📣 This episode was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn't exist. If you want to support the cause, consider donating to the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides financial aid to industry workers. There's also a Google doc that…

📣 This episode was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn't exist. If you want to support the cause, consider donating to the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides financial aid to industry workers. There's also a Google doc that…

This is an introduction to the music of The Rise of Skywalker with an emphasis on the first 5 minutes. In the episode, I also go over my aims for this season of Star Wars Music Minute, talk about balancing meta-commentary and media-commentary, and share my favorite thing about the TROS score. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 0:50 - What to expect fr…

Mastering engineer and film music restoration expert Chris Malone joins Xanthe for the season finale to talk about all things Empire Strikes Back soundtrack. We cover a ton of ground, from analog recording technology and methodology to the unique issues affecting The Empire Strikes Back releases. This episode contains many visuals, including specto…

Chrysanthe covers minutes 121-125, answers listener questions, and shares their 30 takeaways, trends, surprises, and highlights from The Empire Strikes Back season of Star Wars Music Minute. This is part 1 of a 2-part season finale! 📹 YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/RoEzVlLUFt8 ⭐️ Patreon/Discord server: https://patreon.com/chrysa…

Justin Leo Kennedy is back for another sound design deep-dive! 🎉 Today, it's all about R2-D2. Using a virtual ARP 2600 synth emulator and a recording of his baby crying, Justin attempts to reverse-engineer Ben Burtt's iconic Artoo beepspeak, teaching us a lot about sound synthesis along the way. We also discuss minutes 116-120 of The Empire Strikes…

If you play The Empire Strikes Back backwards, will you hear the wind whispering "Luke?" Are the gentle climaxes on Cloud City byproducts of calculated sensory deprivation? How does John Williams convey Luke's emotional state and connect Leia to the Force? Today's guest is Camila Quiñones -- writer, host of Beings of the Galaxy podcast, and one of …

Dan Golding is here to discuss minutes 106-110 of The Empire Strikes Back! We talk about Ben Burtt's frustrations, intense pedal points, a nasal brass canon, free fanfares, Empire being an "editor's film," and how the music is "meanwhile" (sounds strange, but it'll make sense when you listen to the episode). 😅 Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 7:05 -…

Minutes 101-105 of The Empire Strikes Back feature extraordinary drama, peril, romance, and even some lightly comedic underscore. Takeo Rivera (English professor, playwright, performance studies specialist) returns to the show to discuss the score's function as a "warm blanket," Threepio's crush on Lando, the film's romantic aesthetics, and more. T…

Pete the Retailer and Alex Robinson from Star Wars Minute join me to discuss the music and sound in minutes 96-100 of The Empire Strikes Back. Han gets frozen in carbonite! John Williams's dramatic, emotional score moves us through the action. In this episode, we also listen to the original footage from the carbonite freezing scene before music was…

James Waterman and Justin Scheid from The Band Batch are here for minutes 91-95 of The Empire Strikes Back. We talk about Threepio's analog rejuvenation, the timpani doom roll, and what happens when Star Wars voice actors are overdubbed in later editions (like how Jason Wingreen was replaced by Temura Morrison). We also get to hear Justin's favorit…

As Yoda says, "There is another." Today's guest is my brother, Nic Tan! We delve into minutes 86-90 of The Empire Strikes Back, which naturally begs discussion about the toys, Boba Fett, Yoda's golden nuggets, cloud cars, negative musical space, changes to film scoring over the decades, how Lando's theme diverges from John Williams's traditional he…

Musicologist Alex Ludwig (Dies Irae guru) returns to the show to discuss minutes 81-85 of The Empire Strikes Back! We talk about the form, orchestration, and rhythm of the Lando's Palace cue, the stern parenting of Yoda and Obi-Wan, and how the music paints the text. Video version of this episode is here: https://youtu.be/tdJUdPsUQBQ Timestamps: 0:…

Opulent violins and sci-fi vocals can only mean one thing: We're approaching Cloud City! Composer/music technologist Jeremy Sawruk returns to the show to discuss minutes 76-80 of The Empire Strikes Back. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 5:49 - Voice removal. 12:38 - Background "Morse code" sound. 16:34 - Errant horn entrance or sound design? 19:08 -…

In The Empire Strikes Back Minutes 71-75, Yoda raises the ship while Luke looks on in disbelief. Oboist Trevor Mowry and Father David Mowry return to SWMM to talk about this emotional cue (complete with the best E Maj7 chord ever), the "Peter and Wolf"-like instrumentation (are you team French horn or team trumpet?), the expansiveness of Yoda's the…

Music theorist Dr. Lauren Crosby is here to help us take a closer look at the original Boba Fett theme. We compare the pitch material of John Williams's theme to Ludwig Göransson's Boba Fett theme (which debuted in The Book Of Boba Fett), theorize about the relationship between them, and discuss other things from this action-packed set of minutes t…

Talking cave visions, glissando lizards, synthesizers, The Magic Tree, magnets, and more with Ender Smith (of AurekFonts)! This is The Empire Strikes Back minutes 61-65. Video version of this episode (with visuals): https://youtu.be/gYGV9Vy_wDs Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 2:36 - Cue 6M3 "This Is Not A Cave." 5:42 - Demonstrating planing chords …

Suzen Tekla Kruglnska returns to the show to discuss the humorous horror and philosophical twists in The Empire Strikes Back minutes 56-60! We talk about Kubrick musical connections, Yoda's necklace/instrument, mynock sound design, and the visceral extended techniques used to elicit fear. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 5:36 - Connections to The Sh…

In The Empire Strikes Back minutes 51-55, Han and Leia share their first kiss and we meet the Emperor for the first time. Joining me (for the 4th time!) is music theorist/film musicologist Frank Lehman. We discuss the lineage of musical love themes, John Williams's distinctive Lydian signature, the strange proto-Emperor cue, and he gives us a sneak…

It's finally time to meet Yoda! Joining me today is writer, producer, and Muppet aficionado Ken Plume. We break down Frank Oz's fantastic performance, including his speech syntax and the vocal qualities that define Yoda vs. Miss Piggy vs. Grover vs. Fozzie vs. Bert and Frank Oz's other classic characters. The music takes a backseat in this scene, g…

Flutist & Star Wars music researcher Samantha Tripp returns to the show to talk about the rich sonic environment of Dagobah! This is EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Minutes 41-45. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 4:27 - How do you feel about the Asteroid Field concert arrangement? 16:15 - Violin articial harmonics at the end of the Asteroid Field. 20:12 - Flute…

We're getting into the Asteroid Field with Thundercat pianist Dennis Hamm! In this episode, we explore the complex harmony, emotion, and triumph in this cue that John Williams once called "a ballet of flying spaceships and asteroids colliding." Dennis also administers a fun listening test toward the end that you'll want to stick around for (there a…

Film music PhD researcher Conor Power joins me for a discussion about The Empire Strikes Back minutes 31-35. We're finishing up the Battle of Hoth along with some shrill piccolos, rollicking pianos, an "extra minor" Luke theme, and a brass line that we both fancy for reasons we try to figure out. As the episode title suggests, the music in this cue…

We're getting deep into the Battle of Hoth today! This is minutes 26-30 of The Empire Strikes Back with composer/orchestrator Dominic Sewell. The quickie topic is a primer on the anatomy and function of a score. To follow along with the visuals in this episode, I recommend checking out the video version (or just spot checking the areas you want to …

In minutes 21-25 of The Empire Strikes Back, Vader sets course for the Hoth system while the Rebels prepare to defend their base. Joining me today is Stephanie Manning, a bassoonist, writer, and 2022 Fellow of the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. We talk about the Imperial March, the contrast between Rebel and Empire music, and the bassoon's ro…

Music theorist Dr. Jenn Harding joins Xanthe for an analysis of minutes 16-20 of The Empire Strikes Back. We talk about textural shifts, snowspeeder sound design, macroharmony, musical structure, spectrograms, math, intonation, the Leia-Han-Luke love triangle (and what the music has to say about it), and more! This episode is also on YouTube (with …

This episode is about minutes 11-15 of The Empire Strikes Back with my guest Jake Jahiel -- a musicologist, Baroque music specialist, and 2022 Fellow of the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. Today, we're talking about the Spectralist-adjacent music of Hoth, the Force theme that sprang from the petri dish, Wagner's influence, and the music that J…

This episode is about minutes 6-10 of The Empire Strikes Back, and composer-artist Christina Ward returns to the show to discuss! The YouTube version of this episode is here: https://youtu.be/xHuhO51iYuc Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 02:15 - Listening to the beginning of these minutes. 08:17 - Assessing the feelings behind Han and Leia's dialogu…

This episode is an introduction to the music of The Empire Strikes Back, with a special emphasis on minutes 1-5. Welcome to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SEASON of Star Wars Music Minute! 🎉 (No guest today; just Xanthe.) Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 01:06 - References & resources 03:31 - Intro to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 04:46 - Scoring process 08:52 …

Baraka May has recording vocals on over 500 films, TV shows, video games, commercials, and albums. Today, we're discussing her work on "Chicken In the Pot" in Solo: A Star Wars Story! 🐔 Baraka reflects on the recording process, talks about how she approached the Huttese dialect, and talks about how she and John Powell experimented with pitch and sp…

Iain Farrington played piano and celeste for the Solo: A Star Wars Story soundtrack! In this episode, we listen to some of our favorite piano moments from the Solo soundtrack, and Iain talks about what it was like to record those cues. He also shares stories from the recording sessions and gives us insight into how he approaches different types of …

Xanthe wraps up coverage of Solo: A Star Wars Story (minutes 131-135) by taking a closer look at the music and sound credits. What do sound editors, music editors, orchestra contractors, and re-recording mixers do? We'll also review the nine new leitmotifs that Solo added to the Star Wars oeuvre. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 01:27 - Music and s…

Today, we're obsessing over the transition to the end credits in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Pete and Alex from Star Wars Minute are here to join me! (Ring theory.) We compare the Solo credits to The Empire Strikes Back, The Phantom Menace, and more. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 05:26 - How Solo transitions to the end credits. 17:46 - End credits …

In minutes 121-125 of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Beckett dies, Qi'ra leaves, and we reunite with Lando the Raconteur in his fancy jungle room. Star Wars Lawyer (Kris) returns to the show for a discussion about solemn death music, Lando's themes, Lando cosplay, and more! Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 07:17 - How do you feel about Han and Qi'ra's ro…

Maul's entire sound situation in minutes 116-120 of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY is absolute wildness. James Waterman and Justin Scheid (from The Band Batch) are here with Xanthe to discuss! Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 01:31 - Our extremely cute matching outfits. 08:04 - Analog sword fighting. 11:00 - Space pirate polyrhythms + a tangent about nota…

Alex Ludwig AKA the Dies Irae Guru AKA @Film Music Tropes is back to discuss minutes 111-115 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Spoiler: Alex and Xanthe noticed one Dies Irae reference each in these minutes, but they were completely different spots... In this episode, we also discuss "Jason Bourne in Space," fawn over the Secrets motif progression, and gi…

Suzen Tekla Kruglnska is here with me to discuss minutes 106-110 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! We talk about auditory illusions, the coaxium motif, John Powell's flowing scene transitions, and a potentially awkward music edit. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 04:13 - Beckett's "wheel spinning" music. 08:33 - Cliche or trope? In the ear of the beholde…

The "Secrets" theme can be easy to miss, but not in minutes 101-105 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! The veil of secrecy is lifted as the "Secrets" motif cycles through a progression of revelatory chords leading to Crimson Dawn. This is one of Xanthe's favorite musical moments in the film. Alex Cunningham returns to the show to nerd out about it! Timest…

The music and sound design truly form a symbiotic circle in minutes 96-100 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! John Hoey (from The Resistance Broadcast and #MakeSolo2Happen) joins Xanthe in a discussion about the striking soundscapes of Savareen. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 05:06 - Taking a listen to the beginning of these minutes. 10:31 - Lack of mus…

Talking about the music and sound in minutes 91-95 of Solo: A Star Wars Story with Jon Solomon! This set of minutes features a giant space tentacle monster, which, in part, is brought to life by the score and sound design. We talk about tension-building, our perceptions of musical "fastness," and a mysterious howling sound that Xanthe and Jon are n…

Jeremy Sawruk returns to the show to talk minutes 86-90 of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Today, we're getting into the Kessel Run, which features familiar themes from the Asteroid Field, Here They Come, and more. On the soundtrack, you'll find this cue in "Reminiscence Therapy" and "Kessel Run in Less Than 12 Parsecs." Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 0…

Lacey Gilleran from Resistance Broadcast is here to talk about the music in Solo minutes 81-85! We discuss the tragic scoring of L3's death, the gravitational pull of pedal points, musical depth of field, and, of course, #MakeSolo2Happen. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 00:54 - MakeSolo2Happen 09:50 - Swashbuckling adventures. 15:53 - Young Han So…

L3 starts a revolution, Han moves coaxium containers, and the (perky, contrapuntal) music is the Force that binds us all together. Also worth considering: Is L3 a big ol' boom box? Newly minted Star Wars writer Riley Silverman is back on the show to discuss Solo Minutes 76-80 of Solo! Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 04:45 - Riley's theory of droid…

Composer Christina Ward joins Xanthe for a detailed listen and analysis of minutes 71-75 of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which starts with the crew landing on Kessel and ends with L3 liberating a droid. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 05:39 - All roads lead back to the Empire. 11:15 - Where the music abruptly changes, Baroque vibes, Enigma Variations,…

"Lando's Closet" is the horniest cue on the Solo soundtrack, Y/N? Crystal Beth joins me today for a discussion about minutes 66-70 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 02:32 - Cue naming conventions. 10:02 - Secrets theme 6x buildup. 12:43 - Horniness of this cue. Roller coaster. 14:38 - Narrating the roller coaster of the f…

Dan Golding is back, and ahhh OKAY, we need to talk about the fact that Luke's theme plays like a pop anthem when Han lays eyes on the Millennium Falcon (!!!) In this episode, we examine the musical devices that contribute to that epic reveal, discuss John Powell's internal logic, evaluate Powell's underscore, talk about nostalgia in the Star Wars …

Why does the music in the sabacc scene sound like a romantic comedy? What does a cortical homunculus have to do with Solo? How does The Lodge compare to the other watering holes of Star Wars? Tony Thaxton returns to the show to talk about all of this and more in minutes 56-60 of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 03:27 - Musi…

Triad of the Force (Gus, Nani, Moe) join Xanthe in a discussion about the music and sound in minutes 51-55 of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which starts with Han convincing Dryden to give them a chance and ends with Han challenging Lando to a game of sabacc. We talk about musical pivot points, toxic professors, dialogue mixing, peacocks, the cue that so…

Minutes 46-50 of Solo: A Star Wars Story with James Hewlett from Live Action Star Wars! Today, we're talking about musical pivot points, the operatic nature of Solo, the romantic Han and Qi'ra theme, and some new stormtrooper karaoke headcanon. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 08:35 - Is the music for Han and Qi'ra too romantic and sentimental? 11:…

An analysis of "Chicken in the Pot" with Ender Smith from AurekFonts. We cover lyrics and language, talk about pronunciation, notation, genre, string samples, harmony, tuning, and quite a bit more. Finally, we field listener submitted questions about "Chicken in the Pot" and discuss the rest of minutes 41-45 of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Timestamps: …