Description

When *Twin Peaks* debuted on the ABC network on the night of April 8, 1990, thirty-five million viewers tuned in to some of the most unusual television of their lives. Centered on an eccentric, coffee-loving FBI agent’s investigation into the murder of a small town teen queen, *Twin Peaks* brought the aesthetic of arthouse cinema to a prime time television audience and became a cult sensation in the process. Part of *Twin Peaks’* charm was its unforgettable soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti, a frequent and reoccurring collaborator of film director and *Twin Peaks* co-creator David Lynch. Badalamenti’s evocative music, with its haunting themes and jazzy moodscapes, served as a constant in a narrative that was often unhinged and went on to become one of the most popular and influential television soundtracks of all time. How did a unique collaborative process between a director and composer result in a perfectly post-modern soundtrack that ran the gamut of musical styles from jazz to dreamy pop to synthesizer doom and beyond? And how did Badalamenti’s musical cues work with *Twin Peaks’* visuals, constantly evolving and having the ability to break with television convention; playing off viewers’ expectations and associations? Under the guidance of Angelo Badalamenti’s diverse sonic palette Clare Nina Norelli delves deep into the world of *Twin Peaks* to answer all of these questions and more.