As a young boy growing up in the Los Angeles area, Danny Elfman was largely oblivious to his natural aptitude for composing music. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Danny and his older brother Richard Elfman embarked on a musical venture while in Paris, giving birth to the eclectic troupe known as "Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo". This group was initially created for Richard's directorial debut, Forbidden Zone (1980),which has since become a cult classic among Elfman fans.
Over the years, the group's name underwent numerous transformations, starting with "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" and eventually simplifying to just Oingo Boingo. Simultaneously, Danny continued to compose an array of intelligent and eclectic rock music for his Los Angeles-based band, with some of these pieces being utilized in various film soundtracks, such as Weird Science (1985).
Danny's friendship with young director Tim Burton, who was then a devoted fan of Oingo Boingo, was formed during this period. This partnership ultimately led to Danny scoring the soundtrack for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985),marking his first orchestral film score. The Elfman-Burton collaboration continued to flourish, with notable highlights including the highly successful "Batman" films.
This partnership opened doors of opportunity for Danny, who has since been referred to as "Hollywood's hottest film composer".
