The Synthtastic Stranger Things Original Score Is Coming

The Netflix series Stranger Things is a bit of a love song to the '80s—appropriately filled with classics of the decade, from the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" to Toto's "Africa." Those hits do a lot to add to the show's nostalgia value, but the original score is what really sets the tone. As Pitchfork reports, volume one of the two-volume soundtrack will be available digitally on August 12, with a physical release on CD set for September 16.

Scored by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the Texas-based band S U R V I V E, volume one of the score has 36 tracks, the titles of which reference the scene they were written for (such as "Nancy and Barb," "A Kiss," "Hawkins Lab").

"The directors  were previously fans of S U R V I V E," Dixon said in a statement. "They used a song from our first LP in a trailer they made to pitch their concept to Netflix. Once the show was picked up, they reached out to see if we were available to score the show."

The duo aimed to give the score a "classic tone" without being "’80s cheese," and regardless of whether you think they pulled it off, the music plays an unarguably vital role in the mood of the series overall. 

Stranger Things, Vol 2 (A Netflix Original Series Soundtrack) will be released digitally on August 19, with a physical copy arriving on September 23. Fans are already asking about a vinyl release for the project, which would make sense given the throwback nature of the series as well as the current popularity of LPs, but so far there is no word on a release in alternate formats.

For a taste of the score, rewatch the Stranger Things trailer below.

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