This Argentinian auteur has a resumé dating back to the late '60s South American psych-rock explosion. But he's parlayed his decades of experience into becoming one of the preeminent soundtrack composers of the 21st century, thanks to his Oscar-winning scores for the gritty dramas Brokeback Mountain and Babel. Santaolalla uses minimal instrumentation—feverishly picked acoustic guitars, haunting strings—for maximal impact, complementing his source visuals' stark, arid landscapes and the intimate emotional intensity of their subject matter.