Music Composer

Los Angeles, California USA

Luis Guerra is a music composer in Los Angeles, an arranger, and a music producer. He is a film composer and an award-winning podcast composer. He has written theme music for TV shows and podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History Podcast, and A Slight Change of Plans.

Luis Guerra at Terremoto Studios locates in Los Angeles, CA
  • Luis is a musical genius.

    Malcom Gladwell

    Best selling author

    Creator of Revisionist History Podcast

  • Luis, you are a master at what you do. Your music both elevates and defines this show. I get the goose bumps whenever I hear your scores.

    Jake Halpern

    Pulitzer Prize Winner

    Creator of Deep Cover

Theme Song for No Stupid Questions

I had the pleasure of composing the music

and co-producing it with Dos Hurtin’ Dogs in Los Angeles, CA.

This all happened after dinner with show host and bestselling author, Stephen Dubner. He spent some time at my studio in Mar Vista and we decided on a musical direction for the theme music. A month later it was finished. As Dubner put it “I think we have a winner”

18 ½ Feature Film - score by Luis Guerra

Brasilia Bella is an Oscar Contender !!!

We made it onto Variety's complete list of Best Song Contenders! 

 Turns out we made The Hollywood Reporter's list of Oscar Predictions for Best Original Song too:

Well-respected Oscars prognosticator AwardsRadar just put "Brasília Bella" on its Top Ten "Oscar Predictions" list!!

In case you missed the news, prestigious Hollywood trade website IndieWire recently named our song "Brasília Bella" as a "contender" for the Oscar Best Original Song category (17th on their list of 24)! Meanwhile, we just finished our 7th big month in theaters, including a 2-week run in Lincoln!

Now that we've been listed on two legit sites as an Oscar contender for Best Song (GoldDerby.com had listed us as a "Possible Contender" a few weeks ago), we've gone from freakish anomaly to genuine dark horse in the race to make the Oscar's official Short List of 15 songs. Composer Luis Guerra and I also submitted the score and songs to the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), which has a lot of cross-over with Oscar Music Branch voters. What's nice is that unlike the Academy, the SCL has a specific award dedicated to Best Score for an Independent Film.

 

Luis Guerra’s music

Created at Terremoto Studios

in Los Angeles, California

Find inspiration and find a direction.

License music for your next project.

Find Music for your podcast.

Find music for your film.

 

Transmission NYC

This is the first of many collaborations to bring awareness to Multiple Sclerosis. After a long process to a diagnosis, UCLA neurologists confirmed that Luis has Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. This happened in 2020. He is being treated for it. He is doing well. He considers himself very lucky. He is combining alternative AND traditional western medicine to deal with his condition.

Transmission NYC is a team out of NY. Enjoy the wonderful cinematography of Jean Christophe who also penned the manuscript. Luis read excerpts and scored two readings.

When asked why he took this project on… Luis said, “What Transmission NYC does for the MS community is powerful. I want to help others living with these crazy conditions. I want to lend my talents and help spread awareness of MS and anything that cripples or kills people. MS sucks but I choose to fight it and stop its progression as best as I can. I have NO plans of giving up composing. Nothing has changed. I am very lucky.”

 

Revisionist History Season 8!!

Luis is busy composing music and musical directing Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History Podcast - Season 8! It is always a pleasure.

This season is going to be full of captivating subject matter written by the best-selling author and his team of reporters, producers, and researchers. Episodes are being uploaded to Puhkin’s own streaming platform as well as all other streaming platforms.

Spring/Summer update

Luis has been busy working on an assortment of projects for clients across the globe! Netflix, Stitcher, Pushkin, and multiple film projects are in the works… A more extensive update is coming soon! Stay tuned.

 

Deep Cover Season 3 on the way!

Luis has been busy composing music for podcasts. He just finished the soundtrack to the mysterious hit podcast Deep Cover. The story continues with season 3. Keep reading…

Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals. 

Season three, Never Seen Again, tells the story of two women, living on opposite sides of the country, who went missing in the summer of 1999.  Seven years later, their stories collided when a small town detective got a tip and became convinced that if he could solve one mystery, he’d solve the other. 

Season two, Mob Land, is about a high-rolling lawyer who joins forces with the feds to try to bring down one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country. 

Season one, The Drug Wars, tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country.

 

Soundtrack available to stream!

The original soundtrack is available to stream on all platforms. It features songs with lyrics by Dan Mirvish and music by Luis Guerra. I also includes the tense 70’s spy soundtrack from the film. The music pulls from a range of musical genres - Brazilian Tropicalia and Bossa Nova, 70’s psychedelic rock, and intense film music.

Dos Hurtin’ Dogs music used for this announcement!

Dos Hurtin’ Dogs track used for upcoming feature “Verona Spies”

Emma Roberts and Geoffrey Rush to star in Action-Comedy “Verona Spies” for Director Frank Coraci and Luminosity.

I had the pleasure of co-composing the instrumental music heard in this announcement. I arranged the piece for a big band. Loved working with A lister Frank Coraci on this. Props to my collaborator, Jimmy Messer for the stellar production.

Theme music and score for Gold Falcon Films upcoming TV drama

Figueroa Nights is a human drama about a young pimp’s growth in “the Game”! We’ll follow his lows and highs as he navigates the unforgiving streets of Los Angeles. Some cats wanna take advantage of him and others tryna support him, but in the end it’ll be up to Slick to decide if the Streets run him or he run the Streets.

Composed the theme music and score to this gritty show about life on the streets of LA. Stay tuned for future updates about the show.

Song from “18 ½” featured on BMI Composer Series playlist

My Score for the feature film “18½” was recently featured on the BMI Composers Series the playlist. Huge thanks to whoever made that possible. The playlist selected the main theme song from the film. The song is named “Brasilia Bella - Portuguese version.” Honored to have my music featured along with music by Danny Elfman, John Williams, Lady Gaga, Blake Neely, and others!

Featured project and update - WINNER!

Luis composed music for the the award winning short film “Rebirth”. It was written and directed by Philip Goldner (Philly G) and was shot in Los Angeles. It is more of an art film and the soundtrack was a cross between something that combined a post modern sound. It featured a choir and mixed elements of trap and rock.

It won best sound track at this year’s Monza Film Festival in Monza, Italy.

IMDb: Rebirth

Featured project and update - WINNER!

Luis composed music for the the award winning documentary short film “Notes from a Long Walk”. It was written and directed by veteran journalist and documentary film maker, Franc Contreras. It is beautifully shot in southern Mexico.

SYNOPSIS: In the early 1990s, Haitian-born Jean Daniel Cerán lost his parents at an early age. Whenpolitical turmoil devastated his Caribbean nation, he suffered a severe injury and nearly lost a leg. Once healed, he decided to seek a better life in neighboring and distant nations. On thelong road through South and Central American, he learned five languages and at least three trades. Walking has been his only way to move forward in life. This short non-fiction film features original footage from Central America and several parts of Mexico, including Tapachula, Ciudad Acuña and Mexico City. It is the winner of the 2022 Migrant Voices Today Film Challenge put on by the San Diego Union-Tribune and Media Arts Center San Diego’s 29th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival.

Jacob Goldstein - host of What’s Your Problem

Featured project

Luis created the theme Music and Original Scoring for host (former host of NPR’s Planet Money) podcast created by Pushkin Industries.

“Every week on What’s Your Problem, entrepreneurs and engineers talk about the future they’re trying to build – and the problems they have to solve to get there.

How do you take a drone delivery service you’ve built in Rwanda and make it work in North Carolina? How do you convince people to buy a house on the Internet? How do you sell thousands of dog ramps to weiner dogs all across America when a pandemic breaks the global supply chain?

Hosted by former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein, What’s Your Problem helps listeners understand the problems really smart people are trying to solve right now.”

Author, lawyer, and feminist icon Anita Hill

Featured project

Theme Music and Original Scoring for author, lawyer, and feminist icon Anita Hill’s new podcast created by Pushkin Industries.

Getting Even with Anita Hill

Author, lawyer, and feminist icon Anita Hill tackles the tough questions about equality and what it takes to get there on her new podcast Getting Even with Anita Hill. Each week, Hill talks with people on the frontlines of improving our imperfect world and finding solutions. In dynamic, thought-provoking interviews, Hill and her guests reveal their stories of breaking the rules, going off script, and forging their own path to equality.

I had the pleasure of working with producers Sachar Mathias, Monique LaBorde, Sarah Kramer, and Brittani Brown to find a sound for this important show.

An Image of Bob Cooley from Deep Cover Season Two.

Featured project

Theme Music and Original Scoring for the hit True Crime Podcast composed by Luis Guerra

Deep Cover: Mob Land

Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives, how far they’re willing to go in pursuit of a greater cause, and how sometimes, seemingly small decisions can change the course of history. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals.

Season two, Mob Land, is about a high-rolling lawyer who joins forces with the feds to try to bring down one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country. 

And listen back to season one, The Drug Wars, which tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country.

Featured project

Luis wrote the score to the feature film ( Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh!) directed by Dan Mirvish and written by Daniel Moya. It stars John Magaro (The Umbrella Academy), Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), John Cryer, and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead). 18½ just signed with UK-based 101 Films International for international sales and distribution!! Additionally, the film has been invited to over a dozen more festivals this spring and summer, including ones in Barbados, Manchester (UK), Oxford (Miss) and Phoenix. More yet to be announced. In total, the film will have played in over 21 film festivals!!!

Luis out front the Cine Sala in Sao Paolo, Brazil awaiting the start of “18 1/2”

Featured project

Luis had the opportunity to travel to Sao Paolo, Brazil for the 45th Mostra Film Festival in October, 2021. He wrote the Brazilian inspired sound track for the film and it was well received. The film screened twice at Mostra and Luis had did the introduction for the film for both screenings. He also did an interview with film critic Wesley Ramos. Link below.

VOTED BEST SHOW of 2021 by Apple Podcasts

Featured project

Luis recently wrote the theme song for Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast available on all podcast platforms. Dr. Shankar wanted a song that captured a vocal driven, rootsy, Americana sound. The song was recorded in Los Angeles at Terremoto Studios. The song features stunning the vocals of Ginger Smith, guitar work by multi -platinum record producer Jimmy Messer, drums by re known session drummer Michael Longoria.

 

Apple Podcasts is pleased to recognize “A Slight Change of Plans” with Maya Shankar from Pushkin Industries as Best Show of the Year, and “Anything for Selena” with Maria Garcia from WBUR and Futuro Studios as Newcomer of the Year. These deeply personal yet universally relatable shows grapple with profound change, perceptions of identity and self-worth, and the meaning of belonging, with thought-provoking discussions that reflect the human experience.

Featured project

It is an honor to be scoring for Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast once again. In season 6, to quote the great #Gladwell himself, “We play chicken with cars. We travel deep under the sea...and so much more.”

The release of the original soundtrack for the “Little Mermaid Reimagined” episode is available on Spotify. The soundtrack helps create the reimagined world based on the Disney classic. The scripted part was re-written by OA creator Brit Marling. She narrates while Jodie Foster, Glenn Close, Dax Shepherd, Ethan Herschenfeld and Malcolm Gladwell all perform.

Get in touch

luisguerramusic@gmail.com

 
 

More about Luis

His career has spanned three decades. He started out playing, recording, and touring with musical luminaries including Grammy award winner Patty Griffin, REM’s Peter Buck, Alejandro Escovedo, Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark, Beatnik jazz legend Mose Allison and Blue Note Recording artist Kevin Hays. For the last twenty years, he’s been working as a composer and arranger. He has composed music for feature films, television shows, theater productions, and award winning podcasts.

 

 

View Luis’ work

Main work

“It all begins with an idea that captivates my imagination. Then comes the collaboration. Collaboration is what I enjoy most.”

 

01.

Film & TV

Feature Film

Television

Documentary

Animated Series

02.

Podcasts

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History Podcast

Freakonomics Radio Podcast

Deep Background with Noah Feldman

Deep Cover - El Man

People I (Mostly) Admire With Steven Levitt

03.

Commercial Work

Brand IDs

Music Supervision

Music composition

Custom Music

Musical Direction

Additional work

Portfolio

 

Collaboration

“My job is to help tell stories. I use my music to help craft stories.”

Luis is available to write music for your upcoming project. If you are in search of a composer or music specialist for your project, get in touch!