Forest Swords

Forest Swords (aka electronic producer/composer Matthew Barnes) is renowned for rewiring sounds into innovative electronic worlds, most recently on his third studio album Bolted (Ninja Tune, 2023) and countless award-winning soundtracks. From AAA video games like Assassin's Creed and As Dusk Falls (Tribeca Film Festival – Game Selection, “one of the best musical scores we've ever heard" – Rolling Stone) to films like La Fête (est Finie) – a short on climate change alongside Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack) and Young Fathers.

His documentary work includes Sundance Jury Award-winner, Oscar-nominated and Netflix-acquired Ghosts of Sugar Land; Gregoris Rentis’ feature documentary Dogwatch (Vardia); and Melanie Manchot's Stephen, which premiered at Sheffield Doc Fest 2023, and various ballet and dance soundtracks for the likes of renowned contemporary dancer and choreographer Emma Portner, including for the Oslo Opera House and Théâtres des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

In 2025, Forest Swords scored Agile Film's Wasteman feature, directed by Cal McMau and executive produced by Philip Barantini (Adolescence). The film went on to receive a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

FILM

Wasteman (2025)
‍Production Company: Agile Films
Director: Cal McMau
Producer: Sophia Gibber, Myles Payne

Stephen (2023)
‍Production Company: Hurricane Films
Director: Melanie Manchot
Producer: Elena Hill

Dogwatch (Vardia) (2022)
Production Company: Byrd
Director: Gregoris Rentis
Producers: Florence Cohen, Clement Duboin, Vicky Miha

Ghosts of Sugar Land (2019)
Production Company: Field of Vision/Netflix
Director: Bassam Tariq
Producers: Bassam Tariq, Farihah Zaman

GAMES

As Dusk Falls (2022)
Production Company: Interior Night
Director: Caroline Marchal
Producers: Alexandra Bentley, Pierre Bouvy, Sagar Doshi, Renee Teloka

Planet City VR (2022)
Production Company: HTC Vive
Director: Liam Young
Producers: Kayvan Boudai, Elliot Ordo