Emil Friis is a Danish composer and pianist based in Copenhagen, working within the realms of contemporary classical, ambient and film music. Despite having no formal musical training, Friis has developed a deeply personal compositional language defined by emotional nuance, tension, warmth and understated beauty. Blending orchestral instrumentation with analogue processing, synthesis and textured sound design, his work often explores themes surrounding memory, human connection and the complexities of the human condition.
His early relationship with music began through his father’s vinyl collection, where artists such as Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley first introduced him to the power of narrative and emotional storytelling through song. Today, his work continues to draw inspiration from the minimalist sensibilities of Gavin Bryars, alongside composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as the atmospheric experimentalism of Jeff Bridges and Keefus Ciancia’s Sleeping Tapes.
Alongside his work as a recording artist, Friis has established an extensive career as a composer for film and television, frequently collaborating with acclaimed filmmakers including Morgan Jon
Fox, Kevin Brooks, Shaun Hart and Jannik Splidsboel. Across both mediums, his compositions balance intimacy and atmosphere — often moving between quiet fragility and cinematic emotional weight.
His discography includes ambient and contemporary classical releases such as Songs From The Deep, Untitled Dreams, Mirrors and the score to Undersea, featuring contributions from musicians including Davide Rossi and Bobby Furgo. In 2025, Friis released Moving Images, his debut album for FatCat Records’ influential post-classical imprint 130701. Conceived as a dialogue between sound and cinema, the project invited a selection of predominantly American filmmakers to create short films in response to each composition, exploring the relationship between music, imagery and the deeply personal narratives formed between the two.
In 2026, Friis returns with Hollow Hands, a four-track EP shaped by themes of free will, emotional vulnerability and human presence. Expanding upon the sonic world introduced in Moving Images, the release combines intimate piano compositions, analogue processing and field recordings captured in southern Italy — creating a tactile and emotionally immersive collection of works that further cements Friis’ distinctive voice within contemporary classical and ambient music.
Outside of music, Friis is also a devoted analogue photographer, with visual storytelling continuing to play an important role throughout his wider creative practice.
Emil Friis is a Danish, Copenhagen based composer, working within the realm of music for film and recorded works. Through his lack of formal training Friis has created a musical language filled with sensibility, tension, brightness and somber beauty. Utilizing many of the instruments within the orchestra, but always intertwined with an array of different machines for processing and synthesis, his work is characterized by its ability to mirror the human condition.
His early voyage into music was established between the grooves of his father’s vinyl collection, where legends like Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley spun folk tales, which kindled in him a profound adoration for narrative-infused melodies. Today, he finds continued inspiration in the sincere minimalism of Gavin Bryars’ compositions. But also, the works of masters like Johan Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven and Jeff Bridges and Keefus Ciancia’s grossly underrated work Sleeping Tapes influence his artistry.
Throughout his career as a film composer he has had the privilege of scoring notable film and TV projects, frequently working alongside award winning filmmakers such as Morgan Jon Fox, Kevin Brooks, Shaun Hart and Jannik Splidsboel. As a recording artist he has released a number of albums, among them the ambient long players Songs From The Deep and Untitled Dreams as well as the piano work Mirrors and the stand out score to Undersea, to name a few.
His compositions, whether ambient or gently emotive, balancing both light and shadow, have been touched by the talents of musicians like Davide Rossi and Bobby Furgo (Leonard Cohen) among others. In addition to his composer work he is also a curious analog photographer.
Moving Images, his solo debut for influential British label 130701 is slated for release in late summer 2025. Not solely a music release, it bridges Friis’ music and films by an array of mainly American filmmakers.
Record Label: 130701 (FatCat Records) / alex@fat-cat.co.uk
