Robert Levon Been (of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) composes the soundtrack for new film 'The Card Counter'

Composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Robert Levon Been, has composed the score and original songs for writer and director Paul Schrader’s new film, The Card Counter, starring Oscar Isaac Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Wilem Dafoe and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Been’s music for the film includes several original songs and is deeply integrated into the picture.

Listen to “Arise Sun” HERE.

Watch The Card Counter film trailer featuring “Arise Sun" HERE.

Schrader reached out to Levon Been last year about writing the end title theme for The Card Counter. What started off as a one-song project evolved into writing multiple songs used in the film as well as contributing much of the instrumental score and sound design.

Robert Levon Been first met the renowned director and award-winning screenwriter (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo) through his late father, Michael Been, co-founder and lead singer of The Call, who was cast in Martin Scorsese’s 1988 film, Last Temptation of Christ, for which Schrader wrote the screenplay. Robert, who was on location in Morocco during filming, was also given a small role in the film. Following shooting, Schrader asked Michael Been to score his 1992 film Light Sleeper in the true indie-DIY ethos with all hands-on deck, including Levon Been at 16 years of age.

“To work with Paul on 'The Card Counter' this many years later is quite surreal," says Been in a statement. "It was a unique challenge to help Paul’s vision of expanding the story through both soundscape and song to underscore the film’s characters and narrative. Once the film wrapped, however, it didn’t feel right to cease writing and exploring the songs. It felt like too much like a cliff hanger in my mind. Creating an album that could include both alternative and fully realized versions of the songs has been a huge undertaking, but what doesn’t kill you makes you Schrader.”

The Card Counter is not entirely Levon Been’s first foray into film scoring. In 2013, BRMC scored Jeff Baena’s dark horror-comedy, Life After Beth. Over the past few years, BRMC has also been thriving in the synch world with high profile placements in television, commercials and video games. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the band’s seminal self-titled release.

Coinciding with the US release of the film, the album The Card Counter: Original Songs from The Motion Picture will be released in September via BMG Records. The film will begin rolling out internationally in October.

The Card Counter is a revenge thriller written and directed by Paul Schrader. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe, and will be released September 10 via Focus Features.

The Card Counter, Original Songs by Robert Levon Been track listing:

1. Rapture
2. Murder Hum
3. Mercy Rev
4. Arise Sun
5. S.E.R.E.
6. Adore
7. Casino Floor 1 (Beta Testing)
8. Casino Floor 2 (Stable)
9. Smoke Ring
10. Erutpar
11. Determined Events
12. OPM
13. Mercy Of Man (featuring S.G. Goodman)