Confidenza (soundtrack)

The Confidenza director, Daniele Luchetti, first worked with Yorke on a documentary about Carla Fracci, Codice Carla, which used music by Yorke's band Atoms for Peace.^[1] Yorke agreed to compose for Confidenza after the script "evoked some musical threads".^[1]

Luchetti described their process as finding "a way in sideways; building the music more through the subtext than through the narrative itself". Yorke and Luchetti "were constantly searching for something that sounded a bit off".^[1] Luchetti said they wanted to create tension while making the characters' fears appear "ridiculous".^[2]

The score features the London Contemporary Orchestra and a jazz ensemble including the drummer Tom Skinner, of Yorke's band the Smile, and the saxophonist Robert Stillman, who has performed with the Smile.^[3] It was produced by Sam Petts-Davies, who produced Yorke's 2018 soundtrack Suspiria and the 2024 Smile albums Wall of Eyes and Cutouts.^[4][5]

Yorke's involvement was announced in January 2024, ahead of the film's premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.^[6] Yorke's music was used in the main trailer.^[7] In February, Yorke played the track "The Big City" during one of the Smile's Artist in Residence shows for BBC Radio 6 Music.^[8]

The soundtrack was announced on 22 April 2024, alongside the singles "Knife Edge" and "Prize Giving". Videos were released for "Knife Edge" and "Four Ways in Time", featuring footage from the film arranged by the film's editor, Ael Dallier Vega.^[9][10][11] The soundtrack was released on streaming services on 26 April to coincide with the film's Italian release, with a retail release on 12 July.^[12]

Ryan Reed of Spin wrote that the soundtrack "finds its own compelling arc as a front-to-back album" and "feels like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it flag-plant moment".^[13] Alex Hudson of Exclaim! chose it as a "staff pick", writing that it was "low-stakes" but "compelling music worth listening to", and would be welcome for fans of Yorke's band Radiohead.^[14] In BrookylnVegan, Andrew Sacher said the soundtrack worked independently of the film and that the instrumentals were among the standouts.^[15]

• Thom Yorke – composition and lyrics, vocals, performance, front cover art
• Sam Petts-Davies – production, mixing, engineering
• Hugh Brunt – orchestration, conducting
• Matt Colton – mastering
• Francesca Edwards – assistant engineering (RAK London)
• Stanley Donwood – design
• London Contemporary Orchestra – string performance
• Jazz Ensemble
  • Robert Stillman (band leader) – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet
  • Chelsea Carmichael – flute, alto flute, tenor saxophone
  • Tom Challenger – baritone saxophone, clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Pete Wareham – baritone saxophone, flute
  • Byron Wallen – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Nathaniel Cross – trombone, bass trombone
  • Rosie Turnton – trombone
  • Tom Herbert – double bass
  • Neil Charles – double bass
  • Tom Skinner – drums, percussion