Season 2 of Severance on Apple+ upped the ante and stakes on everything that Season 1 gave us. We got more characters, more mystery and more twists and turns than Chutes and Ladders. Suffice to say, it was weird and wild and we want to see how deep this rabbit hole really goes. And more waffle parties, please.
One of the standout elements helping this dense and sophisticated story resonate is, literally, the sound palette. Composer Theodore Shapiro rejoined this ensemble to expand his catchy four-chord tune and adapted it to this season’s new narrative pathways. He was not afraid to get abstract, and even dove into specific sound design with one of his collaborators, Chris Lane. The two decided that, in this season, they could lean into the piano and created a multitude of sounds and loops.
The result grafts a musical blanket over the entire show in ways that allow the story to breathe and not try to jump in at every scene. Now as catchy as the main theme is, it would be very easy to do. But the discussions that Shapiro had with Ben Stiller and the creative team were the exact opposite.
The score, specifically the main theme that has hypnotized anyone who hears it, has a base of root notes and then the other notes rock back and forth between consonants and dissonance. The beautiful coloration and that see-sawing is so perfect for the show.
This new soundtrack has some excellent cues that Shapiro and Lane created with modular synthesizers so you’re not quite sure if the percussion is electronic or acoustic – check out “Morning Routine” to see what we mean. Teddy’s greatest strength is that he can bring whatever is needed to the project and is a perfect chameleon. He credits the project for helping find what is needed and, in a way, his job is easy because he has a mantra that has helped him time and again, “the picture tells you what to do.“
So have a listen to our chat with Teddy about his work, the show’s reception, and what he’s working on outside the world of Lumon. Enjoy this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience!
