Dan Wool

Dan Wool is an American composer and sound designer. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, where he played in the punk rock band The Strikers, he is based in San Francisco, California. He has worked in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, and Anhui (China), creating scores for broadcast television projects, theatrical sound installations and more than 45 feature films, including nine films for celebrated cult filmmaker Alex Cox. From 2010 to 2021 Wool collaborated with filmmaker, and legendary special effects artist Phil Tippett to create the score for Tippett's epic stop-motion feature film Mad God. Wool has also composed music for television movies and episodic series for ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and HBO. He is often recognized for his work as principal composer in film score soundtrack-group Pray for Rain.

In the themed-entertainment sector, Wool has a portfolio doing the sound design, the musical scores, and on-site mixing for several fly rides, dark rides commissioned by Tippett Studio and Sunac /Wanda Group as well as other immersive experiences.

Wool has also worked creating sound and music for international and domestic advertising and sound-branding and also as sound-designer for short films and documentaries. As a music producer and engineer, Wool has collaborated with international artists such as Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic), Philip Chevron and James Fearnley (The Pogues), Debbie Harry (Blondie), and worked with various bay-area recording artists such as All My Pretty Ones, Beth Custer, Enrique, Essence (singer), Indianna Hale, The Mermen, Kally Price and Todd Stadtman.

In the arts, Wool has composed scores and designed sound for The Architecture and Design Museum (A+D Museum), Los Angeles (sound installation for the exhibition "Windshield Perspective" May–July 2013), Choreographer Alice Sheppard, Amy Seiwert's Imagery dance company: Sketch Series (choreographer Marc Brew). AXIS Dance Company, Disability Dance Works, RAWdance, choreographer Sonsherée Giles, The Tea Dancers/Ballet de la Compasión, and seven immersive, multi-channel audio performance installations for Liss Fain Dance. In 2018, his music and sound design work for Phil Tippett and Lucy Raven’s experimental film OUT THERE screened at MoMA (NYC). In October 2010, Wool performed in composer Jem Finer's "Longplayer" installation, sponsored by the Long Now Foundation at YBCA. In the years 2015 to 2018, he was engaged by the U.S. Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team for ongoing compositional and musical services.

In 2023, Wool was nominated for an Annie Award (International Animation Society Award) for Best Music in an Animated Feature Film for Phil Tippett's Mad God. Wool has twice been nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award (Izzie Award), in 2017 for his work with Liss Fain Dance and in 2013 for his work with AXIS Dance Company. In 2014 Dan received an award from Bay Area Dance Watch (Blessay Award) for “Best Dance Soundtrack”

Dan Wool is the brother of screenwriter/electrician/gardener Abbe Wool and stepbrother to Los Angeles musician Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks, Joe Strummer) and St. Louis luminary Chip Schloss.

Filmography
(feature film composer credits except as indicated)
 * Territory: Immersive VR (2024) (VR Experience)
 * Humanzee (2024) (Short Film)
 * Eventos En El Campo (2023) (Short Film)
 * Phil Tippett's Mad God (2022)
 * Fly Sichuan (2020) score composition for Fly Ride (theme park ride)
 * Fly Chongqing (2020) score composition for Fly Ride (theme park ride)
 * Inclinations (2019) (Short Film)
 * Phil Tippett's Mad God Part 3 (2018) (Short Film)
 * OUT THERE (2018) (Short Film)
 * Tombstone Rashomon (2017)
 * Dream of Anhui (2016) score composition for Fly Ride (theme park ride)
 * Phil Tippett's Mad God Part 2 (2015) (Short Film)
 * Racing to Zero (2014) (Documentary)
 * Phil Tippett's Mad God Part 1 (2014) (Short Film)
 * Hog's Tooth (2014) (Short Film)
 * The Inheritance (2014) (Short Film)
 * The Mayor (2013) (Short Documentary)
 * The Caretaker (2012) (Short Documentary)
 * Sin Pais (2010) (TV) (Short Documentary)
 * Immigration Tango (2010)
 * Repo Chick (2010)
 * 5 Westerns (2008) (TV) (Short Documentary Series)
 * Dispatches from Nicaragua (2008) (TV) Walker DVD Element
 * Searchers 2.0 (2007)
 * Journeyman (2006)
 * Missing Scenes (2006) Producer, Music and Sound Design for Repo Man Anniversary Edition DVD Element
 * Repo Code (2006) Music for Repo Man Anniversary Edition DVD Element
 * Harry Zen Stanton (2006) Music for Repo Man Anniversary Edition DVD Element
 * Death and the Compass (2005) Commentary for UK DVD
 * Dalai Lama: Discourse on the Heart Sutra (2004) (DVD)
 * Mike Hama - Private Detective: Mike Hama Must Die! (2002) (TV)
 * Never Trust a Serial Killer (2002)
 * The Wednesday Woman (2000) (TV)
 * A Hard Look (2000) (TV) (Documentary)
 * Way Past Cool (2000) (TV) Score Mixer
 * Late Last Night (1999) (TV)
 * Kurosawa: The Last Emperor (1999) (Documentary)
 * Three Businessmen (1998)
 * The Almost Perfect Bank Robbery (1998) (TV)
 * Nightmare in Big Sky Country (1998) (TV)
 * Since You've Been Gone (1998)
 * Standoff (1998)
 * Perfect Body (1997) (TV)
 * Any Mother's Son (1997) (TV)
 * Perversions of Science (1997) TV Series
 * The Three Lives of Karen (1997) (TV)
 * Pretty Poison (1996) (TV)
 * Sweet Dreams (1996) (TV)
 * Death and the Compass (1996) (TV)... a.k.a. Muerte y la Brújula, La (Mexico)
 * The Winner (1996) (Japanese directors-cut only)
 * A Boy Called Hate (1996)
 * Her Last Chance (1996) (TV)
 * She Fought Alone (1995) (TV) ... a.k.a. Scared by Love
 * My Dubious Sex Drive (1995)
 * White Mile (1994) (TV)
 * Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
 * Floundering (1994)
 * Love, Cheat & Steal (1993) (TV)
 * Key West (1993) TV Series (13 episodes)
 * Roadside Prophets (1992)
 * Death and the Compass (1992) (TV) for UK broadcast
 * The Linguini Incident (1991) (restaurant source music)
 * Zandalee (1991)
 * No Secrets (1991)
 * Trust Me (1989)
 * Tales from the Crypt (1989) TV Series (episode "The Bribe")
 * Straight to Hell (1987)
 * Sid and Nancy (1986)

Sound design credits

 * Sage (2024) (Short Film) 2 channel mix
 * Walking In The Age Of Uncertainty (2023) (Short Film) 5.1 channel mix
 * Eventos En El Campo (2023) (Short Film) 5.1 channel mix
 * Fly Sichuan (2020) ("Fly Ride") 20.1 channels. Mixed on-site Tianfu, China Produced by Tippett Studio
 * Fly Chongqing (2020) ("Fly Ride") 20.1 channels. Mixed on-site Chengdu, China Produced by Tippett Studio
 * Inclinations (2019) (Short Film) 2 channel mix
 * OUT THERE (2018) (Short Film) 5.1 channel mix
 * Dream of Anhui (2016) ("Fly Ride") 20.1 channels. Mixed on-site Hefei, China Produced by Tippett Studio
 * The Hack (2011) (Short Film) 2 channel mix
 * 5 Westerns (2008) (TV) (Short 5-part Documentary Series) 2 channel mix
 * Repo Code (2006) Repo Man Anniversary Edition DVD Element. 2 channel mix
 * Harry Zen Stanton (2006) for Repo Man Anniversary Edition DVD Element. 2 channel mix

Performing arts and sound installation credits

 * Here. Take It (2022) Commissioned score composition, and sound design for Liss Fain Dance. Presented in 8.1 ch sound at Z Space (SF). Choreographer Liss Fain
 * OUT THERE (2017-2019) Sound-design composition and mix for on-going experimental film by Lucy Raven and Phil Tippett. Preliminary screening at EMPAC (Albany, New York). Premiere screening at MOMA (NY)
 * Where Good Souls Fear (2017) Commissioned score composition for Disability Dance Works. Choreographer Alice Sheppard
 * Tacit Consent (dance score) (2016) Commissioned score and sound-design composition for Liss Fain Dance. Presented in 20.1 ch sound at YBCA (SF). Choreographer Liss Fain Co-presentation with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
 * Tacit Consent (installation) (2016) Visual and sound installation at YBCA (SF) in collaboration with set-designer, Matthew Antaky and sound-installation and projection-designer Frédéric O. Boulay Co-presentation with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
 * Under An Untouchable Sky (2015) Commissioned score composition for Alice Sheppard. Choreographer Alice Sheppard
 * A Space Divided (2015) Commissioned score composition, sound and music supervisor for Liss Fain Dance. Presented in 8.1 ch sound at Z Space (SF). Choreographer Liss Fain
 * The Imperfect is Our Paradise (2014) Commissioned score composition for Liss Fain Dance. Choreographer Liss Fain
 * After The Light (2014) Commissioned score composition for Liss Fain Dance. Presented in 8.1 ch sound at Z Space (SF). Choreographer Liss Fain
 * Awkward Beauty (2013) Commissioned score composition for Amy Seiwert's Imagery. Choreographer Marc Brew
 * Windshield Perspective (2013) Commissioned score and sound installation for The Architecture and Design Museum (A+D Museum), Los Angeles. Presented in 8.1 ch sound. Curator Greg Goldin
 * The Water is Clear and Still (2012/13) Commissioned score composition for Liss Fain Dance. Presented in 10.1 ch sound at Z Space (SF). Choreographer Liss Fain
 * Two by 24: Love on Loop (2012) Commissioned score composition for RAWdance. Choreographers Wendy Rein and Ryan T. Smith
 * Full of Words (2011) Commissioned score composition for AXIS Dance Company. Choreographer Marc Brew
 * Fantasia Mexicana (2011) Sound design and composition for dance-program for The Tea Dancers/Ballet de la Compasión.
 * The True & False are One (2010) Commissioned score composition for Liss Fain Dance. Choreographer Liss Fain
 * Longplayer (2010) Performer in an excerpt of Longplayer. Composer Jem Finer
 * Speak of Familiar Things (2010) Commissioned score composition for Liss Fain Dance. Choreographer Liss Fain
 * Afternoon of a Fawn (2010) Sound-design for dance performance by Lisa Bufano and Sonsherée Giles. Choreographer Sonsherée Giles.
 * Profound/Refound (2008) Sound-design installation accompanying art exhibition by sculptor and painter Ben Smith