Highlights
- Composer Laura Karpman took a unique approach to creating the soundtrack for The Marvels, enlisting the help of deaf Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie to convey the "sounds" of space in a way that goes beyond traditional hearing.
- Karpman also used actual space debris, rented from a prop house, to create sounds for the film. The team hit the debris with various objects to see what kinds of sounds they could elicit, with super light titanium disks being surprisingly effective.
- The innovative methods used by Karpman and Glennie promise a truly unique sonic experience for the audience, and their innovative approach deserves recognition and appreciation for their innovation.
As fans head out to see The Marvels during its opening weekend, they may find themselves inexplicably drawn to the MCU film's soundtrack. Well, the composer set out to create something unique in how the audience experiences her score, and fans would have probably never guessed how she did it.
Composer Laura Karpman, who also worked on the scores for Marvel's What If...? and 2022's arguably best superhero series Ms. Marvel, also brought her skills to Captain Marvel 2. But apparently, she didn't just treat this as any old gig. Since much of Captain Marvel 2 takes place in space, Karpman wanted to evoke that feeling in ways some may have never conceived. In this case, that meant bringing in some help from an expert. But she also enlisted the aid of something a bit less... terrestrial.
In an interview with Collider, Karpman spoke about how she sought out deaf Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie to convey the "sounds" of space in ways other than just those the ear can detect. "Here's the thing about Evelyn, she's profoundly deaf," Karpman explained. "When she plays, she actually doesn't wear shoes. She feels the sound through her body, which is exactly how you feel it in space. It's so crazy. So we started creating sounds together that were not like anything that you have ever heard before. And because of the way that she listens, and it's a very physical thing for her, I think that that permeates every aspect of the sonic life of this project."
But things got a little more authentic to space for Karpman's other method of creating her music for the heartwarming The Marvels. "So that was one way," she said, explaining how she made her unique sound. "The other way, which is way sillier, is we went to a prop house in Burbank, and we rented space junk, literally stuff that fell out of the sky." She and her team used actual space debris, hitting it with various objects to see what kinds of sounds they could elicit from them. Karpman also noted super light titanium disks were surprisingly among the best fodder for this exercise.
"I went there and we figured out how you could make sounds out of them. We went there with a bow and various beaters and stuff like that, and anything that you could make a sound out of we rented and then used in the film."
Glennie is no stranger to the spotlight, appearing alongside Sesame Street characters in a 2001 episode where she performed with Oscar the Grouch's "Grouchketeer Trash Band" (better than the name implies). She was also present as part of the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London, leading 1,000 other drummers in a performance of Underworld's song "And I Will Kiss," written specifically for the ceremony. So she knows what she's doing, and her knowledge of sound beyond the ears is sure to be a boon to the soundtrack for The Marvels.
The Marvels already seems a bit intimidating for newcomers, given how several shows and movies are seemingly necessary to watch before seeing it. But when it comes to the soundtrack, at least, it looks like everyone will be on the same page with the unique approach employed by Karpman, Glennie, and the rest of the team. It will be interesting to experience what they came up with regarding new ways to experience sound. Here's hoping they get the recognition they deserve for such innovation.
The Marvels is now playing in theaters.
The Marvels
Carol Danvers teams up with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan in The Marvels. As the three heroes find their powers entangled, they must work together to stop Dar-Benn from enacting her evil plan.
- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
- Cast
- Brie Larson , Teyonah Parris , Iman Vellani , Zawe Ashton , Samuel L. Jackson
Source: Collider
