Award-winning composer, sound designer, and PhD researcher in spatial audio. Michael’s work spans film scores, TV productions, and immersive soundscapes, released through his label imprint Aurora Eclipse Productions and showcased internationally through the Royal Society of Arts.
Michael W. Bell is a composer, sound designer, and spatial audio researcher whose work bridges cinematic scoring, ambient sound design, and immersive technologies. As founder of Bell Creative Labs and its label imprint, Aurora Eclipse Productions, his music has been heard in films, television, and international exhibitions, with releases spanning nineteen projects — including solo albums, collaborations with SkyQuaker and Iceni, and the newly-formed ProtoVoid. He is currently completing a PhD in Experiential Soundtracks, exploring how spatial and object-based audio technologies such as Dolby Atmos reshape contemporary composition.
Film & TV: Composer for short films, documentaries, and trailers including Francis, Blanket, One Day, and Fragments.
Awards: Fragments (Winner, Best Soundtrack, Out of the Can Festival 2020) · Blanket (Nominee, Best Score, Views of the World Festival 2016) · Æ Har Det Bare Bra (3rd Place, Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 2013).
Exhibitions: Immersive works showcased with the Royal Society of Arts in the UK and US, including Las Vegas (2025).
Industry Placements: Music synced to Discovery, Netflix, Paramount Network, Crime & Investigation, Sky, YouTube, and TikTok — including documentaries like Mad Frankie Fraser: His Last Interview (~764K views) and the Jurassic World: Teaser Production Announcement (~325K views).
Collaborations:
• Direct: Clare Estelle, Roo Savill, Paul Jordanous, Stephen Hope-Wynne, Georgie Mac, Iceni, ProtoVoid, Black Noire.
• SkyQuaker projects: Contributed to sessions featuring guest artists including Mike Garson, Davinder Bedi, Ben “Ferdy” Ford, Andy Prince, Brian Gulland, Abi F Jones, Severn Duo, and Talisa Yorke.
Mentorship & Industry Links: Trained under Phil Bodger, Matt Hodson, and Stace Constantinou (University of Brighton) and worked alongside Tony Platt (University of Northampton).
Discography: Nineteen releases with Michael W. Bell’s involvement as composer, producer, or musician — spanning solo projects (Cinematic, 2021; Fragments, 2020), ProtoVoid (90377 Sedna, 2024), and collaborations via Aurora Eclipse Productions.
Born in London in 1988, Michael moved frequently in his youth, spending much of his early life in and around London and the South East. His first memorable experience of film and music came from Disney’s Fantasia, later deepened by watching films such as Gladiator, Armageddon, and Mission Impossible II with his father on one of the earliest Yamaha home surround systems.
As a teenager, he discovered heavy metal, performing as a rhythm guitarist and gigging around the UK. This love of sound led him to study Music Production, initially with the aim of becoming a live sound engineer — but it was film music assignments that revealed his true passion for composition.
Michael studied both Music Production and Composition for Film & Media at the University of Brighton, where he trained under a diverse group of mentors, including engineer Phil Bodger (Phil Collins, The Cure, Sinéad O’Connor), electronic artist and educator Matt Hodson (aka Matthias), and experimental composer Stace Constantinou. Their combined influence shaped his hybrid approach to composition, bridging traditional studio craft, contemporary electronic production, and experimental sound practice.
During his time at Brighton, Michael co-produced, mixed, and mastered Hatriotism for the Brighton-based metal band Demental and scored his first short film, Francis. He also created a cinematic soundscape for the US band Shores of Acheron, worked as a foley artist for the student film Æ Har Det Bare Bra (winner of 3rd place at the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival), and began developing workflows for merging sound design with composition.
After graduating in 2013, he launched his music production company and studio, Aurora Eclipse Productions Ltd, which became the vessel for his creative output.
Michael scored numerous student and independent films (Local Girl, Survival, Jogger, Night Owls) and began composing for trailers and branded idents, working with companies such as Silver Lining Pictures and Silver Hound Pictures. His music accompanied YouTube documentaries including Mad Frankie Fraser: His Last Interview (now with over 750,000 views) and Legends: The Kray Twins Story.
By 2016 he had released Awakening: The Early Scores and Lurking in the Delta Waves, scored the festival-nominated Blanket (shortlisted for Best Score at Views of the World Festival in Canada), and produced records for bands such as Black Noire.
In 2017, Michael began pitching to trailer houses such as Cavalry Music, with one of his cues later used in the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom teaser announcement, which has since gained over 325,000 views on YouTube. He collaborated with Clare Estelle and Stephen Hope-Wynne (Somehow, Tangitise branding) and scored Crazy Woman Got a Gun for All Visions Align, shown at festivals in Los Angeles.
By 2019, Michael was remixing tracks for Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and pitching trailer music for The King and Doctor Sleep. While these placements were not secured, the process expanded his reach into international trailer campaigns. At the same time, he grew Aurora Eclipse into a record label, re-releasing Iceni’s back catalogue, co-producing Clare Estelle’s single Sacred Night, and recording Queen Kong with SkyQuaker — notably featuring the final recorded words of Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky.
In 2020, Michael scored Andrea Ratti’s short film Fragments, which went on to win five festival awards including Best Soundtrack. To celebrate, Aurora Eclipse Productions released the score and pressed it to limited-edition vinyl. From this point onward, his cues and compositions began securing broadcast and streaming placements, with music synced across Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, Paramount Network, Sky, Netflix, and TikTok.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael launched the AuroraCast Podcast as a way to connect with fellow creatives and sustain dialogue during lockdown. Over its two-year run he interviewed composers, musicians, producers, and artists before retiring the podcast in 2022 to make way for new projects.
As the world began to emerge from the pandemic in late 2021, Michael took up a lecturing role in Music Production at the University of Northampton. Through this position he has worked alongside legendary producer Tony Platt (AC/DC, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden), strengthening his links between professional practice and academic research.
In 2024, he introduced Bell’s Laboratory, a new platform for sharing his research and creative practice in spatial and object-based audio. That same year, he co-founded ProtoVoid with Les Plumridge, a collaborative project blending cinematic sound, progressive influences, and immersive production. Their debut album 90377 Sedna marked the launch of the partnership, expanding Michael’s discography into new conceptual territory while maintaining his focus on atmospheric and spatially rich sound design.
Michael has also been an ongoing member of SkyQuaker, collaborating closely with Stephen Hope-Wynne until Steve’s sad passing in 2025. That same year, Michael helped complete and release the album Severed Souls, ensuring the project reached its audience, and he continues to support and preserve the band’s catalogue as part of his ongoing work.
Alongside these projects, Michael has collaborated widely with artists and showcased immersive soundscapes internationally with the Royal Society of Arts, including an exhibition in Las Vegas (2025).
Now operating under the umbrella of Bell Creative Labs, he continues to compose, produce, and research, with his PhD examining how spatial and object-based audio can reshape contemporary music composition.
As Composer
Fragments (2020, Short) – Winner Best Soundtrack
Blanket (2016, Short) – Nominee Best Score
One Day (2016, Short)
Francis (2011, Short) – First scored short
As Sound Designer / Mixer
Without Ear Rings (2023, Short) – Sound recordist, designer, mixer
Æ Har Det Bare Bra (2013, Short) – Sound design, mixer – Award-winning project
As Producer / Engineer
SkyQuaker – Queen Kong (2019) – Recording, mixing, mastering
Clare Estelle – Sacred Night (2019) – Co-production, mixing, mastering
Black Noire – Tales of the Unaffected (2015, EP) – Producer, mixing, mastering
[→ View Full Credits]
90377 Sedna (ProtoVoid, 2024)
Cinematic (2021)
Fragments (2020)
Awakening: The Early Scores (2016)
Blanket (Original Score) (2016)
[→ View Full Discography]
Best Soundtrack – Fragments (Out of the Can International Film Festival, 2020)
Best Score Nominee – Blanket (Views of the World Film & Music Festival, 2016)
3rd Place – Æ Har Det Bare Bra (Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, 2013)
Outside of composing and research, Michael shares insights into music, technology, and creative practice through YouTube and podcasts, aiming to inspire both emerging producers and established composers exploring new sonic possibilities. Grounded in his Anglo-Catholic faith, he also enjoys theology, history, and philosophy, painting in his spare time, and the occasional good pub, glass of red wine, or long conversation.
