‘Thunderbolts*’ Composers Son Lux On the “Leap of Faith” Marvel Took On The Film’s Experimental Score

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Textures in the “Thunderbolts” score that stood out were contributed from an unexpected origin: The rough wood slats of an abandoned shipping pallet. While this might seem odd for some composers, it’s typical of the innovative and experimental style of the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated composers Son Lux, who were chosen by director Jake Schreier to create a unique, unconventional sound that would align with the film’s non-heroic theme.

During his journey to discard some wooden planks, Ian Chang from Son Lux accidentally tapped on them and found they made an appealing “cool” sound. He then carried these planks to the studio where they formed the basis for several of the score’s powerful rhythms, perfectly answering a question posed early in the process by Schreier: “What would it sound like to be both propelling and tiny?

Ryan Lott from Son Lux refers to these wooden planks as ‘forgotten treasures,’ similar to lightning bolts headed towards discard.

Son Lux’s “Thunderbolts” marks the band’s first film score since their work on the music for “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which was nominated for an Oscar for best original score. The script for “Thunderbolts” landed in Lott’s inbox on May 1, 2023, exactly two years and a day before the film was set to premiere in theaters. Lott, who had previously collaborated with Schreier on the 2015 film “Paper Towns,” worked alongside bandmates Chang and Rafiq Bhatia for regular meetings with the director to brainstorm ideas prior to principal photography.

According to Lott, it was fortunate that we got involved prior to any recording taking place. He expressed that finding the right sound for this movie seemed essential to Schreier’s process of figuring out what the film was all about.

Schreier pointed out three significant musical influences: the emotionally stirring score of The Hudsucker Proxy, the suspenseful bank heist sequence from Heat, and the poignant music during Dumbledore’s demise in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

According to Chang, Jake pointed out at the beginning that this movie was based on real-life events. From a musical standpoint, he strongly disapproved of using grandiose and heroic sounds excessively – although such elements are present in the film. Instead, his goal was to make the music feel more subdued or personal.

Son Lux are part of a contemporary group of musicians who not only create music for recording but also compose it, joining luminaries such as Trent Reznor and Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo. Unlike the epic orchestral scores by Alan Silvestri and Michael Giacchino for Marvel’s blockbuster films like “The Avengers” and “Spider-Man,” Son Lux’s style is more experimental.

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Son Lux, along with Reznor and Mothersbaugh, are recording artists turned composers. Their experimental sound stands out against the grand orchestral scores of Marvel films by Silvestri and Giacchino, such as “The Avengers” and “Spider-Man.

Son Lux structured their compositions around four consistent melodic patterns and a collection of flexible sound elements, tailoring them for various sequences within the album “Thunderbolts“. However, intentionally, they abstained from creating themes that were unique to specific characters.

According to Bhatia, by setting aside character exploration, we were able to channel our energy towards advancements in the plot, which, as some might argue, hold greater significance than interpersonal interactions.

Similar to “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” this movie boasts a near-uninterrupted soundtrack. Comprising 72 separate musical cues amounting to approximately 99 minutes of the total 124-minute duration, even the credits are adorned with custom music from Son Lux.

Lott mentions that the movie’s unpredictable nature influenced their approach, causing them to experiment with different emotional and action tones. This is something they always do when creating a Son Lux record, constantly striving for a balance between contrasting elements. The Thunderbolts score definitely required this approach, and Everything Everywhere All at Once was equally satisfying in its diversity. As musicians who aim to be multi-faceted, the chance to showcase this on such a grand scale, like in a Marvel film, was incredibly exciting.

For Son Lux, *thunderbolts* presented a unique chance to record their music accompanied by the London Contemporary Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios – a novel experience for the trio. As Bhatia puts it, “They’re essentially the sound we visualize when we imagine an orchestra in our minds.

Despite employing new methods, their approach continued to be grounded in the same recording techniques they’ve used before: gathering snippets from musicians, refining them with improvisation, and transforming them into full compositions. In collaboration with the orchestra, Son Lux directed performers using prompts to create textures that formed the base of the final score.

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Even though they tried new strategies, their methodology remained consistent with the recording techniques from past projects: collecting pieces from musicians, refining them with improvisation, and evolving them into complete melodies. Alongside the orchestra, Son Lux instructed players using prompts to establish textures that formed the basis of the final symphony.

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Their technique remained anchored in the same recording methods they’ve utilized when creating albums: collecting samples from musicians, refining them with improvisation, and transforming them into complete pieces. With the orchestra, Son Lux provided guidance to players using prompts that formed the basis of the final composition.

Bhatia stated, “It was quite challenging and innovative, but it proved to be successful. We collaborated with the players to deliver performances that were soft as a whisper, allowing only the sound of keyboard clicks to be heard. Then we asked them to act drunk, with the performance getting more and more distorted. After that, we requested they imagine being frozen in place when the conductor’s baton pointed at them, until everyone was frozen like a giant statue. When the conductor returned to them, they were to resume playing their parts again.

Marvel championed their non-traditional, experimental approach that the team referred to as a “bold act of trust.

According to Bhatia, this approach enables us to begin with specific details and then expand towards broader concepts. This method can lead to outcomes that would be unattainable if we were to work in the opposite direction.

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2025-05-02 21:55