Since 1997, I have had the pleasure of working closely with filmmaker and director Monique Moors, owner of Rombus Films.

Over nearly three decades, our collaboration resulted in more than a thousand compositions for short nature documentaries, most of them created for the web and typically lasting between one and one-and-a-half minutes.

Rather than relying on generic library music, Rombus Films consistently chose original scores with their own cinematic identity while remaining entirely in service of the images. Some pieces, such as tracks 19, 22 and 23, are far more adventurous than one might expect from commissioned film music and could almost pass as autonomous compositions.

Throughout the years, the music I wrote for Rombus Films remained mainly rooted in the classical tradition. In retrospect, many of these scores already reveal the musical language that would eventually find its way into my later autonomous work.

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At the same time, my approach gradually evolved through the collaboration itself. Monique gave me considerable artistic freedom, while never hesitating to challenge my musical choices. Her observations gradually led me towards a more restrained musical language, a shift that became fully apparent in the Wadden series. There I increasingly left things out, allowing atmosphere and texture to take the lead. The music became less overtly present, relying more on suggestion than statement.

One principle, however, never changed: the music should remain worth listening to away from the images.

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Note: The compositions are presented under their original , sometimes strange working titles.