Ever since his 2018 feature debut Sorry to Bother You, Oakland-based musician Boots Riley (of The Coup) has built a reputation as one of our most imaginative, socially-minded filmmakers, combining abject surrealism with biting commentary on the complex interweavings of race and capitalism in American life. (With a healthy dose of absurd comedy, of course.)   His followup is the seven-episode Amazon series I'm a Virgo,  starring Jharrel Jerome as a 13-foot-tall Black man named Cootie, hidden away since birth by his overprotective parents in Oakland. But when he escapes and finally sees the real world for what it is, he's both amazed and aghast at the joys and horrors it contains. Sure, he finally gets to try fast-food burgers, and falls in love with a charming woman named Flora (Olivia Washington) who has her own sort of superpower. But he also faces the increased commodification of his size and self by a world that views him as an object... or, in the case of real-life superhero The Hero (Walton Goggins), a "thug" that needs to be taken out.   Aiding Riley's beautifully maximalist project is indie duo Tune-Yards, aka Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, who adapt their signature frenetic hooks, and limber vocalizations to a soundscape as riveting as it is unconventional. And now, Garbus and Brenner join me on the show to talk about working with Boots' exacting creative vision, adapting to the world of composing, and what it's like for musicians out there in a world where unionization is on the minds of everyone in the wake of the SAG and WGA strikes.   You can find Tune-Yards at their official website here.   I'm a Virgo is currently streaming on Prime Video. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lakeshore Records.

Ever since his 2018 feature debut Sorry to Bother You, Oakland-based musician Boots Riley (of The Coup) has built a reputation as one of our most imaginative, socially-minded filmmakers, combining abject surrealism with biting commentary on the complex interweavings of race and capitalism in American life. (With a healthy dose of absurd comedy, of course.)   His followup is the seven-episode Amazon series I'm a Virgo,  starring Jharrel Jerome as a 13-foot-tall Black man named Cootie, hidden away since birth by his overprotective parents in Oakland. But when he escapes and finally sees the real world for what it is, he's both amazed and aghast at the joys and horrors it contains. Sure, he finally gets to try fast-food burgers, and falls in love with a charming woman named Flora (Olivia Washington) who has her own sort of superpower. But he also faces the increased commodification of his size and self by a world that views him as an object... or, in the case of real-life superhero The Hero (Walton Goggins), a "thug" that needs to be taken out.   Aiding Riley's beautifully maximalist project is indie duo Tune-Yards, aka Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, who adapt their signature frenetic hooks, and limber vocalizations to a soundscape as riveting as it is unconventional. And now, Garbus and Brenner join me on the show to talk about working with Boots' exacting creative vision, adapting to the world of composing, and what it's like for musicians out there in a world where unionization is on the minds of everyone in the wake of the SAG and WGA strikes.   You can find Tune-Yards at their official website <a href="https://tune-yards.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.   I'm a Virgo is currently streaming on Prime Video. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lakeshore Records.

Tune-Yards (I'm a Virgo)

Ian Hultquist

Much like the zombies that infest its world, the Walking Dead franchise simply refuses to die. With Dead City, the shambling hordes make their way to the island of Manhattan, an urban hellscape now infested with the remnants of a dead civilization. And in the middle, two of the original Walking Dead's main characters, Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), on a rescue mission that'll test their fractious relationship with each other.   While Bear McCreary's more mournful, orchestral sound personified the original series, composer Ian Hultquist sought a newer, more electronic sound, one more reminiscent of John Carpenter's work on Escape from New York (another thriller about characters trying to survive in a walled-off Manhattan). In addition to those ominous synths, Hultquist also made use of a suite of organic sounds of unique provenance, including recruiting friends to travel to the Maine wilderness to collect all manner of sounds.   Together, we talk about that sense of sonic experimentation, how Hultquist wanted to move the franchise's sound forward, and the importance of building a sonic palette to work from when composing electronic scores.   You can find Ian Hultquist at his official website.   The Walking Dead: Dead City is currently airing on AMC and AMC+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Milan Records.

Much like the zombies that infest its world, the Walking Dead franchise simply refuses to die. With Dead City, the shambling hordes make their way to the island of Manhattan, an urban hellscape now infested with the remnants of a dead civilization. And in the middle, two of the original Walking Dead's main characters, Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), on a rescue mission that'll test their fractious relationship with each other.   While Bear McCreary's more mournful, orchestral sound personified the original series, composer Ian Hultquist sought a newer, more electronic sound, one more reminiscent of John Carpenter's work on Escape from New York (another thriller about characters trying to survive in a walled-off Manhattan). In addition to those ominous synths, Hultquist also made use of a suite of organic sounds of unique provenance, including recruiting friends to travel to the Maine wilderness to collect all manner of sounds.   Together, we talk about that sense of sonic experimentation, how Hultquist wanted to move the franchise's sound forward, and the importance of building a sonic palette to work from when composing electronic scores.   You can find Ian Hultquist at his <a href="http://ianhultquist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>.   The Walking Dead: Dead City is currently airing on AMC and AMC+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Milan Records.

Ian Hultquist (The Walking Dead: Dead City)

Jongnic Bontemps

Veteran composer Jongnic "JB" Bontemps took a long and winding road to film scoring. Despite showing an early passion for scoring (and studying music at Yale), he didn't immediately enter that world. Instead, he sought a tech career, becoming a software developer and entrepreneur. But music came calling again, and JB found himself studying film scoring and building a career as one of the industry's top composers.   After years of building his bona fides working under various A-list composers and scoring video games like Redfall and shows like Godfather of Harlem, he's found himself with his highest-profile work yet: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Building off his childhood love for the robots in disguise and the groundwork that composer Steve Jablonsky had laid for him in the Michael Bay films before that, JB worked with Rise of the Beasts director (and longtime collaborator) Steven Caple Jr. to assemble a suitably robust, muscular, and era-appropriate score for the '90s-set throwback blockbusters.   Together, JB and I talk about all of this -- his winding path to film composing, the value of building a team and working with valued collaborators, and using music to mark Rise of the Beasts' distinct globe-trotting adventure and '90s aesthetics.   You can find Jongnic Bontemps at his official website.   Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently playing in theaters, and you can listen to the score on your preferred platform courtesy of Milan Records.

Veteran composer Jongnic "JB" Bontemps took a long and winding road to film scoring. Despite showing an early passion for scoring (and studying music at Yale), he didn't immediately enter that world. Instead, he sought a tech career, becoming a software developer and entrepreneur. But music came calling again, and JB found himself studying film scoring and building a career as one of the industry's top composers.   After years of building his bona fides working under various A-list composers and scoring video games like Redfall and shows like Godfather of Harlem, he's found himself with his highest-profile work yet: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Building off his childhood love for the robots in disguise and the groundwork that composer Steve Jablonsky had laid for him in the Michael Bay films before that, JB worked with Rise of the Beasts director (and longtime collaborator) Steven Caple Jr. to assemble a suitably robust, muscular, and era-appropriate score for the '90s-set throwback blockbusters.   Together, JB and I talk about all of this -- his winding path to film composing, the value of building a team and working with valued collaborators, and using music to mark Rise of the Beasts' distinct globe-trotting adventure and '90s aesthetics.   You can find Jongnic Bontemps at his <a href="https://bontempsmusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>.   Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently playing in theaters, and you can listen to the score on your preferred platform courtesy of Milan Records.

Jongnic Bontemps (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts)

Daniel Pemberton

In a relatively grim year for superhero movies, both critically and at the box office, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is blissfully bucking that trend. Building off the dizzying, kaleidoscopic animation style and storytelling of Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse manages to elevate what worked about the previous film and roll it into an even more exciting, heartfelt second chapter in Miles Morales' uncertain journey toward becoming a hero.   As with the first, though, a fundamental component for keeping the film's multiversal craziness in line is the score by Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton (who returns to the pod after talking with us about Being the Ricardos). Together, we talk about finding the sound for this film, discovering the right punk sound for Gwen Stacy (whose journey runs parallel to Miles'), and juggling familiar motifs while layering new sonic textures to allow the different universes to invade each other.   What's more, we also chat about his intensely personal working style, the value of doing just about everything yourself, and how rare that is in a film music landscape where most big composers hire huge teams to get the work done.   You can find Daniel Pemberton at his official website.   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently playing in select theaters. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Sony Music.

In a relatively grim year for superhero movies, both critically and at the box office, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is blissfully bucking that trend. Building off the dizzying, kaleidoscopic animation style and storytelling of Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse manages to elevate what worked about the previous film and roll it into an even more exciting, heartfelt second chapter in Miles Morales' uncertain journey toward becoming a hero.   As with the first, though, a fundamental component for keeping the film's multiversal craziness in line is the score by Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton (who returns to the pod after talking with us about Being the Ricardos). Together, we talk about finding the sound for this film, discovering the right punk sound for Gwen Stacy (whose journey runs parallel to Miles'), and juggling familiar motifs while layering new sonic textures to allow the different universes to invade each other.   What's more, we also chat about his intensely personal working style, the value of doing just about everything yourself, and how rare that is in a film music landscape where most big composers hire huge teams to get the work done.   You can find Daniel Pemberton at his <a href="https://danielpemberton.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>.   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently playing in select theaters. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Sony Music.

Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

Ronen Landa

Paul T. Goldman

How do you write the score to someone else's self-mythology? That's the challenge this week's guest, composer Ronen Landa, faced for one of the year's most idiosyncratic, difficult-to-describe shows, Peacock's Paul T. Goldman. A strange mix of documentary comedy and wish fulfillment, the show follows the titular man, a nebbishy middle-aged guy who turned his hellish marriage to his second ex-wife into a grand quest for justice in the form of a bestselling self-published novel (and subsequent script adaptation).   These, with the help of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm director Jason Woliner, take the form of compellingly straight-laced reenactments of Paul's life as he saw them, with the man playing himself, surrounded by professional actors at once bewildered and fascinated by his presence.   It's a wild, weird mix of true-crime and true-crime satire, a needle that Landa was very careful to thread. In fact, he constructed his score much like a concept album, bringing in an intimate ensemble with strings and piano to record a lend Paul's own search for truth -- as blinkered as it may or may not be -- a sense of grand, personal tragedy. Then there's its ominous main title theme, with harsh, lurching low piano chords surrounded by mysterious strings and building brass.   Together, Landa and I speak about building the score for Paul T. Goldman without seeing much of the finished product, folding the theme on top of that, and embracing the enigma of its strange, compelling central figure. And Ronen also talks us through two of the show's biggest cues, including its mysterious title theme. Plus, we end up chatting about his own upcoming musical dip into the world of Star Trek.   You can find Ronen Landa at his official website.   Paul T. Goldman is currently streaming on Peacock. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment.

How do you write the score to someone else's self-mythology? That's the challenge this week's guest, composer Ronen Landa, faced for one of the year's most idiosyncratic, difficult-to-describe shows, Peacock's Paul T. Goldman. A strange mix of documentary comedy and wish fulfillment, the show follows the titular man, a nebbishy middle-aged guy who turned his hellish marriage to his second ex-wife into a grand quest for justice in the form of a bestselling self-published novel (and subsequent script adaptation).   These, with the help of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm director Jason Woliner, take the form of compellingly straight-laced reenactments of Paul's life as he saw them, with the man playing himself, surrounded by professional actors at once bewildered and fascinated by his presence.   It's a wild, weird mix of true-crime and true-crime satire, a needle that Landa was very careful to thread. In fact, he constructed his score much like a concept album, bringing in an intimate ensemble with strings and piano to record a lend Paul's own search for truth -- as blinkered as it may or may not be -- a sense of grand, personal tragedy. Then there's its ominous main title theme, with harsh, lurching low piano chords surrounded by mysterious strings and building brass.   Together, Landa and I speak about building the score for Paul T. Goldman without seeing much of the finished product, folding the theme on top of that, and embracing the enigma of its strange, compelling central figure. And Ronen also talks us through two of the show's biggest cues, including its mysterious title theme. Plus, we end up chatting about his own upcoming musical dip into the world of Star Trek.   You can find Ronen Landa at his <a href="http://www.ronenlanda.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>.   Paul T. Goldman is currently streaming on Peacock. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment.

Ronen Landa (Paul T. Goldman)

Ariel Marx

When last we spoke to composer and multi-instrumentalist Ariel Marx, we broke down her haunting, curious score to Hulu's miniseries Candy. But she's been as busy as ever since, bringing her signature sense of experimental sparseness to projects on both the big and small screens.   Most recently, she's lent her unique musical voice to two intriguing projects about women asserting their strength and power in unconventional circumstances. The first is the National Geographic miniseries A Small Light, following Dutch secretary Miep Gies (Bel Powley) in her efforts to keep Anne Frank and her family safe during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Breaking away from typical symphonic approaches you'd expect from period dramas, Marx's score is intimate and sparse, juggling the 1930s jazz vibe of Amsterdam in its prime with the looming spectre of the Third Reich, and the many sacrifices its characters will endure.   On the other side of the coin, Marx lent her talents to NEON's sizzling, kinky dark comedy Sanctuary, starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott as two people playing out their own dangerous game of domination and submission. Marx's score is glossy when it needs to play up the perverse romance of their situation, brittle when the delicate balance of the pair's play begins to fray.   Ariel Marx comes onto the podcast to discuss both of these scores, her love of sparse ensembles, and other methods to her musical madness.   You can find Ariel Marx at her official website.   A Small Light is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+, and Sanctuary is currently playing in select theaters. You can also listen to the score for A Small Light on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Hollywood Records.

When last we spoke to composer and multi-instrumentalist Ariel Marx, we broke down her <a href="https://thespool.net/podcasts/ariel-marx-candy-composer-interview-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">haunting, curious score to Hulu's miniseries Candy</a>. But she's been as busy as ever since, bringing her signature sense of experimental sparseness to projects on both the big and small screens. Most recently, she's lent her unique musical voice to two intriguing projects about women asserting their strength and power in unconventional circumstances. The first is the National Geographic miniseries A Small Light, following Dutch secretary Miep Gies (Bel Powley) in her efforts to keep Anne Frank and her family safe during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Breaking away from typical symphonic approaches you'd expect from period dramas, Marx's score is intimate and sparse, juggling the 1930s jazz vibe of Amsterdam in its prime with the looming spectre of the Third Reich, and the many sacrifices its characters will endure. On the other side of the coin, Marx lent her talents to NEON's sizzling, kinky dark comedy Sanctuary, starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott as two people playing out their own dangerous game of domination and submission. Marx's score is glossy when it needs to play up the perverse romance of their situation, brittle when the delicate balance of the pair's play begins to fray. Ariel Marx comes onto the podcast to discuss both of these scores, her love of sparse ensembles, and other methods to her musical madness. You can find Ariel Marx at her <a href="http://www.arielmarx.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>. A Small Light is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+, and Sanctuary is currently playing in select theaters. You can also listen to the score for A Small Light on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Hollywood Records.

Ariel Marx (A Small Light, Sanctuary)

Stephen Barton

Frederik Wiedmann

The third season of Star Trek: Picard had a lot on its shoulders: It was the final season of its show, as well as a bombastic, blockbuster-level bow for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For its first two seasons, Patrick Stewart and the showrunners shied away from Starfleet uniforms and shiny utopias, and Jeff Russo's score reflected that (as we've discussed with him on this very show). But showrunner Terry Matalas had a different vision in mind for Season 3: Celebrate the crew whose adventures captured generations of fans, with a big, brassy sendoff meant to give them the finale they finally deserved.   And that they did, thanks to the tireless work of composers Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann. Together, they handled hours of big orchestral sounds, crafting new themes for ships and characters like the Titan and Jack Crusher. At the same time, there was decades' worth of callbacks to Star Trek's musical legacy that needed acknowledgment, from Jerry Goldsmith's TNG theme to the movie-esque sweep of James Horner and Dennis McCarthy. Through plenty of blood, sweat, and tears, they pulled it off, crafting an immense body of work that fit snugly within the legacy of Star Trek while incorporating musical Easter eggs big and small into its superstructure.   This week on the podcast, Barton and Wiedmann join me for a nice long chat about the hectic production process, the many Trekkian cues they had to blend together, and the value of having creative collaborators (like Matalas) who know exactly what they want.   You can find Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann at their official websites.   The entirety of Picard Season 3 is available for streaming on Paramount+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lakeshore Records.

The third season of Star Trek: Picard had a lot on its shoulders: It was the final season of its show, as well as a bombastic, blockbuster-level bow for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For its first two seasons, Patrick Stewart and the showrunners shied away from Starfleet uniforms and shiny utopias, and Jeff Russo's score reflected that (as we've discussed with him on this very show). But showrunner Terry Matalas had a different vision in mind for Season 3: Celebrate the crew whose adventures captured generations of fans, with a big, brassy sendoff meant to give them the finale they finally deserved.   And that they did, thanks to the tireless work of composers Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann. Together, they handled hours of big orchestral sounds, crafting new themes for ships and characters like the Titan and Jack Crusher. At the same time, there was decades' worth of callbacks to Star Trek's musical legacy that needed acknowledgment, from Jerry Goldsmith's TNG theme to the movie-esque sweep of James Horner and Dennis McCarthy. Through plenty of blood, sweat, and tears, they pulled it off, crafting an immense body of work that fit snugly within the legacy of Star Trek while incorporating musical Easter eggs big and small into its superstructure.   This week on the podcast, Barton and Wiedmann join me for a nice long chat about the hectic production process, the many Trekkian cues they had to blend together, and the value of having creative collaborators (like Matalas) who know exactly what they want.   You can find <a href="https://www.stephenbarton.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Barton</a> and <a href="https://frederikwiedmann.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frederik Wiedmann</a> at their official websites.   The entirety of Picard Season 3 is available for streaming on Paramount+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Lakeshore Records.

Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann (Star Trek: Picard)

Pat Irwin

In the 1990s, Nickelodeon was a bastion of surprisingly sophisticated children's animation, and few shows demonstrated that freewheeling sense of absurdity than Rocko's Modern Life. The tale of a beleaguered wallaby surviving the wildest adventures with little more than a smile on his face and his close-knit group of friends, it was a generation-defining show thanks to its surprisingly adult jokes and unhinged tone.   But a huge component of the show's success comes courtesy of its frenetic, genre-hopping score, courtesy of New Wave legend Pat Irwin. When he first came to the show in the '90s, he was primarily known as a member of the B-52s, and had played with bands like 8-Eyed Spy and the Raybeats. But here, he gave Rocko's antics vivid life with an unstoppable earworm of a score, flitting between lounge jazz, surf rock, and a host of other influences and touchpoints depending on what shenanigans the wallaby found himself in next.   Now, Nickelodeon Records has finally released an album comprising highlights from the first two seasons of the show. Irwin joins us on the podcast to talk about his early days in the "no wave" New York music scene, assembling a master team of musicians to record the score, and his current projects (including his ambient country project, SUSS).   You can find Pat Irwin at his official website.   Rocko's Modern Life is currently streaming on Paramount+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Nickelodeon Records.

In the 1990s, Nickelodeon was a bastion of surprisingly sophisticated children's animation, and few shows demonstrated that freewheeling sense of absurdity than Rocko's Modern Life. The tale of a beleaguered wallaby surviving the wildest adventures with little more than a smile on his face and his close-knit group of friends, it was a generation-defining show thanks to its surprisingly adult jokes and unhinged tone.   But a huge component of the show's success comes courtesy of its frenetic, genre-hopping score, courtesy of New Wave legend Pat Irwin. When he first came to the show in the '90s, he was primarily known as a member of the B-52s, and had played with bands like 8-Eyed Spy and the Raybeats. But here, he gave Rocko's antics vivid life with an unstoppable earworm of a score, flitting between lounge jazz, surf rock, and a host of other influences and touchpoints depending on what shenanigans the wallaby found himself in next.   Now, Nickelodeon Records has finally released an album comprising highlights from the first two seasons of the show. Irwin joins us on the podcast to talk about his early days in the "no wave" New York music scene, assembling a master team of musicians to record the score, and his current projects (including his ambient country project, <a href="https://www.sussband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SUSS</a>).   You can find Pat Irwin at his <a href="https://patirwinmusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>.   Rocko's Modern Life is currently streaming on Paramount+. You can also listen to the score on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of Nickelodeon Records.

Pat Irwin (Rocko's Modern Life)

Ron Wasserman

It's morphin' time! Thirty years after Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers hit the airwaves and thrilled '90s latchkey kids the world over, the franchise has stayed strong through 29 seasons, dozens of incarnations, and more Zords than you can shake a Power Sword at. But one of the elements that made it such a mainstay was its shredding, hard-rock theme song, with its heavy power chords, driving rhythms, and catchy battle cry of "Go, go, Power Rangers!" It, and the Power Rangers sound as a whole, was the soundtrack to a generation, fueled primarily by the show's composer, Ron Wasserman (who also supplied other catchy licks to other millennial catnip like the '90s X-Men cartoon and Dragon Ball Z). Now, Wasserman is back for the first time in decades to score new Power Rangers -- this time, for Netflix's 30th-anniversary reunion special, Once &amp; Always. Bringing back four of the old-school '90s Rangers, including original Rangers Zack (Walter Emanuel Jones) and Billy (David Yost), the special lets these middle-aged superheroes get one last crack at classic villain Rita Repulsa, with all the spandex-clad karate that entails. Not only that, the special's a hotbed of Easter eggs for new and old fans alike, and the nostalgia trip wouldn't be complete without Wasserman's involvement.  We're thrilled to have Wasserman on the show to talk about Power Rangers' grip on a certain segment of pop culture, how the sound of the show evolved, and how he's updated it for this latest trip back to the Morphin' Grid.  You can find Ron Wasserman at his official website.   Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once &amp; Always is currently streaming on Netflix.

It's morphin' time! Thirty years after Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers hit the airwaves and thrilled '90s latchkey kids the world over, the franchise has stayed strong through 29 seasons, dozens of incarnations, and more Zords than you can shake a Power Sword at. But one of the elements that made it such a mainstay was its shredding, hard-rock theme song, with its heavy power chords, driving rhythms, and catchy battle cry of "Go, go, Power Rangers!" It, and the Power Rangers sound as a whole, was the soundtrack to a generation, fueled primarily by the show's composer, Ron Wasserman (who also supplied other catchy licks to other millennial catnip like the '90s X-Men cartoon and Dragon Ball Z). Now, Wasserman is back for the first time in decades to score new Power Rangers -- this time, for Netflix's 30th-anniversary reunion special, Once &amp; Always. Bringing back four of the old-school '90s Rangers, including original Rangers Zack (Walter Emanuel Jones) and Billy (David Yost), the special lets these middle-aged superheroes get one last crack at classic villain Rita Repulsa, with all the spandex-clad karate that entails. Not only that, the special's a hotbed of Easter eggs for new and old fans alike, and the nostalgia trip wouldn't be complete without Wasserman's involvement.  We're thrilled to have Wasserman on the show to talk about Power Rangers' grip on a certain segment of pop culture, how the sound of the show evolved, and how he's updated it for this latest trip back to the Morphin' Grid. You can find Ron Wasserman at his <a href="https://ronw.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">official website</a>. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once &amp; Always is currently streaming on Netflix.

Ron Wasserman (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always)

Trevor Gureckis

When last we left composer Trevor Gureckis, he was just beginning his eerie, unsettling work on M. Night Shyamalan's acclaimed Apple TV+ series Servant. But in the intervening years, he's lent his uniquely experimental grasp of both classical and electronic instruments to films like The Goldfinch, Bloodline, and Old. But his most recent project sees him dipping not just into the world of video games, but the existing soundscape of a previous composer: EA's high-def remake of the space horror classic Dead Space.   Building from Jason Graves' dissonant, screeching-metal score to the original game, Gureckis' role is to flesh out the expanded adventures of Isaac Clarke, the unlucky engineer who finds himself amid a monstrous infestation of alien creatures aboard the USG Ishimura. That includes giving voice to new areas of the game, as well as new narrative sections that lend Isaac greater narrative weight than in the original game.   Now, Trevor joins us on the show once again to catch up with his work since Servant began, his first foray into video game scoring, and the challenge of composing new material that matches the existing voice of another composer's work.   You can find Trevor Gureckis at his official website here.   Dead Space is currently available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can also listen to his score for the remastered Dead Space on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of EA Music.

When last we left composer Trevor Gureckis, he was just beginning his eerie, unsettling work on M. Night Shyamalan's acclaimed Apple TV+ series Servant. But in the intervening years, he's lent his uniquely experimental grasp of both classical and electronic instruments to films like The Goldfinch, Bloodline, and Old. But his most recent project sees him dipping not just into the world of video games, but the existing soundscape of a previous composer: EA's high-def remake of the space horror classic Dead Space.   Building from Jason Graves' dissonant, screeching-metal score to the original game, Gureckis' role is to flesh out the expanded adventures of Isaac Clarke, the unlucky engineer who finds himself amid a monstrous infestation of alien creatures aboard the USG Ishimura. That includes giving voice to new areas of the game, as well as new narrative sections that lend Isaac greater narrative weight than in the original game.   Now, Trevor joins us on the show once again to catch up with his work since Servant began, his first foray into video game scoring, and the challenge of composing new material that matches the existing voice of another composer's work.   You can find Trevor Gureckis at his official website <a href="https://www.gureckis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.   Dead Space is currently available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can also listen to his score for the remastered Dead Space on your preferred music streaming service courtesy of EA Music.

Trevor Gureckis (Dead Space Remake)

Film and TV critic Clint Worthington (The Spool) talks to a new composer every week about the origins, challenges, and joys of their latest musical scores.

Entertaining and illuminating interview podcast. The Spool is fast becoming one of my favorite destinations.

EXCELLENT

Right on Cue

Phil Rosenthal

You'll hardly meet a more ebullient man than Phil Rosenthal. He's got good reason to be happy: he's a multiple Emmy winner for creating, writing, and producing Everybody Loves Raymond, he's got a lovely family, and a Netflix show where he gets to run around the world trying new dishes and meeting new people.   Somebody Feed Phil returns for its third season this weekend, featuring another five stops on Rosenthal's never-ending tour to eat everything on the planet. From Seoul, South Korea to Marrakesh to Chicago, it's a consistent delight to watch Rosenthal greet each new destination with a combination of wit, whimsy, and trepidation. Part of the joy of watching Phil go about his travels isn't just experiencing the sights and bites he does, but watching Phil throw himself into these new experiences with a trepidatious enthusiasm. "I'm like Anthony Bourdain," he told me once, describing his pitch of the show to Netflix, "but I'm afraid of everything."   Granted, the world has changed quite a bit since the last time we saw Phil scarfing down exotic treats in far-flung locations. The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down much of the world, and the same restaurants and chefs he showcases are particularly hard-hit right now. And yet, as Phil explains in our interview, that might be the best reason of all to watch: in a time when we can't eat or go places, Phil can do it for us, and show us the world we can come back to once all the dust settles and we can return to some semblance of normal.   Together, Phil and I talk about his relationship with food, how the pandemic is affecting the way we eat and order meals, and what his trip to Chicago revealed about The Spool's hometown.   (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

You'll hardly meet a more ebullient man than Phil Rosenthal. He's got good reason to be happy: he's a multiple Emmy winner for creating, writing, and producing Everybody Loves Raymond, he's got a lovely family, and a Netflix show where he gets to run around the world trying new dishes and meeting new people. Somebody Feed Phil returns for its third season this weekend, featuring another five stops on Rosenthal's never-ending tour to eat everything on the planet. From Seoul, South Korea to Marrakesh to Chicago, it's a consistent delight to watch Rosenthal greet each new destination with a combination of wit, whimsy, and trepidation. Part of the joy of watching Phil go about his travels isn't just experiencing the sights and bites he does, but watching Phil throw himself into these new experiences with a trepidatious enthusiasm. "I'm like Anthony Bourdain," he told me once, describing his pitch of the show to Netflix, "but I'm afraid of everything." Granted, the world has changed quite a bit since the last time we saw Phil scarfing down exotic treats in far-flung locations. The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down much of the world, and the same restaurants and chefs he showcases are particularly hard-hit right now. And yet, as Phil explains in our interview, that might be the best reason of all to watch: in a time when we can't eat or go places, Phil can do it for us, and show us the world we can come back to once all the dust settles and we can return to some semblance of normal. Together, Phil and I talk about his relationship with food, how the pandemic is affecting the way we eat and order meals, and what his trip to Chicago revealed about The Spool's hometown. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Phil Rosenthal (Somebody Feed Phil)

Rosalind Chao

Since we've been stuck inside for so long, I've longed for the open plains of the Western. Luckily, Kino Lorber's got our back; this year marks the twentieth anniversary of Nancy Kelly's sumptuous film Thousand Pieces of Gold, which they're celebrating with a remarkable 4K restoration, courtesy of IndieCollect, which you can find on their virtual screening service Kino Marquee. Critically acclaimed at the time but eventually lost to the annals of history, there's no better time to revisit it.   Based on the novel of the same name by Ruthanne Lum McCunn, Kelly's Western tells the story of Lalu, played by Rosalind Chao long before she'd make waves with films like The Joy Luck Club and her extended stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. She's a young Chinese woman in the 19th-century who finds herself sold to a Chinese man who runs a brothel in a small Idaho mining town. Far from accepting her fate as a prostitute, though, Lalu finds ways to assert agency and free will in a world that is especially hostile to women, Chinese women especially.   It's wild to watch this in 2020, in a world more openly aware of the misdeeds perpetrated against women, and especially women of color, and see the ways Kelly's sensitive lens handles the deep, theatrical nuances of Lalu's story. It's an especially wonderful early star turn for Chao, demonstrating remarkable strength and vulnerability as a woman forced to make something of herself. I've been a fan of Chao for years, and when it came time to cover Kino Lorber's restoration of this film, I leapt at the chance to talk to her.   Now, for those who don't know, I co-host a Twitch livestream series for Consequence of Sound called COVID-EODROME, which you can find on COS's Twitch channel. A week or two back, my colleague Scout Tafoya and I were lucky enough to talk to the cast and crew of Thousand Pieces of Gold -- in addition to Chao, we spoke to her co-star Chris Cooper, director Nancy Kelly and editor/producer partner Kenji Yamamoto.    But on top of that, I got the chance to speak to the lovely Rosalind Chao one-on-one for this show. Together we discuss her work on this film, the immense struggles she had as a young actress early in her career, and the ways her work has blossomed since then. And yes, we spare a little time to talk about Star Trek, too. Take a listen.    (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring this episode!)

Since we've been stuck inside for so long, I've longed for the open plains of the Western. Luckily, Kino Lorber's got our back; this year marks the twentieth anniversary of <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/nancy-kelly" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Nancy Kelly</a>'s sumptuous film <a href="https://thespool.net/movies/2020/04/thousand-pieces-of-gold-review-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Thousand Pieces of Gold</a>, which they're celebrating with a remarkable 4K restoration, courtesy of IndieCollect, which you can find on their virtual screening service <a href="https://kinomarquee.com/thousand-pieces-of-gold" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kino Marquee</a>. Critically acclaimed at the time but eventually lost to the annals of history, there's no better time to revisit it. Based on the novel of the same name by Ruthanne Lum McCunn, Kelly's Western tells the story of Lalu, played by <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/rosalind-chao" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Rosalind Chao</a> long before she'd make waves with films like The Joy Luck Club and her extended stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation and <a href="https://thespool.net/podcasts/2019/08/hall-of-faces-star-trek-deep-space-nine/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Deep Space Nine</a>. She's a young Chinese woman in the 19th-century who finds herself sold to a Chinese man who runs a brothel in a small Idaho mining town. Far from accepting her fate as a prostitute, though, Lalu finds ways to assert agency and free will in a world that is especially hostile to women, Chinese women especially. It's wild to watch this in 2020, in a world more openly aware of the misdeeds perpetrated against women, and especially women of color, and see the ways Kelly's sensitive lens handles the deep, theatrical nuances of Lalu's story. It's an especially wonderful early star turn for Chao, demonstrating remarkable strength and vulnerability as a woman forced to make something of herself. I've been a fan of Chao for years, and when it came time to cover Kino Lorber's restoration of this film, I leapt at the chance to talk to her. Now, for those who don't know, I co-host a Twitch livestream series for Consequence of Sound called COVID-EODROME, which you can find on COS's Twitch channel. A week or two back, my colleague Scout Tafoya and I were lucky enough to <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/614094704?filter=archives&amp;sort=time" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">talk to the cast and crew of Thousand Pieces of Gold</a> -- in addition to Chao, we spoke to her co-star <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/chris-cooper" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Cooper</a>, director Nancy Kelly and editor/producer partner Kenji Yamamoto.  But on top of that, I got the chance to speak to the lovely Rosalind Chao one-on-one for this show. Together we discuss her work on this film, the immense struggles she had as a young actress early in her career, and the ways her work has blossomed since then. And yes, we spare a little time to talk about Star Trek, too. Take a listen.  (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="https://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Cards Against Humanity</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Rosalind Chao (Thousand Pieces of Gold)

Michael Abels

While composer Michael Abels was awarded "Discovery of the Year" at the 2019 World Soundtrack Awards for his eerie, minimalist score for Jordan Peele's Us, he's hardly a fresh-faced up and comer. Before transitioning into film scoring, Abels was already an acclaimed orchestral and concert composer, having composed symphonies, ballets and operas for orchestras across the country.   This history with classical music seemingly clashes with his unexpected, experimental work on the films of Jordan Peele, but in Cory Finley's Bad Education (premiering today on HBO), it allows him to return to a very familiar wheelhouse. Based on the true story of the largest fraud case in American public school history, Bad Education centers on the superintendent of a prestigious public school in upstate New York (a charming, complex Hugh Jackman), and the complex web of deceit, hidden desires, and lies resting just beneath the surface of his quest for excellence.   Abels' score is lush, intimate, and reflective of Finley's uniquely arch approach to the material -- baroque, string-heavy requiems for forbidden love ("Eye Contact") clash with concert-band bombast that reflects Roslyn High School's razor-thin veneer of academic prestige ("Ave Noster Redemptor"). For Abels, it was a return to familiar forms, and he even mined his own history as an educator for inspiration.   For The Spool, Abels sat down with us to talk about his score for Bad Education, how he gets into the mindset of the characters he scores for, and the complex dynamics of being a mixed-race composer in heavily white environments. He also talks us through the process behind crafting one of the score's cues, "Eye Contact", while performing it on the piano for us.   You can listen to the full podcast above, and below listen to Abels' full score for Bad Education on Spotify (including the tracks he plays in the episode, "Eye Contact" and "Eye Contact -- Appassionato Alternate").   (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

While composer <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/michael-abels" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Abels</a> was awarded "Discovery of the Year" at the 2019 <a href="http://worldsoundtrackawards.com/en/awards" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">World Soundtrack Awards</a> for his eerie, minimalist score for Jordan Peele's Us, he's hardly a fresh-faced up and comer. Before transitioning into film scoring, Abels was already an acclaimed orchestral and concert composer, having composed symphonies, ballets and operas for orchestras across the country. This history with classical music seemingly clashes with his unexpected, experimental work on the films of <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/jordan-peele" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jordan Peele</a>, but in <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/cory-finley" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Cory Finley</a>'s Bad Education (premiering today on HBO), it allows him to return to a very familiar wheelhouse. Based on the true story of <a href="https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/bad-education-true-story-long-island-frank-tassone-1.44082077" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the largest fraud case in American public school history</a>, Bad Education centers on the superintendent of a prestigious public school in upstate New York (a charming, complex Hugh Jackman), and the complex web of deceit, hidden desires, and lies resting just beneath the surface of his quest for excellence. Abels' score is lush, intimate, and reflective of Finley's uniquely arch approach to the material -- baroque, string-heavy requiems for forbidden love ("Eye Contact") clash with concert-band bombast that reflects Roslyn High School's razor-thin veneer of academic prestige ("Ave Noster Redemptor"). For Abels, it was a return to familiar forms, and he even mined his own history as an educator for inspiration. For The Spool, Abels sat down with us to talk about his score for Bad Education, how he gets into the mindset of the characters he scores for, and the complex dynamics of being a mixed-race composer in heavily white environments. He also talks us through the process behind crafting one of the score's cues, "Eye Contact", while performing it on the piano for us. You can listen to the full podcast above, and below listen to Abels' full score for Bad Education on Spotify (including the tracks he plays in the episode, "Eye Contact" and "Eye Contact -- Appassionato Alternate"). (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Michael Abels (Bad Education)

Mark Isham

Isabella Summers

Hulu's intense, melodramatic miniseries Little Fires Everywhere aired its finale earlier this week, capping off the intense tale of the Richardson family (led by an impulsive, blinkered matriarch played to a terrifying tee by Reese Witherspoon) and the ways they intersect with the impoverished Warren family (including a powerful Kerry Washington) in the sleepy suburb of Shaker Heights in the '90s. There were confessions, screaming matches, and Witherspoon delivering one of television's greatest shrieks.   Based on the novel by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere feels very much in tune with the kind of intense family dramas we can expect of this era of prestige TV -- slick, intense, and emotionally complex. Elena and Mia's battle of wills crosses lines of wealth, race, and privilege, creating a nasty little war amid the ostensible bliss of suburbia.   But underpinning all of the difficult racial and class dynamics on which the drama hangs is its score, a novel collaboration between veteran film composer Mark Isham and Florence and the Machine keyboardist Isabella Summers. Between its main title tune (a baroque combination of crashing percussion, driving strings and a chutes-and-ladders piano riff underpinning it) and the tailor-made covers of '90s songs sung by up and coming vocalists handpicked by Summers, it's a surprising sonic landscape that pulls the viewer into the emotional reality of the show's gripping histrionics.   Isham and Summers sat down with The Spool to chat about their collaboration on Little Fires Everywhere, the long and winding road to finding the show's sound, and how two musicians with backgrounds in pop music found a singular groove of their own.   (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

Hulu's intense, melodramatic miniseries Little Fires Everywhere aired its finale earlier this week, capping off the intense tale of the Richardson family (led by an impulsive, blinkered matriarch played to a terrifying tee by Reese Witherspoon) and the ways they intersect with the impoverished Warren family (including a powerful Kerry Washington) in the sleepy suburb of Shaker Heights in the '90s. There were confessions, screaming matches, and Witherspoon delivering one of television's greatest shrieks. Based on the novel by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere feels very much in tune with the kind of intense family dramas we can expect of this era of prestige TV -- slick, intense, and emotionally complex. Elena and Mia's battle of wills crosses lines of wealth, race, and privilege, creating a nasty little war amid the ostensible bliss of suburbia. But underpinning all of the difficult racial and class dynamics on which the drama hangs is its score, a novel collaboration between veteran film composer Mark Isham and Florence and the Machine keyboardist Isabella Summers. Between its main title tune (a baroque combination of crashing percussion, driving strings and a chutes-and-ladders piano riff underpinning it) and the tailor-made covers of '90s songs sung by up and coming vocalists handpicked by Summers, it's a surprising sonic landscape that pulls the viewer into the emotional reality of the show's gripping histrionics. Isham and Summers sat down with The Spool to chat about their collaboration on Little Fires Everywhere, the long and winding road to finding the show's sound, and how two musicians with backgrounds in pop music found a singular groove of their own. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Mark Isham and Isabella Summers (Little Fires Everywhere)

Tzi Ma

Just last month, in the early stages of America's encounter with the coronavirus, Chinese-American actor Tzi Ma had a haunting encounter in his neighborhood grocery store: someone shouted "you should be quarantined" from a passing car. It was a shocking example of anti-Asian bigotry that drove him to spearhead a social media campaign called  #WashtheHate, in which Ma and other Asian-American actors and celebrities spoke out against prejudice and discrimination towards Asians and Asian-Americans.   But of course, Ma is more often (and rightly) recognized for his decades of work as an accomplished character actor, from films like Dante's Peak and Rush Hour in the '90s to his recent boom of work in the 2010s and beyond in Arrival and  The Farewell. In writer-director Alan Yang's Netflix drama  Tigertail, Ma gets one of his most robust and complicated roles to date: Pin-Jui, a Taiwanese-American man and first-generation immigrant looking back on a life of sacrifice and dreams deferred.   On the day Tigertail premieres on Netflix, I sit down with Ma to talk about the film, the responsibility of embodying an analogue for the filmmaker's own father, the complexities of "Facebook acting", and the importance of tolerance and community amid the isolation and division of coronavirus. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

Just last month, in the early stages of America's encounter with the coronavirus, Chinese-American actor <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/tzi-ma" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tzi Ma</a> had a haunting encounter in his neighborhood grocery store: someone shouted "you should be quarantined" from a passing car. It was a shocking example of anti-Asian bigotry that drove him to spearhead a social media campaign called <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mulan-tzi-ma-racist-attack-washthehate-social-media-1203539295/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> #WashtheHate</a>, in which Ma and other Asian-American actors and celebrities spoke out against prejudice and discrimination towards Asians and Asian-Americans.   But of course, Ma is more often (and rightly) recognized for his decades of work as an accomplished character actor, from films like Dante's Peak and Rush Hour in the '90s to his recent boom of work in the 2010s and beyond in Arrival and <a href="https://thespool.net/movies/2019/07/the-farewell-review-a24-awkwafina/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Farewell</a>. In writer-director <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/alan-yang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alan Yang</a>'s Netflix drama <a href="https://thespool.net/movies/2020/04/tigertail-netflix-alan-yang-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Tigertail</a>, Ma gets one of his most robust and complicated roles to date: Pin-Jui, a Taiwanese-American man and first-generation immigrant looking back on a life of sacrifice and dreams deferred.   On the day Tigertail premieres on Netflix, I sit down with Ma to talk about the film, the responsibility of embodying an analogue for the filmmaker's own father, the complexities of "Facebook acting", and the importance of tolerance and community amid the isolation and division of coronavirus. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Tzi Ma (Tigertail)

Paul Leonard-Morgan

Paul Leonard-Morgan is no stranger to composing for science fiction, lending a propulsive, industrial wall of sound to films like Limitless and Dredd, as well as video games like the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. But with Amazon Prime Video's latest anthology series Tales from the Loop, he's in a milder, more contemplative mode -- delicate, thoughtful, and endearingly beautiful.   Based on the 'suburban sci-fi' artwork of Swedish illustrator Simon Stålenhag, Tales from the Loop tells the story of a sleepy, timeless town, under which lies 'the Loop', an research facility overseen by a mysterious institute conducting experiments on the nature of the universe. Along the way, the residents of the town feel its curious effects -- time loops, alternate universes, and the like -- and discover new things about themselves along the way.   Closer to something like Arrival than Stranger Things, Tales from the Loop eschews bombast for something more akin to a tone poem. Episodes are slow, deliberate, heavily fueled by dusky visuals and restrained performances by the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Rebecca Hall and Paul Schneider, most of whom flit in and out of the episodes as we see the disparate ways the Loop's experiments reveal new things about these decidedly ordinary people.   And underpinning this all is the score, a collaboration between Leonard-Morgan and the legendary Philip Glass that coats each stolen glance and mournful experiment with minimalist, arpeggio-laden wonder. Tales from the Loop is all about its atmosphere, and Glass and Leonard-Morgan's score mines a graceful elegance from the interdimensional magic surrounding Mercer, Ohio's denizens.   In anticipation of the show's release, The Spool sat down with Leonard-Morgan to talk about Tales from the Loop's bittersweet magic, working with Philip Glass, and the ways the isolation that comes from our current historical moment is changing the ways composers and musicians collaborate with each other remotely.

Paul Leonard-Morgan is no stranger to composing for science fiction, lending a propulsive, industrial wall of sound to films like Limitless and Dredd, as well as video games like the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. But with Amazon Prime Video's latest anthology series Tales from the Loop, he's in a milder, more contemplative mode -- delicate, thoughtful, and endearingly beautiful. Based on the 'suburban sci-fi' artwork of Swedish illustrator Simon Stålenhag, Tales from the Loop tells the story of a sleepy, timeless town, under which lies 'the Loop', an research facility overseen by a mysterious institute conducting experiments on the nature of the universe. Along the way, the residents of the town feel its curious effects -- time loops, alternate universes, and the like -- and discover new things about themselves along the way. Closer to something like Arrival than Stranger Things, Tales from the Loop eschews bombast for something more akin to a tone poem. Episodes are slow, deliberate, heavily fueled by dusky visuals and restrained performances by the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Rebecca Hall and Paul Schneider, most of whom flit in and out of the episodes as we see the disparate ways the Loop's experiments reveal new things about these decidedly ordinary people. And underpinning this all is the score, a collaboration between Leonard-Morgan and the legendary Philip Glass that coats each stolen glance and mournful experiment with minimalist, arpeggio-laden wonder. Tales from the Loop is all about its atmosphere, and Glass and Leonard-Morgan's score mines a graceful elegance from the interdimensional magic surrounding Mercer, Ohio's denizens. In anticipation of the show's release, The Spool sat down with Leonard-Morgan to talk about Tales from the Loop's bittersweet magic, working with Philip Glass, and the ways the isolation that comes from our current historical moment is changing the ways composers and musicians collaborate with each other remotely.

Paul Leonard-Morgan (Tales from the Loop)

Jeff Russo

It's hard to find a more prolific genre TV composer than Jeff Russo. The guitarist-turned-composer has made quite a splash in the last five years, chiefly as Noah Hawley's go-to guy for eerie, experimental scores for shows like Fargo and Legion. But he's also cut his teeth on sci-fi prestige shows like Altered Carbon and thrillers like Counterpart and The Night Of. But one of his most unique challenges of late has been crafting the musical voice for CBS All Access's revitalized vision for the Star Trek franchise, with two seasons of  Star Trek: Discovery and now  Star Trek: Picard under his belt. While there are moments of bombast and melodicism to be found in the music of both shows (akin to the series' tradition from composers like Jerry Goldsmith and Michael Giacchino), Russo's approach for both series is often moodier, more contemplative. Just one listen to Picard's opening theme gives you an idea of how much more gentle and intimate his sound can be. In the wake of Picard's first season finale, The Spool sat down for a podcast interview with Russo to discuss his approach to scoring Trek's new series, juggling so many projects at once, and the responsibilities that come from being a part of a decades-long musical legacy. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

It's hard to find a more prolific genre TV composer than <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/jeff-russo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeff Russo</a>. The guitarist-turned-composer has made quite a splash in the last five years, chiefly as Noah Hawley's go-to guy for eerie, experimental scores for shows like Fargo and Legion. But he's also cut his teeth on sci-fi prestige shows like Altered Carbon and thrillers like Counterpart and The Night Of. But one of his most unique challenges of late has been crafting the musical voice for CBS All Access's revitalized vision for the Star Trek franchise, with two seasons of <a href="https://thespool.net/tv/2019/01/tv-review-star-trek-discovery-brother/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Star Trek: Discovery</a> and now <a href="https://thespool.net/tv/2020/03/star-trek-picards-season-finale-recap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Star Trek: Picard</a> under his belt. While there are moments of bombast and melodicism to be found in the music of both shows (akin to the series' tradition from composers like Jerry Goldsmith and Michael Giacchino), Russo's approach for both series is often moodier, more contemplative. Just one listen to Picard's opening theme gives you an idea of how much more gentle and intimate his sound can be. In the wake of Picard's first season finale, The Spool sat down for a podcast interview with Russo to discuss his approach to scoring Trek's new series, juggling so many projects at once, and the responsibilities that come from being a part of a decades-long musical legacy. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Jeff Russo (Star Trek: Picard)

Emily Ting

When Emily Ting was in her twenties, she returned to her father's toy factory in China to help out with the family business. Not only was it a formative experience for Ting herself, it formed the basis for her second narrative feature, Go Back to China, which is currently playing in limited release (and, if you're in Chicago, is  playing at Facets Cinematheque this weekend).   The tale of a spoiled fashion school graduate (YouTuber Anna Akana) forced to return home to work at her father's (Richard Ng) toy company, Go Back to China is a slight, but extremely warm-hearted and incisive look at the cultural rifts between Chinese and American culture, and of the conflicting bonds of family and responsibility.   Fitting with her personal connection to the material, Ting's approach is intimate and approachable, never veering outside the confines of artifice. She, with the help of winning performances from Akana and Ng (as well as Lynn Chen as the family's put-upon sister), maintains a laser focus on her characters' idiosyncrasies and the bone-deep resentments that they have to reconcile.   Leading up to the film's wider release, I sat down with Ting to talk about the ways Go Back to China dovetails with her personal life, the challenges that come with directing a second feature, and the strides Asian-American cinema has been making in the past few years. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

When Emily Ting was in her twenties, she returned to her father's toy factory in China to help out with the family business. Not only was it a formative experience for Ting herself, it formed the basis for her second narrative feature, Go Back to China, which is currently playing in limited release (and, if you're in Chicago, is <a href="https://www.facets.org/cinematheque/films/march2020/go-back-to-china.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> playing at Facets Cinematheque</a> this weekend).   The tale of a spoiled fashion school graduate (YouTuber <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/anna-akana" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anna Akana</a>) forced to return home to work at her father's (<a href="https://thespool.net/tag/richard-ng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Ng</a>) toy company, Go Back to China is a slight, but extremely warm-hearted and incisive look at the cultural rifts between Chinese and American culture, and of the conflicting bonds of family and responsibility.   Fitting with her personal connection to the material, Ting's approach is intimate and approachable, never veering outside the confines of artifice. She, with the help of winning performances from Akana and Ng (as well as Lynn Chen as the family's put-upon sister), maintains a laser focus on her characters' idiosyncrasies and the bone-deep resentments that they have to reconcile.   Leading up to the film's wider release, I sat down with Ting to talk about the ways Go Back to China dovetails with her personal life, the challenges that come with directing a second feature, and the strides Asian-American cinema has been making in the past few years. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Emily Ting (Go Back to China)

Milan Ray

Child stars can often have a rough road in their early roles, especially if they're 'the kid' of the film, surrounded by adults and thrown into the daunting challenges of a film set. For Milan Ray, co-star of the Amazon Original Movie Troop Zero, having a group of other kids on set helped. As Hell-No Price, the headstrong bully-turned-best-friend of McKenna Grace's dreamer Christmas in Bert &amp; Bertie's quirky kid dramedy, Ray has the unenviable task of putting forth a strong, boisterous personality while also allowing for key moments of vulnerability. Drenched in the sun-soaked affectations of 1970s Georgia (period outfits and Southern vernacular and all), Troop Zero gives its young stars plenty of whimsy to work from, and Ray is a particular highlight.   Prior to this year's Sundance Film Festival, I caught up with Milan while she was in Chicago attending a screening of Troop Zero to talk about her life at the beginning of your career, her then-upcoming Sundance premiere of Charm City Kings, and what it'd be like if she got to fulfill Hell-No's goal of recording a message to send into the cosmos. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

Child stars can often have a rough road in their early roles, especially if they're 'the kid' of the film, surrounded by adults and thrown into the daunting challenges of a film set. For <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/milan-ray" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Milan Ray</a>, co-star of the Amazon Original Movie <a href="https://thespool.net/movies/2020/01/troop-zero-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Troop Zero</a>, having a group of other kids on set helped. As Hell-No Price, the headstrong bully-turned-best-friend of McKenna Grace's dreamer Christmas in Bert &amp; Bertie's quirky kid dramedy, Ray has the unenviable task of putting forth a strong, boisterous personality while also allowing for key moments of vulnerability. Drenched in the sun-soaked affectations of 1970s Georgia (period outfits and Southern vernacular and all), Troop Zero gives its young stars plenty of whimsy to work from, and Ray is a particular highlight.   Prior to this year's Sundance Film Festival, I caught up with Milan while she was in Chicago attending a screening of Troop Zero to talk about her life at the beginning of your career, her then-upcoming Sundance premiere of Charm City Kings, and what it'd be like if she got to fulfill Hell-No's goal of recording a message to send into the cosmos. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Milan Ray (Troop Zero)

Eli Bolin

John Mulaney

The holidays are (at their best) a time of wholesomeness, gift-giving, and the nervous interactions between adults and children who don't normally interact. In that spirit, Netflix's release of John Mulaney's new comedy special,  John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch, feels particularly well-timed. A pastiche of kid's TV variety shows from the '70s and '80s, the special sees Mulaney spearheading an army of golden-voiced tots through sketches, songs, and setpieces that touch on everything from the tentative relationship between a family and their grandmother's new boyfriend, to the anxiety of being ignored when you're trying to put on a skit for a room of uncaring adults, to the finer minutiae of New York geography and politics.   As you can presume, the songs are a pretty integral part of Sack Lunch Bunch, a beautifully eclectic group of ditties co-written by songwriter Eli Bolin. Bolin previously worked with Mulaney on the Documentary Now! episode "Co-Op: Original Cast Album", itself a glorious homage to old-school New York theater. But Sack Lunch Bunch put Bolin firmly in his wheelhouse, having written songs for Sesame Street and his own kid-centric songwriting project in New York, Story Pirates.   I got a chance to sit down for a phone interview with Bolin to talk about his collaboration with Mulaney and co-writer Marika Sawyer, writing songs for kids, and his greatest fears.  (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

The holidays are (at their best) a time of wholesomeness, gift-giving, and the nervous interactions between adults and children who don't normally interact. In that spirit, Netflix's release of <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/john-mulaney" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Mulaney</a>'s new comedy special, <a href="https://thespool.net/tv/2019/12/john-mulaney-the-sack-lunch-bunch-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch</a>, feels particularly well-timed. A pastiche of kid's TV variety shows from the '70s and '80s, the special sees Mulaney spearheading an army of golden-voiced tots through sketches, songs, and setpieces that touch on everything from the tentative relationship between a family and their grandmother's new boyfriend, to the anxiety of being ignored when you're trying to put on a skit for a room of uncaring adults, to the finer minutiae of New York geography and politics.   As you can presume, the songs are a pretty integral part of Sack Lunch Bunch, a beautifully eclectic group of ditties co-written by songwriter <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/eli-bolin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eli Bolin</a>. Bolin previously worked with Mulaney on the <a href="https://thespool.net/tv/2019/12/the-top-25-tv-shows-of-2019/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Documentary Now!</a> episode "Co-Op: Original Cast Album", itself a glorious homage to old-school New York theater. But Sack Lunch Bunch put Bolin firmly in his wheelhouse, having written songs for Sesame Street and his own kid-centric songwriting project in New York, Story Pirates.   I got a chance to sit down for a phone interview with Bolin to talk about his collaboration with Mulaney and co-writer <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/marika-sawyer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marika Sawyer</a>, writing songs for kids, and his greatest fears.  (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Eli Bolin (John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch, Co-Op)

Tom Harper

In an age where film discourse gets divided between wholly original films and derivative spectacle based on existing properties, it's rare to find a big-budget spectacle that straddles that line of bombast while remaining distinctly of its own universe. Such is the case with Tom Harper's The Aeronauts, which just premiered on Amazon Prime Video. Based loosely on a real-life hot air balloon ride in the 1860s in which scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) took vital atmospheric data that would kickstart the science of meteorology (and also broke records for the highest any human being had been at that point), the film straddles an intriguing sense of wonder with seat-clenching thrills not unlike the survival stakes of Gravity. Not only that, Redmayne's co-star female aeronaut Amelia Rennes (Felicity Jones), a fictionalized replacement for Glaisher's real-life copilot, provides welcome chemistry and plays host to some of the more physically death-defying elements of the film. The day after it screened at the  Chicago International Film Festival, The Spool got a chance to sit down with Harper (who also directed this year's Wild Rose) to talk about the origins of the project, balancing real-life spectacle with visual effects, and the cinematic utility of a dog in a parachute. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

In an age where film discourse gets divided between wholly original films and derivative spectacle based on existing properties, it's rare to find a big-budget spectacle that straddles that line of bombast while remaining distinctly of its own universe. Such is the case with <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/tom-harper" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom Harper</a>'s The Aeronauts, which just premiered on Amazon Prime Video. Based loosely on a real-life hot air balloon ride in the 1860s in which scientist James Glaisher (<a href="https://thespool.net/tag/eddie-redmayne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eddie Redmayne</a>) took vital atmospheric data that would kickstart the science of meteorology (and also broke records for the highest any human being had been at that point), the film straddles an intriguing sense of wonder with seat-clenching thrills not unlike the survival stakes of Gravity. Not only that, Redmayne's co-star female aeronaut Amelia Rennes (<a href="https://thespool.net/tag/felicity-jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Felicity Jones</a>), a fictionalized replacement for Glaisher's real-life copilot, provides welcome chemistry and plays host to some of the more physically death-defying elements of the film. The day after it screened at the <a href="https://thespool.net/festivals/2019/10/ciff-dispatch-waves-deerskin-the-aeronauts-the-prince/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Chicago International Film Festival</a>, The Spool got a chance to sit down with Harper (who also directed this year's <a href="https://thespool.net/movies/2019/06/wild-rose-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Rose</a>) to talk about the origins of the project, balancing real-life spectacle with visual effects, and the cinematic utility of a dog in a parachute. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Tom Harper (The Aeronauts)

Naren Shankar

Science-fiction space opera on television is experiencing a real renaissance in the last few years, and at the tip of the spear is The Expanse. It's a sprawling, richly-conceived adaptation of the James S.A. Corey novels of the same name, set in a universe where mankind has colonized the solar system, but the same problems of paranoia, war, and distrust follow us out into space. The show nearly died last year when its previous home, Syfy, abruptly canceled it in the middle of its third season, but a vigorous fan campaign (and the largesse of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos) saw the prestige space drama move to Amazon Prime Video. Now, the fourth season is out, the budget is bigger, and the crew of the Rocinante is in even more hot water than ever.   Helming the ship is showrunner Naren Shankar, a decades-long veteran of science fiction television from Star Trek: The Next Generation to The Outler Limits. I was lucky enough to sit down for a podcast interview with Shankar to talk about the show's rescue from cancellation, the scope afforded them by their new administrators, and what awaits the characters (and audiences) in a surprisingly planet-bound season 4. Also, we muse on the passing of the late, great Star Trek actor René Auberjonois. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

Science-fiction space opera on television is experiencing a real renaissance in the last few years, and at the tip of the spear is The Expanse. It's a sprawling, richly-conceived adaptation of the James S.A. Corey novels of the same name, set in a universe where mankind has colonized the solar system, but the same problems of paranoia, war, and distrust follow us out into space. The show nearly died last year when its previous home, Syfy, abruptly canceled it in the middle of its third season, but a vigorous fan campaign (and the largesse of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos) saw the prestige space drama move to Amazon Prime Video. Now, the fourth season is out, the budget is bigger, and the crew of the Rocinante is in even more hot water than ever.   Helming the ship is showrunner Naren Shankar, a decades-long veteran of science fiction television from Star Trek: The Next Generation to The Outler Limits. I was lucky enough to sit down for a podcast interview with Shankar to talk about the show's rescue from cancellation, the scope afforded them by their new administrators, and what awaits the characters (and audiences) in a surprisingly planet-bound season 4. Also, we muse on the passing of the late, great Star Trek actor René Auberjonois. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://overcast.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

Naren Shankar (The Expanse)

Minhal Baig

Apple's new streaming service Apple TV+ has leveraged its brand on a slate all-original content; while the last month has seen several shows come and go, this weekend sees the release of Apple TV+'s first original movie,  Hala. Written/directed by Minhal Baig, Hala is loosely derived from Baig's own experiences as a Muslim-American teenager growing up in a Pakistani-American household in Chicago. Torn between the conservative religiousness of her parents, and the temptations of freedom that come from the outside world, Hala (Blockers' Geraldine Viswanathan) goes through an earnest, painful journey of self-discovery, finding new angles to the coming-of-age story.   Hala was set and filmed in Chicago, and back in October Baig got the chance to show the film at this year's Chicago International Film Festival, bringing her story back to the city where it's set. While she was here, I got the opportunity to sit down with her to discuss the lines between Hala's life and her own, what it's like coming back to Chicago, and getting the writing bug from slam poetry and anime fanfiction. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Backblaze for sponsoring this episode!)

Apple's new streaming service Apple TV+ has leveraged its brand on a slate all-original content; while the last month has seen several shows come and go, this weekend sees the release of Apple TV+'s first original movie, <a href="https://thespool.net/festivals/2019/10/ciff-10-18-dispatch-the-apollo-adoration-our-mothers-hala/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Hala</a>. Written/directed by <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/minhal-baig" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minhal Baig</a>, Hala is loosely derived from Baig's own experiences as a Muslim-American teenager growing up in a Pakistani-American household in Chicago. Torn between the conservative religiousness of her parents, and the temptations of freedom that come from the outside world, Hala (Blockers' <a href="https://thespool.net/tag/geraldine-viswanathan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Geraldine Viswanathan</a>) goes through an earnest, painful journey of self-discovery, finding new angles to the coming-of-age story.   Hala was set and filmed in Chicago, and back in October Baig got the chance to show the film at this year's Chicago International Film Festival, bringing her story back to the city where it's set. While she was here, I got the opportunity to sit down with her to discuss the lines between Hala's life and her own, what it's like coming back to Chicago, and getting the writing bug from slam poetry and anime fanfiction. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the <a href="http://www.chicagopodcastcoop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Podcast Coop</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://backblaze.com/cpc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Backblaze</a> for sponsoring this episode!)

CIFF: Minhal Baig (Hala)

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