In 1978, John Carpenter wrote, directed, and scored the film Halloween. It was made on a $300,000 budget, and ended up grossing over $70 million, making it one of the most successful independent movies ever released. The main theme to the film became one of the most iconic pieces of cinematic music ever made. Halloween became a franchise with 10 more Halloween films since the original. In 2018 a new Halloween film was released, directed by David Gordon Green. And for the first time since the first film, John Carpenter composed the score. That included remaking his theme song for the new film, this time with the help of his son Cody Carpenter and his godson Daniel Davies. In this episode, the three of them break down how they did it.

Buy or stream the 2018 theme to Halloween here. You can buy the soundtrack to Halloween on vinyl here.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Daniel Wyman
Oberheim OB-6 Synthesizer
Octavia Effects Pedal

Janelle Monáe is an award-winning musician and actress who released her first record in 2007. She’s been nominated for multiple Grammys and starred in the Oscar films Moonlight and Hidden Figures. In April 2018, she released her third album, Dirty Computer, which includes the song “So Afraid.” In this episode, Janelle Monáe takes “So Afraid” apart to explain how she built it, step by step—beginning with a trip to the dentist.

Buy or stream “So Afraid” here. You can buy her album, Dirty Computer on vinyl here.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Nate Wonder of Deep Cotton

Buy or stream “Woman” here, and watch the music video below. You can buy her album, Wanderer on vinyl here.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Rob Schnapf
MANT Studios
Rhodes piano