The music of 'The X-Files'

Amidst the coverage of the return of The X-Files — a reprise is now halfway through its six-episode run — Mark Snow, who composed original music for each episode, has been somewhat absent. Snow's music is a defining element of the show, and his name will always be linked to The X-Files. As much as Snow defined its character, it has also defined him as a composer.

https://youtu.be/rbBX6aEzEz8

When the show premiered in 1993, not many knew that Mark Snow developed the now-iconic theme by accident. This trick of fate helped established a sound bed unlike most of that which was heard on television prior. With the show's inherent narrative connections to eerie shows like The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks, synthetic instrumentation and production tricks allowed Snow to set The X-Files apart with a more cinematic sound.

Original scores for each episode were not as common in the '90s as they are today — often, shows would draw from a pool of music that was composed for the entire series, or would even use stock music that was completely generic. Snow's original X-Files music amply justified itself with its signature balance of references to horror, film noir, and soap opera. It was often prominent in the mix with a tinge of b-cinema sensibilities that could make it seem cheesy at times, but always seemed to be in the right orbit for the show's many reference points.

Percussion was key. Sometimes piano addressed softer moments, but could also come in as a somewhat more prepared piano consideration combined with caustic drum arrangements that pushed scenes along. Strings were often used in more traditional horror patterns, but as the show grew up it also gave the low end more adult range.

Stepping into the 21st century, Snow has refined his palette. While the theme (and the original intro) is intact, synthesizers have been largely traded for a more mature orchestration with a scope akin to that of the 2008 X-Files film. While the film itself is much-reviled by fans, Snow's music for the movie is quite good. Layered with incredible delicacy at times, and more organic instrumentation with piano and strings (as usually happens when the budget is larger for music), the X-Files movie allowed Snow to expand his range.

The X-Files has earned iconic status. As a result, it no longer needs to reference other shows and genres, but rather reference itself. Any success or failure of this six-episode mini-series depends on how in-step and out-of-step it is with the cultural memory of the show.

Snow has taken it upon himself to musically link each episode to the memories of the show's audience, which has matured. Fans of the original show are older, and new fans have a different sensibility and expectation of what television can do. In terms of television music, Snow's score is much more refined and quietly orchestrated versus the original series, when the music was much more up front in the mix and self-aware.

Snow's music has always helped viewers know how to think about each episode. In this new iteration, the composer plays it much more under-the-radar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1SmJUBT5q0

Garrett Tiedemann is a writer, filmmaker, and composer who owns the multimedia lab CyNar Pictures and its record label American Residue Records.

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