TROS 12: Kylo's Gaming Rig (Minutes 56-60 with Tony Thaxton)
Season 5 · Episode 12
Monday, September 23, 2024 • Duration 01:29:48
In minutes 56-60 of The Rise of Skywalker, our heroes rescue Chewbacca and Rey wanders into Kylo's creepily-sterile-looking private quarters. Tony Thaxton returns to the show to discuss "noticing vs. not noticing," deaths in Star Wars, the sound design of Kylo/Rey's Force chats, and more!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
5:18 - Not noticing the music vs. being distracted by the music.
12:57 - Would you recognize Star Wars music out of context? Or would you get it mixed up with other John Williams stuff?
14:30 - How do you feel about the completely new styles of music in Star Wars shows?
19:21 - Variant on the Friendship theme.
23:11 - What is John Williams's writing process like?
26:30 - Xanthe's experience doing session work.
34:21 - Do you find yourself a little overwhelmed the first time you see a new Star Wars movie?
40:30 - Brief, jaunty action string riff.
43:26 - Deaths in Star Wars.
47:50 - E.T. moment?
52:04 - Tension theme, March of the Resistance.
57:34 - Weird Chewie vocalization.
59:19 - Kylo's pristine living quarters, Star Wars visual language (and a challenge).
1:01:43 - Imperial March with Sith Artifacts (Dagger) motif overlaid.
1:10:24 - Sound design of the Kylo/Rey Force chats.
1:13:47 - Tony's observation/perception of the droid sound effects in the sequels.
TROS 11: Where's Babu? (Minutes 51-55 with Brandon Wainerdi)
Season 5 · Episode 11
Monday, September 16, 2024 • Duration 01:39:09
In minutes 51-55 of The Rise of Skywalker, Babu Frik does the procedure, C-3PO performs the Sith translation, and Rey senses that Chewie is still alive. Returning guest Brandon Wainerdi (Talking Bay 94) joins me to discuss the usage of the Main Theme, Shirley Henderson's voice work on Babu Frik, MacGuffin mechanics, and more!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
6:07 - Significance of droids dying.
11:04 - Steven Spielberg's concern over Babu Frik.
14:25 - How do you feel about this use of the Main Theme?
21:45 - Octatonic moment.
22:55 - Babu Frik's puppet work, voice work.
27:06 - Mystery music a la Attack of the Clones.
32:37 - J.J. Abrams as D-O; are you distracted by celebrity voice cameos?
36:37 - "I think Star Wars, as a property, excels when..."
42:28 - Sly use of the Emperor's theme mixed with Imperial March; Is John Williams an omniscient narrator?
47:59 - Figuring out the mechanism of the MacGuffin.
51:03 - Brandon's weird way of consuming Star Wars.
59:47 - Shirley Henderson recorded Babu's "droid is ready" line in multiple languages.
TROS 2: Audiovisual Acid Trip (Minutes 6-10 with Klaudia Amenábar)
Season 5 · Episode 2
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 • Duration 01:52:14
In minutes 6-10 of The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine has a chat with Kylo Ren, Poe and Finn lose a game of Dejarik to Chewie, a spy gives the Resistance information, and the Falcon lightspeed skips to evade TIE fighters. Klaudia Amenábar of RuPalp's Podrace returns to the show to discuss the Resistance polycule, octatonic brass, Exegol sound design, and more!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
3:43 - Listening to the beginning of these minutes.
8:21 - The "Palpatine" in Rey's theme.
24:49 - Trio of characters interacting for the first time.
28:31 - David Acord and Matthew Wood explaining the sound design of Exegol.
40:11 - Exegol lightning compared to Force lightning.
49:44 - Quibble about the physical descriptions of characters in Star Wars books.
53:52 - The Rise of Skywalker polycule.
1:01:07 - Octatonic planing horns.
1:09:51 - Why do we hear the Emperor's theme when we see TIE fighters?
1:17:54 - Rebel Fanfare (planing triads), March of the Resistance, lightspeed skipping.
1:24:40 - John Williams loves/hates us (violinists).
Solo 8: Dolby Atmos Train Heist (Minutes 36-40 with Klaudia Amenábar) -
TROS 1: Intro to the Music of The Rise of Skywalker (Minutes 1-5)
Season 5 · Episode 1
Monday, July 10, 2023 • Duration 01:21:06
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 from this episode.
1:40 - Part 1: The first 5 minutes of TROS.
34:02 - Part 2: The Meta Stuff
41:28 - For Your Consideration (FYC) album.
48:03 - Analyzing and interpreting the media as it stands.
50:32 - Romantic music and Friendship as a major theme.
1:03:04 - Assumptions and shaky premises.
1:13:35 - Upcoming source (diegetic) music.
1:14:31 - Matching my timestamps to Frank Lehman's SW Thematic Catalogue.
1:16:34 - New intro/outro arrangement (based on "Anthem of Evil")
1:19:24 - A little perk for my Discord server (join us!)
ESB 26: Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack Restoration (Minutes 126-128 with Chris Malone)
Season 4 · Episode 26
Friday, May 12, 2023 • Duration 03:49:39
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 spectogram displays that allow us to see tangible differences between various mixes.
5:08 - Do you have one of these Empire Strikes Back soundtrack albums?
12:25 - Film music is recorded to part of the film. There wasn't always an expectation to produce a separate soundtrack album.
18:04 - When, where, and how the Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back scores were recorded. Terminology: 35mm magnetic film, magnetic tape, sprockets, tape machine, magnetic oxide particles, 50Hz tone, reproducer.
24:09 - Using magnetic film for synchronization. Limitations of the tape technology.
33:51 - John Williams editing together multiple takes with Ken Wannberg.
46:05 - What is a 24-track tape? Why does the width of tape matter?
49:58 - What is a live mix, and why is it an important reference for the ESB soundtrack albums?
1:02:53 - Listening to minutes 126-128 (end of the End Title music) while looking at the spectral frequency display.
1:10:27 - Diagonal splices.
1:23:07 - Different version of the Imperial March in the End Credits.
1:37:39 - Differences between the original ESB soundtrack and the Special Edition release.
1:57:37 - Comparison example: "Hyperspace" track on the 4CD and Special Edition releases. Listening for the violin presence and spatial movement of the horns and trombones.
2:09:17 - More spectogram comparisons: "City in the Clouds" and last note of the "Main Title."
2:21:21 - Applying the Hippocratic Oath to score restoration.
2:30:00 - If something was recorded in mono, should it stay mono?
ESB 25: Empire Strikes Back Season Highlights (Minutes 121-125)
Season 4 · Episode 25
Friday, May 5, 2023 • Duration 02:43:14
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!
ESB 24: Reverse-Engineering Artoo (Minutes 116-120 with Justin Leo Kennedy)
Season 4 · Episode 24
Monday, April 24, 2023 • Duration 02:55:36
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 Back, which feature two of Justin's other favorite sounds –the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive failure and Artoo's scream.
Check out the YouTube version of this episode to follow along with the live demonstration! https://youtu.be/4crbLjDl5zg
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
10:48 - You may recognize this music from when we were on Hoth.
18:19 - Added Vader scene that cuts into a cue.
39:37 - Little motifs and punctuation sprinkled throughout the orchestra.
44:37 - Cloud City visual comparisons. (This is the timestamp I promised, audio listeners!)
46:43 - Hyperdrive malfunction sound design.
53:47 - Semiotics.
1:03:23 - Band Batch shoutout.
1:14:50 - R2D2 sound design deep dive begins.
1:19:42 - Introduction to the ARP 2600 and ARP 2600 plugin/emulator (It wasn't showing up on screen yet).
1:29:25 - It's showing up now!
1:30:00 - Tour of the virtual ARP 2600.
1:39:43 - Recording of Justin's baby crying.
1:49:03 - Closer examination of the modular synth, patch cable routing, oscillators. Justin's 3 attempts at making the R2 sound.
1:58:41 - Justin's third and best attempt at making the Artoo sound.
2:00:38 - Modulating the speed of the sample and hold with a low frequency oscillator (LFO).
2:09:30 - Shoutout to anyone who is still listening.
2:19:46 - Yearning Vader and heartbroken Luke.
2:33:17 - Artoo's scream.
2:43:44 - SWMM Questionnaire.
2:53:05 - Shoutout to Justin Scheid.
Things Mentioned:
ESB 23: First Force Foray (Minutes 111-115 with Camila Quiñones)
Season 4 · Episode 23
Monday, April 17, 2023 • Duration 02:11:29
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 my favorite people to talk Star Wars with. This is ESB minutes 110-115, in which Vader delivers the father reveal and Leia senses Luke through the Force.
11:34 - Playful, inquisitive trickle of music between Vader's dialogue.
17:23 - Simmering pot.
21:45 - Intensity of the wind.
26:35 - Creative confidence.
34:21 - What would you do if you were in Luke's position? Save your friends or continue training?
40:21 - The Force in The High Republic.
43:40 - Hungarian minor violin vamp (Luke is screwed!)
46:25 - The music clearly marks Luke's choice.
53:22 - Anakin, Luke, oppression, rebellion.
58:21 - Is the wind whispering "Luke?"
1:01:05 - Falling, tumbling music stretched out over an impressively long time.
1:07:39 - Spurious physics claims.
1:13:11 - Chordal knots. A Train Is Coming.
1:19:10 - Music amplifying Luke's persistence. Last ditch effort.
1:23:14 - "Ben. Ben. Ben." Then "Leia" lands on an unexpected note.
1:25:55 - Is this the first time we hear the Force theme in direct connection to Leia?
1:32:04 - Sadness in this Force theme. Dirge-like quality.
1:34:08 - Question for people who watched ESB in theaters in 1980. (Are we being naive?)
1:40:52 - Vader's dialogue changed in Special Edition.
1:43:22 - Pseudo Bald Mountain strings.
1:48:24 - Final thoughts about these minutes.
1:52:21 - Question for Camila as a screenwriter: What do you think of the way that Leia is written?
ESB 22: An Editor’s Film (Minutes 106-110 with Dan Golding)
Season 4 · Episode 22
Monday, April 10, 2023 • Duration 03:33:09
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 - Ben Burtt's frustrations, Irvin Kershner's on-set mic, David Prowse's fitness book, and other delights from Alan Arnold's Journal of the Making of Empire Strikes Back.
Dan's article about George Lucas as a director (Sense of Cinema):
ESB 21: Oedipally Violent Romance (Minutes 101-105 with Takeo Rivera)
Season 4 · Episode 21
Monday, April 3, 2023 • Duration 02:15:11
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.
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
New: Poetic. Epic. Hopeful.
Previous: Poetic. Epic. Inspiring.
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
New: How are certain sound design choices made? Which decisions come from the producers vs. sound designers, etc? How is the sound design process different across the various types of Star Wars media?
Previous: The stories behind how various bits of music ended up in the films/shows. "How did that get there?"
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
New: TRIGUN STAMPEDE (anime series composed by Tatsuya Kato)
Previous: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (composed by Joe Hisaishi)
2:40:31 - When it comes to restoring a film score, which sorts of recording artifacts is the engineer trying to correct?
2:42:21 - Example of "wow."
2:48:02 - Flutter.
2:53:13 - Why Chris champions the CD as an audio format.
3:01:21 - What type of gear does Chris use when listening to/analyzing music? (Question from Alex Cunningham)
3:12:06 - Was the ARP 2600 synthesizer overdubbed or recorded with the orchestra for the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack? (Question from Ender Smith)
3:13:58 - What has the transition to digital production done for Star Wars? (Question from Fr. David Mowry)
3:18:14 - Differences between the original 1954 20th Century Fox Fanfare and the one John Williams re-recorded for ESB.
3:20:28 - Eric Tomlinson's technique for recording punchy-sounding brass.
3:25:02 - The original trilogy scores (especially The Empire Strikes Back) could sound 1000x better than they sound on any of the current releases. What might prevent it from happening?
3:28:49 - The 2018 Disney releases of the Original Trilogy (the albums that are on Spotify).
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
Simply the best. Thematic orchestral richness. Well of richness.
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
Everything there is to learn about the first three scores (1977, 1980, 1983). How did they get to where they got? What were the spotting sessions like? What were the internal memos like?
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
Goldfinger (John Barry). The Lion in Winter (John Barry). Out of Africa (John Barry). Early James Bond scores by John Barry. Raiders of the Lost Ark by John Williams.
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
ESB answer: Filigree, fanfares, flow.
SOLO answer: Intricate orchestral storytelling.
ANH answer: The Cosmic Force.
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
ESB answer: Is there an internal "sonic style guide" at Lucasfilm or Skywalker Sound that's specific to Star Wars? I mean even things like relative loudness of music and dialogue, a specific protocol for mic'ing or looping in aliens, etc. Especially curious if there's anything in the Star Wars style guide that goes against current industry norms.
SOLO answer: The working relationship between the composer and music editor.
ANH answer: I'm curious about how other people experience and engage with the music of Star Wars, on both a macro and micro level. I want to know how other people are making sense of it or analyzing it with frameworks different than mine. Basically, I'm interested in doing what this podcast already gives me the excuse to do -- talk to people about Star Wars music.
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
Video of Ben Burtt demonstrating Artoo's sound, but it's not zoomed in: "How sound designer Ben Burtt made Star Wars’ iconic sound effects" (Roadtrip Nation) https://youtu.be/WBKKXjNf1sE
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
New answer: mrrrm mrrrm mrawww. R2D2 beeping sounds.
Previous answer: pwsh vrrrrum shhpt
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
New answer: More about the recording sessions. What kind of relationship did John Williams have with the engineers? What was it like in that studio? What kinds of conversations took place?
Previous answer: "Duel of the Fates" orchestration.
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
New answer: TRON (composed by Wendy Carlos)
Previous answer: I, Robot (composed by Marco Beltrami), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) (composed by John Du Prez), Spirited Away (composed by Joe Hisaishi)
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
New answer: The unreleased music (and alternate cues, etc).
Previous answers: What will Natalie Holt's soundtrack for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series sound like? Given all the new directions that various Star Wars scores have gone since John Williams was at the helm (ex. Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, etc), will we ever return to the original sort of orchestral sound?
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
New answer: Fleishman Is in Trouble (composed by Caroline Shaw)
Previous answers: Watership Down (composed by Angela Morley) and Vertigo (composed by Bernard Herrmann).
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