Julian Winding: "The Neon Demon" Composer on His Career, Life, "Copenhagen Cowboy" and Uncle Nicolas Winding Refn

Julian Winding, the Danish composer and electronic artist behind The Demon Dance from Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, joins me on Bonfire Conversations. In this episode, we dive deep into his upbringing in Denmark and England, his early rock beginnings, and how he found his voice in electronic and film music.Julian opens up about collaborating with his uncle, Nicolas Winding Refn, on projects like Copenhagen Cowboy, the pressures and joys of scoring atmospheric silence, and the art of balancing bold experimentation with emotional resonance. We also talk about his love for dance-oriented music, the influence of Nordic folk traditions, and the future of sound in an age of AI.In the Penny for Your Thoughts segment, Julian shares his dream collaboration, a beautiful mistake that changed his music, his top five films, and what he thinks music will sound like 500 years from now.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to Bonfire Conversations for more inspiring conversations with the artists, composers, and storytellers shaping our culture.#JulianWinding #TheNeonDemon #nicolaswindingrefn #CopenhagenCowboy #filmcomposer Chapters:0:00 – Intro & Nicolas Winding Refn connection2:13 – On kindness, empathy, and caring for others4:24 – Childhood in Denmark and England5:30 – Early musical influences: Britpop, trip-hop, and electronic revolution6:20 – Rock beginnings before moving into electronic music7:04 – England vs. Denmark: cultural impact on his sound8:14 – First big break: The Neon Demon and “The Demon Dance”8:58 – Transition into film scoring9:53 – Revealing his family tie: Nicolas is his uncle11:06 – Working on Copenhagen Cowboy12:42 – The challenge of scoring silence and atmosphere13:55 – Co-composing with other musicians15:12 – Future collaborations with Nicolas Winding Refn15:37 – Working with other directors and projects beyond Denmark16:52 – Story about “The Demon Dance” at a party17:38 – Creating dance-oriented music & primitive rhythms19:25 – Love for Nordic traditional/folk music21:25 – Combining orchestral and electronic elements22:22 – Penny for Your Thoughts segment22:33 – Childhood music memory (The Land Before Time)23:37 – Dream collaboration (Massive Attack)24:39 – Vocalists and unexpected pairings25:02 – Funny story from Copenhagen Cowboy soundtrack26:37 – Alternate career: cooking27:25 – A film he wishes he had scored (A Single Man)28:40 – Most beautiful mistake in music (“White Country”)29:30 – Top 5 favorite films30:43 – What music will sound like 500 years from now31:32 – On video games & Cyberpunk 2077’s music32:15 – Cycles of music, retro revival, and AI in composition34:02 – Future of live music: AR/VR, authenticity, and performance36:12 – Closing reflections & gratitude