INTERVIEWS / PRESS
The Mary Sue
http://www.themarysue.com/game-changer-penka-kouneva/
Film School Rejects
http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/its-been-nearly-two-decades-since-a-woman-was-lead-orchestrator-on-a-tentpole-film.php
Soundworks Collection
http://soundworkscollection.com/news/soundworks-collection-interview-series-composer-penka-kouneva
GSoundtracks
http://www.gsoundtracks.com/interviews/kouneva.htm
Tracksounds
http://tracksounds.com/specialfeatures/scorefront/penka_kouneva.htm
Square Enix Music Online
http://squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/princepersiaforgotten.shtml
"… the results are phenomenal..."
Biogamergirl.com
"… If this were a film score it would certainly be in my top ten list this year. If it were a video game score, gamers would be clamoring to christen it one of the great modern-day game scores..."
- www.aintitcool.com/node/59794
"Penka has proved once again how incredibly gifted she is. She is a star in the making …"
- Chris Young
(composer, Spider Man 3, Priest)
"… an astonishing composition, exemplifying a dramatic dynamic that would be suitable in any major Hollywood blockbuster…. Sensitive and sensational ..."
- Randall Larson
"Soulful, gorgeous themes, mastery of both orchestra and electronics … this composer is the "real deal" …."
- George S. Clinton
(composer, Austin Powers franchise)
"Remarkable and unique voice…"
- Greg Edmonson
(BAFTA-winning composer, Uncharted 1, 2, 3 game franchise)
"Evocative, contemporary and extremely cinematic."
- Patrick Williams
(Emmy-winning TV composer)
"Fantastic album. Intelligent and creative compositions, killer sounds and textures. It's a triumph."
- Chance Thomas
(composer, Avatar, Peter Jackson's King Kong video games)
"The music pushes all the right buttons, with plenty of mystery and suspense, as well as menacing action and shock chords aplenty; achieving a sound that mixes moody Gothic textures with the kind of synth-driven horror fare of the '70s (the John Carpenter films springing most readily to mind) and more contemporary slasher fare."
- http://screensounds.blogspot.com/2010/08/cd-review-midnight-movie-midnight-movie.html
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"This is a great horror/slasher score that undoubtedly honors some of the great ones of the genre. Unquestionably, a nice addition for any soundtrack collector, and one that will surely please Midnight Movie fans."
- http://www.filmmusicsite.com/soundtracks.cgi?id=2948&lang=en
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"While Jablonsky composed the core material of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, breaking composer Penka Kouneva also composed two hours of additional music, some of which is featured on the full soundtrack. She wonderfully builds upon the stylistic and thematic foundations of the album while introducing her own individuality. Compositions such as "The Baths" and "The Sand Is Rising" are some of the richest and fully-fleshed on the entire soundtrack. With their percussive thrust, gorgeous brass melodies, and breathtaking choral elements, these tracks are explicit in their Hollywood stylings, yet still reflect the Eastern setting of the game in both explicit and subliminal ways. Written for orchestra and chorus, "Enemies of the Djinn" provides the climax of the entire soundtrack, at least in terms of volume and energy. Bold, enigmatic, and death-defying, what else could define the ethos of the soundtrack so well? Clearly, Kouneva is an exceptionally talented composer who deserves to soon score her own video game projects."
- http://squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/princepersiaforgotten.shtml