“All it takes is three chords at the end of the opening credits sequence to sell you completely on this bewitching score from Ariel Marx. In lesser hands, the sound for this Hulu whydunit would come off as ironic or tasteless, with fairy-tale flutes and mallet percussion making an obvious contrast to the haunting, real-life murder story at the heart of the series. But Marx manages to blend the feel of an unassuming North Texas coziness with the very real trauma of an entire town processing a senseless death. It’s a magical sound with decay all around the edges, a trick she also manages to pull off in her work on “A Friend of the Family.” When paired with the sing-song patter of church mothers and secret afternoon trysts, it becomes the musical equivalent of the peppermint circle Candy herself hands out: seemingly sweet on its own, but with some extra added pangs in context.” Stephen Greene, Indiewire —The Best TV Scores of 2022 — Candy

“Ariel Marx’s anxiogenic score, with its nervous string plucking and piano plinking, both builds and punctuates the tension.” Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter — Shiva Baby

“Ariel Marx’s score fits in more harmoniously, as its jazzy, improvisational beats further destabilize an already volatile situation.” Katie Rife, Roger Ebert — Sanctuary

“To Dust” is modestly but thoughtfully assembled in aesthetic terms, with an aptly somber pallet to Alexandra Kaucher’s production design and DP Xavi Giminez’s concise compositions. An alternately sorrowful and spectral string score by Ariel Marx is abetted by just two cleverly chosen preexisting tracks: Tom Waits’ wheezy lament “Blow Wind Blow” and the amusingly incongruous use of Jethro Tull’s arena-rock classic “Aqualung.” — Dennis Harvey, Variety — To Dust

“In the opening “cymatics,” minimalism-styled patterns coalesce into wave-like movements consistent with the track title's meaning. Here and elsewhere, Luthier is elevated by the elegant interweaving of the instruments, with one occasionally assuming prominence as the lead (e.g., cello in the lament “diapason”). Marx's gift for distilling emotion into musical form is well-captured in the poignant settings “interference” and “pitch.” At twenty-three minutes, Luthier is more EP than full-length, but the content of Marx's so-called “love letter to strings” is so substantial it registers as a complete album statement. As much as the term cinematic is overused, there's no denying the evocative character of its eight settings.” Texture — Luthier

A SMALL LIGHT

Chris Willman, Variety — Ariel Marx and Este Haim on How the Music of ‘A Small Light’ Brought Fresh Shadings to Heroic Holocaust Drama

Jazz Tangcay, Variety — How ‘A Small Light’ Artisans Captured Hope and Resilience Through Costumes, Music and Production Design

Ray Richmond, Gold Derby — Ariel Marx interview: ‘A Small Light’ composer

Joey Moser, Awards Daily — Ariel Marx On The Modern Influences for the Pulse-Pounding and Romantic Score for ‘A Small Light’

Daniel Schweiger, On The Score — Ariel Marx hears a unique hiding place that holds “A Small Light”

Byron Burton, Awards Focus — Composer Ariel Marx On Her First Emmy Nomination & Scoring Nat Geo’s “A Small Light”

CANDY

Joey Moser, Awards Daily — Composer Ariel Marx On the Violent Sameness of the Score of Hulu’s ‘Candy’

Matt Grobar, Deadline — Composer Ariel Marx Taps Into Heightened Emotions Of “Deeply Complex” Women With ‘Candy’ Score – Hear An Exclusive Track

Below The Line — Candy Composer Ariel Marx on Creating Macabre Music for the Repressed World of Hulu’s True-Crime Series

Rachel Reeves, Dread Central — Composer Ariel Marx on the Sweet, Sinister Sound of ‘Candy’

Jack Giroux, Slash Film — Candy Composer Ariel Marx Explains Why String Music Is Great For Horror [Interview]

Clint Worthington, The Spool — Ariel Marx on disrupting the oppressive sameness of Candy

SHIVA BABY, SANCTUARY & More

Sonia Rao, The Washington Post — How ‘Shiva Baby’ captures the anxieties of being a young woman

Ray Richmond, Gold Derby — Making of ‘A Friend of the Family’ roundtable: 5 top crafts artisans reveal behind-the-scenes secrets

Andrew Corpan, Social Coast Media — Ariel Marx Talks Shiva Baby Score

Sundance Film Festival, Film Music House — The Music of “Rebel Hearts” feat Rufus Wainwright, Sharon Van Etten, and Ariel Marx

The Film Scorer — Ariel Marx Talks Shiva Baby, American Horror Stories

Clint Worthington, The Spool — Ariel Marx on the intimate tensions of A Small Light and Sanctuary

Randy Astle, Filmmaker Magazine — Tribeca 2018: Composer Ariel Marx on Scoring To Dust

Ray Richmond, Gold Derby — Making of ‘A Friend of the Family’ roundtable: 5 top crafts artisans reveal behind-the-scenes secrets

Jazz Tangcay, Variety — Amazon Composers On Getting Their Start, Unusual Instruments and Finding The Right Sound For Hit Shows

Daron James, No Film School — Music to a Director's Ears: Pro Tips from 'Ted Bundy' Composer Ariel Marx

Stephen Saito, Moveable Feast — Interview: Composer Ariel Marx on Finding the Right Musical Language to Tell “The Tale”