Netflix scores with Jupiter

[Floyd Tatum]

(I mean movie or tv show scores)

 

I've noticed it a few times now, starting with Stranger Things on Netflix - that Jupiter-sounding, sequencer-driven bass line - the signature sound of Stranger Things.   A pleasant sound, and reminiscent of the 80's, I guess.
 

Google tells me the musicians are a synth duo called Survive, Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon.   My ears aren't tuned to synth timbres well enough to distinguish individual synths;  I thought "Jupiter 8", but I read that they used a Roland SH-2 for the bass line, and also Prophet-5 and ARP 2600 in other places (don't know how valid the source is).

 

I've noticed the same sound (i.e., the sequencer-driven Roland bass) on a couple of other Netflix shows - it's almost like that's a kind of signature sound they go for in certain 80's or 90's themed productions.

 

I wonder if they always use the Survive guys...

 

[CyberGene]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave

[JamPro]

So the well-known sound from a hit show is now a sort of fad sound among TV/movie soundtrack producers.  Well of course.  The people putting up the money and producing the show know the well-known sound was part of a popular show; the people putting up the money and producing this new show hope their show is also popular; the people putting up the money and producing the show will of course borrow elements from the popular show to use in their own show - including the sound track.

 

Or the people asked to make the sound track for the new show are casting around for ideas and will of course try something similar to what was used in another popular TV/movie.

 

You too can jump on the bandwagon: insert a Maj 7th arpeggio into your own sonic creation, and sit back to reap the compliments.

[Tusker]

A very interesting topic. 👍  Look forward to hearing more about which actual synths were used for which parts.

 

I ran across this clip which intentionally departs from the original Stranger Things timbres, but nonetheless illustrates the uses of old analog to build that nostalgic character. (probably worth mentioning the The Handmaids Tale soundtrack, which relies on a Jupiter and a Space Echo for a lot of it's character.)

 

 

[MAJUSCULE]

Trent Reznor has done a few synth-heavy soundtracks in recent years as well.

[Floyd Tatum]

9 hours ago, JamPro said:

Or the people asked to make the sound track for the new show are casting around for ideas and will of course try something similar to what was used in another popular TV/movie.

No surprise there, right?

 

 

Quote

insert a Maj 7th arpeggio into your own sonic creation, and...

Ahhh, but is it a Cmaj7th arpeggio (3rd inversion), or an Emin (plus flatted 6th) one (in 3rd inv) ?????

 

I kid.  😁

 

 

[JamPro]

13 hours ago, Floyd Tatum said:

Ahhh, but is it a Cmaj7th arpeggio (3rd inversion), or an Emin (plus flatted 6th) one (in 3rd inv) ?????

 

I kid.  😁

That's It!!!  Cmaj7 arpeggio followed by Emin7th arpeggio, all repeated over and over as a sort of sonic bed!  Played with some kind of traditional analog synth and I've got The Perfect Sound - and not at all derivative of someone else's work!!!  Now I can complete my own soundtrack.

[CyberGene]

I think I often recognize the typical Juno chorus in these 80-s soundtracks or the modern recreations of that sound, so I'd say the Juno chorus on top of a saw based brass/pad/arp/seq/bass/lead is a fairly distinctive feature. Of course synths were the big thing back then, and now again, so it's also Moogs, Prophet-s, OB-s, DX7-s but I would say the Juno was the electronic-calculator of the analog synths back then, since it offered a very stable, reliable, in-tune and accessible analog synth keyboard to the masses, compared to the other mentioned brands and models, including the Jupiter which was too expensive and mostly used in studios.

[Tusker]

Juno had a solid bass and with the chorus, the stabs and strings were good too. 

[analogholic]

On 10/10/2022 at 8:53 AM, Floyd Tatum said:

(I mean movie or tv show scores) I've noticed it a few times now, starting with Stranger Things on Netflix - that Jupiter-sounding, sequencer-driven bass line - the signature sound of Stranger Things.   A pleasant sound, and reminiscent of the 80's, I guess.

 

Google tells me the musicians are a synth duo called Survive, Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon.   My ears aren't tuned to synth timbres well enough to distinguish individual synths;  I thought "Jupiter 8", but I read that they used a Roland SH-2 for the bass line, and also Prophet-5 and ARP 2600 in other places (don't know how valid the source is).

 

I've noticed the same sound (i.e., the sequencer-driven Roland bass) on a couple of other Netflix shows - it's almost like that's a kind of signature sound they go for in certain 80's or 90's themed productions.

 

I wonder if they always use the Survive guys...

 

SH-2 is one of my favourite bass-machines. Punchy, fat low-end 

[Analogaddict]

Tv series with pure minor motifs as the main soundtrack:

 

- Twin Peaks (Laura Palmer’s Theme)

- The X Files

- Stranger Things

 

i suppose the list is longer but those three  are the first I think of. 

[JB Sherry]

Humans came out the year before Stranger Things, and also has the SynthWave (and minor-key) thing goin’ on:

It didn’t blow up like Stranger Things, but helps illustrates that ST didn’t invent the synth thing. It actually seems more associated with Sci-Fi than horror (synth-heavy scores, that is).

 

I highly recommend Humans.

-jb

[Charleston]

Check out "It Follows" soundtrack. 

[TommyRude]

On 10/10/2022 at 9:51 AM, Tusker said:

A very interesting topic. 👍  Look forward to hearing more about which actual synths were used for which parts.

 

I ran across this clip which intentionally departs from the original Stranger Things timbres, but nonetheless illustrates the uses of old analog to build that nostalgic character. (probably worth mentioning the The Handmaids Tale soundtrack, which relies on a Jupiter and a Space Echo for a lot of it's character.)

 

 

The ST music sounds like the sample & hold'ish stuff underlying this scene... starts about the 0:40 mark

 

[Floyd Tatum]

4 hours ago, TommyRude said:

The ST music sounds like the sample & hold'ish stuff underlying this scene... starts about the 0:40 mark

 

I hear what you mean, yeah.

[Floyd Tatum]

On 10/10/2022 at 2:04 AM, CyberGene said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave

Thanks - I didn't know that term before.  I'm gonna hafta re-watch Drive.

[Stokely]

Check out Dark on Netflix, great show but it has a very interesting soundtrack.  I'm not sure if it's synths or orchestral stuff (or a mixture) but it really adds to the foreboding nature of the show.  (Not talking about the intro song, which I also like.)