the revival in 2018. Following Murray Gold, who left the series after ''Twice Upon a Time'', Akinola began composing [[incidental music]] and arranged the new version of the ''[[Doctor Who theme]]'' beginning with ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]].''
{{real world}}
{{Infobox Person
|image        = Segun Akinola.jpg
|job title     = [[Composer]]
|time          = 2018-2022
|soundcloud    = segunakinola
|twitter      = segunakinola
|imdb          = 5115202
|official site = www.segunakinola.com/
|clip          = Making the Music Doctor Who Series 11
|clip2        = Composer Segun Akinola Breakthrough Brits 2017
|clip3        = Doctor Who NEW Theme Tune Secrets Revealed
|trailer      = A Moving Image Trailer (2017)
|trailer2      = <!-- THE TRIP - Official Trailer -->
|trailer3      = 'Dear Mister Shakespeare' - Othello (ft. Ashley Thomas) Shakespeare Lives
}}
'''Segun Akinola''' was the [[composer]] for the revived series of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' from 2018 to 2022. Akinola was the second composer for the revived series, after [[Murray Gold]], who had scored ''Doctor Who'' for 12 years.
 
Along with composing [[incidental music]] and [[Segun Akinola leitmotifs|leitmotifs]], Akinola arranged a new version of the "[[Doctor Who theme|''Doctor Who'' theme]]", based largely on the original 1963 arrangement. It premiered with ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]''.
 
In an September 2018 interview, Akinola said he wanted to honour the 1963 original recordings in his version of the theme. In fact, he sampled the original theme — made by [[Delia Derbyshire]] and the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] — in his arrangement.<ref name="radiotimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-10-07/the-new-doctor-who-theme-tune-includes-recordings-of-the-1963-original/|title=The new Doctor Who theme tune includes recordings of the 1963 original|author=Fullerton, Huw|date of source=7 October 2018|accessdate=8 October 2018}}</ref>
 
"Our viewpoint across the whole thing was basically that it should be new — but new didn't mean that it had to be the opposite of everything that has come before. [...] I just tried to make it the best it could be."<ref name="radiotimes" />
 
He cited inspiration from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in his ''Doctor Who'' compositions, in particular their use of "found sounds".
 
He also cites {{w|Rag'n'Bone Man}}, [[Adele (singer)|Adele]], {{w|Steven Price (composer)|Steven Price}}'s work on {{wi|Gravity (2013 film)|Gravity}}, and {{w|Jóhann Jóhannsson}}'s work on {{wi|Arrival (film)|Arrival}} as inspirations for the [[incidental music|score]].
 
== Biography ==
Akinola was interested in both music and storytelling from a young age. He began playing [[piano]] and [[drum]]s at the age of five.
 
He eventually decided that [[composer|composing]] for the screen would allow him the opportunity to pursue both interests, to tell a story with music.
 
Akinola graduated from the {{w|Royal Birmingham Conservatoire}} with a BA in Composition, and then from the {{w|National Film and Television School}}, with an MA in Composing for Film and Television. In 2017, he was part of [[BAFTA]]'s Breakthrough Brit programme.<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough-brits/segun-akinola-composer|title=Segun Akinola {{!}} Composer|website name=BAFTA|accessdate=8 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jun/27/who-is-segun-akinola-the-composer-reinventing-the-doctor-who-theme|title=Who is Segun Akinola? The composer reinventing the Doctor Who theme|author=Martin, Dan|date of source=27 June 2018|website name=The Guardian|accessdate=8 October 2018}}</ref>
 
Before working on ''Doctor Who'', Akinola had scored [[BBC Two]]'s four-part series ''Black and British: A Forgotten History'', and Shola Amoo's [https://www.amovingimagefilm.com/#a-moving-image ''A Moving Image''], a feature film about gentrification.
 
He also scored ''Dear Mr Shakespeare'', a short on [[racism|racial tensions]] in [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]'', also directed by Shola Amoo. Most recently, Akinola wrote the score to BBC documentary series ''The Human Body'', ''Expedition Volcano'' and ''Wonders of the Moon''.
 
== Credits ==
=== Music ===
<!-- {{pcred|music}} -->
==== Series 11 ====
* ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]''
* ''[[The Ghost Monument (TV story)|The Ghost Monument]]''
* ''[[Rosa (TV story)|Rosa]]''
* ''[[Arachnids in the UK (TV story)|Arachnids in the UK]]''
* ''[[The Tsuranga Conundrum (TV story)|The Tsuranga Conundrum]]''
* ''[[Demons of the Punjab (TV story)|Demons of the Punjab]]''
* ''[[Kerblam! (TV story)|Kerblam!]]''
* ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]''
* ''[[It Takes You Away (TV story)|It Takes You Away]]''
* ''[[The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (TV story)|The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos]]''
* ''[[Resolution (TV story)|Resolution]]''
 
==== Series 12 ====
* ''[[Spyfall (TV story)|Spyfall]]''
* ''[[Orphan 55 (TV story)|Orphan 55]]''
* ''[[Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (TV story)|Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror]]''
* ''[[Fugitive of the Judoon (TV story)|Fugitive of the Judoon]]''
* ''[[Praxeus (TV story)|Praxeus]]''
* ''[[Can You Hear Me? (TV story)|Can You Hear Me?]]''
* ''[[The Haunting of Villa Diodati (TV story)|The Haunting of Villa Diodati]]''
* ''[[Ascension of the Cybermen (TV story)|Ascension of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[The Timeless Children (TV story)|The Timeless Children]]''
* ''[[Revolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Revolution of the Daleks]]''
 
==== Series 13 ====
* ''[[The Halloween Apocalypse (TV story)|The Halloween Apocalypse]]''
* ''[[War of the Sontarans (TV story)|War of the Sontarans]]''
* ''[[Once, Upon Time (TV story)|Once, Upon Time]]''
* ''[[Village of the Angels (TV story)|Village of the Angels]]''
* ''[[Survivors of the Flux (TV story)|Survivors of the Flux]]''
* ''[[The Vanquishers (TV story)|The Vanquishers]]''
 
==== Specials ====
* ''[[Eve of the Daleks (TV story)|Eve of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[Legend of the Sea Devils (TV story)|Legend of the Sea Devils]]''
* ''[[The Power of the Doctor (TV story)|The Power of the Doctor]]''
 
=== Video games ===
==== VR ====
* ''[[The Runaway (video game)|The Runaway]]''
 
== External links ==
{{imdb name|id=5115202}}
{{soundcloud x|segunakinola}}
{{official website|www.segunakinola.com/}}
{{bandcamp|segunakinola}}
{{twitter|segunakinola}}
{{facebook|segunakinolacomposer}}
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{NameSort}}
[[Category:Doctor Who composers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who theme arrangers]]

Latest revision as of 15:56, 25 November 2022

RealWorld.png

Segun Akinola was the composer for the revived series of Doctor Who from 2018 to 2022. Akinola was the second composer for the revived series, after Murray Gold, who had scored Doctor Who for 12 years.

Along with composing incidental music and leitmotifs, Akinola arranged a new version of the "Doctor Who theme", based largely on the original 1963 arrangement. It premiered with The Woman Who Fell to Earth.

In an September 2018 interview, Akinola said he wanted to honour the 1963 original recordings in his version of the theme. In fact, he sampled the original theme — made by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop — in his arrangement.[1]

"Our viewpoint across the whole thing was basically that it should be new — but new didn't mean that it had to be the opposite of everything that has come before. [...] I just tried to make it the best it could be."[1]

He cited inspiration from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in his Doctor Who compositions, in particular their use of "found sounds".

He also cites Rag'n'Bone Man, Adele, Steven Price's work on Gravity, and Jóhann Jóhannsson's work on Arrival as inspirations for the score.

Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]

Akinola was interested in both music and storytelling from a young age. He began playing piano and drums at the age of five.

He eventually decided that composing for the screen would allow him the opportunity to pursue both interests, to tell a story with music.

Akinola graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a BA in Composition, and then from the National Film and Television School, with an MA in Composing for Film and Television. In 2017, he was part of BAFTA's Breakthrough Brit programme.[2][3]

Before working on Doctor Who, Akinola had scored BBC Two's four-part series Black and British: A Forgotten History, and Shola Amoo's A Moving Image, a feature film about gentrification.

He also scored Dear Mr Shakespeare, a short on racial tensions in Shakespeare's Othello, also directed by Shola Amoo. Most recently, Akinola wrote the score to BBC documentary series The Human Body, Expedition Volcano and Wonders of the Moon.

Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

Music[[edit] | [edit source]]

Series 11[[edit] | [edit source]]

Series 12[[edit] | [edit source]]

Series 13[[edit] | [edit source]]

Specials[[edit] | [edit source]]

Video games[[edit] | [edit source]]

VR[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Fullerton, Huw (7 October 2018). The new Doctor Who theme tune includes recordings of the 1963 original. Retrieved on 8 October 2018.
  2. Segun Akinola | Composer. BAFTA. Retrieved on 8 October 2018.
  3. Martin, Dan (27 June 2018). Who is Segun Akinola? The composer reinventing the Doctor Who theme. The Guardian. Retrieved on 8 October 2018.