Prolific composer and producer Nicholas Britell discussed his score forStar Wars: Andorand how he had to break new ground to provide the unique and gripping sounds that now grace the finished project. Britell also spoke on the change from the franchise’s previous sound profiles and how he managed to come through on his very first foray into the genre.
Created as a precursor to the 2016Star WarsfilmRogue One: A Star Wars Story,Star Wars: Andorfollows the titular character Captain Cassian Jeron Andor, a smalltime crook who eventually joins the revolutionary upswell that eventually birthed the Alliance to Restore the Republic.Andorhas immediately resonated with fans, in part due to its darker tone in contrast to the rest ofStar Wars, which lacked something of that nature in the mainstream canon.
RELATED:Andor’s Starkiller Reference is Potentially Great News for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Fans
As many people suspected beforeAndorpremiered, a large part of this tone shift was brought on by the composer chosen for the project, who was sure tobring something new toStar Warsthrough the score. In a recent interview with the official Star Wars website, Britell, who is himself a huge fan of the franchise, talked about his approach toAndor’s sound. “I wanted it to have that sense of self, of its own feeling. But at the same time, my hope was, of course, that throughout there’s still a sense of the spirit of the Star Wars universe," he said. “The Star Wars universe has such an amazing, timeless sense and feeling. And I think, hopefully, especially certain themes as we go, I wanted to feel like we were still in this world, you know what I mean? Even if it is a very distinct sound.”
Clearly, this philosophy worked, as Britell’s work plays a large part in creating themuch-needed dark toneAndorbrought to the franchisein tandem with the visual design and the writing. Going further to discuss the divergence from John William’s iconic score in the original films, Britell elaborated on his choices. “There is a sense of discovery of self throughout this show. And so, I think the music, at the very beginning and like, even the first main title theme, for example, there’s like, a question,” he said. “There’s a pulse, and then there’s another, and it sort of grows, and you are learning what it is as it happens, and then it has a crescendo and then it cuts out. So I think, in a way, there’s almost a metaphor there for the show. This idea that we are learning, the characters are learning. It’s something a little different. It’s something new and the music is, hopefully, providing a sense of that sense of learning and discovery as well.”
In his creation of theAndorscore, Britell has done something that, while uniquelyAndor,can serve as a guiding post for futureStar Warsprojects that might benefit from a divergence in tone from the mainline entries in the franchise. Withthe apparent confirmation ofAndorseason 2as early as February, fans can likely look forward to Britell expanding further on his unique sound design philosophy going forward.
