Phil McClean
Phil McClean is an award-winning Irish composer and occasional singer-songwriter known for his work in the visual arts. Self-taught in all aspects, he gained recognition in 2019 when his track "Sleep Paralysis" was featured on the In Search of Darkness soundtrack, the OST itself reaching the Billboard Top 5 American EDM albums. That same year, he placed 9th in the Horror Hotel International Scoring Competition. In 2020, he released the mini-album The Last Illusion , inspired by Clive Barker's short story.
Despite the pandemic limiting opportunities, he focused on refining his skills and released the EP Rage . In 2022, he earned a silver medal in Cuetube's Score Relief General Composition category for “I Catch You” and made his directorial debut with the music video for "Hangin' On The Line." Which went on to win the SILVER AWARD for “Best Song” at The Florence Film Awards in 2024.
McClean continued to make waves in 2023, winning silver at The XV Jerry Goldsmith Awards for The Last Illusion in the 'Free Creation' category. He also scored his first feature-length film, Am Fear Líath , directed by Pauric Brennan, which was well received and released on Amazon Prime. The film’s original soundtrack is currently streaming on major platforms.
In 2024, McClean won 1st place in the International Horror Hotel Film Score Competition, in Cleveland, Ohio for his rescore of the ‘Leviticus’ trailer.
He has written the score for the upcoming thriller web series Perdu , directed by John McNally and the Star Wars Rebels (fan series) directed by Brian Matthews-Murphy. He has also written the score for the upcoming moving drama short ‘Kathleen’ , directed by Dr. George Leslie.
His second feature-length film, the legal drama ‘ Reputation’ , directed by Philip Curry is scheduled for release in May 2025. The film will receive a premiére at The Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield, Dublin on May 13th. With a second screening on May 21st.
His influences are diverse ranging from jazz and classical to heavy metal and electronica, resulting in a distinctive and unconventional sound that serves the story and creator’s vision.