Angelo Badalamenti’s haunting score flowed through almost every scene in Twin Peaks, its mix of abstract jazz patterns, soaring pianos and swelling synthesisers creating a surreal and sinister atmosphere that seeped into the cultural consciousness, and soon became inextricable from the ‘otherness’ of the show as a whole.
Fittingly, musicians have been using Twin Peaks and its soundtrack as a source of inspiration ever since, from lyrical elegies to its absent lead character (Bastille’s Laura Palmer, Marilyn Manson’s Wrapped In Plastic) to faithful evocations of its swing jazz sensibility (Jenny Gabrielsson Mare’s The Black Lodge). Below, we’ve chosen some of the more interesting musical tributes, as well as a few key tracks from the original score.
The Twin Peaks Playlist
1. Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Theme
Badalamenti’s legendary opening theme for the show.
2. Angelo Badalamenti – Dance Of The Dream Man
Probably the second most recognisable track from Badalamenti’s original score.
3. Angelo Badalamenti – Theme From Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me
Opening theme from the soundtrack to Lynch’s opinion dividing prequel.
4. Angelo Badalamenti & Thought Gang – A Real Indication
Angelo himself provides vocals on this track from the Fire Walk With Me soundtrack.
5. DJ Shadow – Transmission 3
The closing moment of Shadow’s seminal debut, blending the dream from John Carpenter’s Prince Of Darkness with the Giant’s warning from episode 14.
6. Moby – Go
The dust had barely settled on Twin Peaks before a younger, ravier Moby capitalised on its popularity with Go, which made the UK top ten in 1991.
7. Stars Of The Lid – Music For Twin Peaks Episode 30 Part 1
Ambient tribute by Texas drone duo.
8. Nicolas Jaar – Conversation On Twin Peaks
Taken from a recent BBC1 Essential Mix: samples a documentary in which Badalamenti discusses how he wrote the Love Theme from Twin Peaks.
9. Aix Em Klemm – Sparkwood And 21
Track named after the junction where Laura Palmer was last seen alive, by ambient duo featuring one half of Stars Of The Lid (see above).
10. Sub Sub (feat Tricky) – Smoking Beagles
Samples ‘The Pink Room’, from Badalamenti’s Fire Walk With Me soundtrack.
11. Neroche – Sycamore Trees
Samples vocals by the late Jimmy Scott from Sycamore Trees, from the closing episode of the second season.
12. Yasume – When Audrey Dances
Electronic elegy to Sherilyn Fenn’s sultry daddy’s girl, from an album named Where We’re From The Birds Sing A Pretty Song, itself a Twin Peaks reference.
Cyrus Shahrad is a die-hard Twin Peaks fan, freelance writer and makes hauntingly beautiful electronic music as Hiatus.
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