Legion Lives On with Jeff Russo’s Original Soundtrack
Legion’s first season on FX kept fans buzzing over its two month run as the expectations of [...]
Legion's first season on FX kept fans buzzing over its two month run as the expectations of X-Men and comic book fans were radically upended each episode.
Jeff Russo's original score is central to the lasting impact Legion has on viewers' minds. The close coordination of sound and image is thanks to true mutual understanding between composer Russo and series creator Noah Hawley, with Russo's musical themes helping shape the visuals themselves.
"My relationship with Noah musically has always been pretty close," Russo said.
The two grew close with Russo working on each of Hawley's tv creations to date -- beginning with the 2009 debut The Unusuals.
"When he hired me for The Unusuals we talked very much about the type of music that he wanted to hear," Russo said. "We developed a really natural sort of language."
Twice nominated for Primetime Emmys for his original scores to FX's Fargo -- another breathlessly compelling series that delivers gripping tension over each hour -- Russo's latest helps Legion push television past its visible boundaries.
Questioning the reality of sensation and experience is central to the David Haller mindset, so Russo's score is informed by research into auditory hallucinations -- both real and imagined -- as well as the psychedelic influences that color Legion, such as classic rock icons Pink Floyd.
"I got to make an album that was like the album that I wanted to make my whole life," Russo said of the Legion soundtrack. "Pink Floyd was such a big part of my childhood in terms of my music.
[LEGION: Noah Hawley Talks To CB About A New X-Men Hero for Today's Generation]
"I wanted to have shades of [that sound] as part of the score. David Gilmour [of Pink Floyd] is the reason why I picked up a guitar. Because of that, when Noah first said 'hey, what do you think of Pink Floyd?' I was like, 'are you kidding?!?'"
Two of the first themes Russo wrote, while the vision of Legion that can be seen on screen was still only an imagination, were the frequently-recurring "David" and "David and Syd", both available on the soundtrack release.
The two themes originated as halves of one long musical suite before being completed separately.
"In my mind it was a natural step to go from writing a theme for David to writing a theme for David and Syd," he said. "The relationship just became the most central part of [David's] being.
"The theme itself pops all throughout the series in little bits and pieces. Because really, what are we if we're not a love story—right? That's the thing driving David, the thing driving Syd, is this relationship of the ages. Their spectacular love story. That was the most interesting thing for me to write about."
Russo's versatile work with different instruments and palettes also allows Legion to explore diverse sonic territory. The EMS Synthi AKS famously used on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (an album Russo and Hawley call "the sound of schizophrenia") is only one of several synthesizers utilized throughout the soundtrack alongside guitars, orchestra, and more.
Two of the most striking tracks play over Legion's credits ("The Caper 2" in chapter one and "Almost Legion" for chapter four), ensuring that the lingering sensation of the episode remains echoing while the story rests.
Legion has fundamental interactivity, almost daring the audience to look and listen into it deeply and investigate the questions that David wonders himself -- namely what is "real" and who controls his reality.
"I try to write music from an emotional place, whatever that emotion is," Russo said. "It doesn't have to be romantic emotion. I mean any sort of emotional response…. whether you're playing a game or watching a movie or watching a television show, the interaction is basically the same."
Along with the eagerly-awaited third installment of Fargo (premiering on FX Wednesday, April 19th) and other upcoming series and feature films, Russo soundtracks What Remains of Edith Finch, an exploratory first-person journey coming to Playstation 4 and Windows later this month.
"Whether or not you're telling [a character on screen] to turn left or turn right or go looking for something, that's a different kind of interactivity," he said. "But I think that the emotional response is the same... There's a story being told in the video game. How can I effectively support the emotional content of that?
"I know a lot of [composers] approach it from a different place. But [soundtracking a video game] was something that felt natural to me."
The 20 tracks on the season one soundtrack release (available now on CD as well as download and streaming platforms) are a natural starting point for Legion fans who don't want the high of the series to end. Many more of Russo's stirring creations can be heard in the series itself, and all can reveal true insight about David's psyche to those who listen closely.
-- Zach Ellin has provided coverage Legion coverage for ComicBook.com throughout the entire season of the show. Follow him on Twitter for more of his insights.
OTHER LEGION STARS TALK TO COMICBOOK: Dan Stevens Talks Season One | Michael Uppendahl Discusses Season Finale | Jean Smart Owns The Screen As Dr. Bird | Bill Irwin Credits Hawley for Legion-Marvel Marriage
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