Heat, Blade Runner, Under The Skin: Nathan Micay, the brain behind the much-discussed soundtrack of TV’s current smash hit Industry, delves into the scores that inspired it.

Industry is the show on everyone’s lips right now. Following a confident first season in 2020, the BBC/HBO financial drama has picked up momentum with each passing twist and turn, gaining widespread critical notoriety and cult-like public popularity. The Wonderland office is rife with spoilers.

The fourth season is currently dropping weekly on our screens, starring some of the best rising actors around – from Marisa Abela to Myha’la and Kit Harington. One aspect of the show that’s been much acclaimed and heavily spoken about is the musical score. Canadian electronic musician, producer, and DJ Nathan Micay is the mind behind the composition, concocting an atmosphere-laden, dance-adjacent score that highlights and mirrors the anxiety-driven, high-stakes tone of the show. 

As the series reaches fever pitch with the season finale showing in the UK tonight (1st March), we catch our breath with a quick chat with Micay, who tells us about 10 scores that have inspired his work on the Industry soundtrack.

Watch the Season Four trailer… 

Read about Micay’s favourite scores…

Blade Runner by Vangelis

If it wasn’t already obvious, Vangelis has been a key influence across most of my work, particularly on Industry. I re-watch this probably once a year and am still blown away by the grandiosity of his vision. So much of the score is at once uplifting and grounding. Whenever I’m in doubt or need a steer, I throw this on my turntable and re-learn the power of synth. 

The Mighty Ducks Trilogy by David Newman

This was the first film score I actively noticed as a child. I would rewind my VHS copy to re-listen to certain themes and moments, particularly in D2. I used to re-watch the opening credits over and over again. I still find the score very moving. David Newman’s ability to take a motif and have it developed from an intimate piano while Gordon Bombay plays hockey on a small pond as a boy, to full on symphony as his peewee hockey team takes on Iceland is something to behold. 

War of The Buttons by Rachel Portman

Rachel Portman’s filmography is vast and intimidating. But this lesser-known film has always had a special place in my family. Another early example of a film score I latched onto as a child. I love the sweeping string vistas and the playful child-like melodies with interwoven Celtic-influenced melodies. 

Risky Business by Tangerine Dream 

When I walked into my first interview to work on Industry back in early 2020, I was asked what score I felt best fit the early episode cuts I was sent to watch. I said Risky Business. Mickey and Konrad, the creators of Industry, replied, “That is the correct answer”. It’s timeless music, and unlike a lot of electronic music, it feels lived in and worn down. Like the subway train of the famous sex scene in the film, it’s been around the track a time or two. Love On A Real Train remains as influential now as it ever has. 

Under The Skin by Mica Levi

As a fellow viola player, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for this score. It was one of the first scores I heard that blended acoustic and electronic sounds in such a seamless way as to leave someone unsure of what they were even listening to. The layers of modulated viola are haunting. “Love” has been used as temp on pretty much every project I’ve worked on. A testament to its staying power and beauty. 

Akira by Geinoh Yamashirogumi

Another North Star for me. My apartment is more or less a giant dedication to Akira. I love the books; I love the film. No other piece of media (hate to reduce it to that) has impacted me as much as Akira. The drums, the chanting, the fusion and world-building. Whenever I feel I’ve made something that might sound boring, I listen to this score to remind me that you can push further. I am also just ever inspired by the sheer persistence of Otomo-Sama in bringing his vision to life over a decade-long period. 

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Howard Shore

The best film scores of all time. I can’t even comprehend the scope and what it must have taken to compose, orchestrate and record this. 

Heat by Elliot Goldenthal

One of the best yet somehow underrated film composers of modern times, in my opinion. Mr Goldenthall is a master at being able to weave together so many influences in his work. I picked Heat simply because it’s one of my favourite films and just had its 30^th anniversary. I love the guitar and the mood. The score also has some really creative use of percussion. The music during the famous heist scene is more or less a reduced vogue track! I listen to this score when I am in a big city and have some time to explore on my own. I love it. I was in LA for about 2 months in 2024 and loved driving around listening to this. 

Less Than Zero by Thomas Newman

I could have picked a few of Thomas Newman’s scores for this. I adore his work on Road to Perdition, American Beauty and many others. But Less Than Zero was very impactful for me when I first heard it in my early 20s. It was the first time I heard synth used in such an orchestral way, and I thought, “Hey, maybe I could figure out something similar”. It was a real guiding force for my early work on Industry. It was also one of the first film score releases I heard that prioritised the idea of medleys, which is something I’ve tried to bring into my own work as well. 

Title Music for A Clockwork Orange by Wendy Carlos

Had to include this as I was asked to do an Industry version for Season Four. Originally based on Henry Purcell’s Funeral of Queen Mary, this is one of the most bad-ass flips of all time.