Video: The Synth Sounds of Twin Peaks

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Ready for that gum you like to come back in style? Stashing fish in your percolator? Lubricating your silent drape runners? Twin Peaks and David Lynch fans have been patiently awaiting the new season of the surreal, campy thriller since it was announced way back in October 2014, and this is finally the big weekend when it hits.

So we here at Reverb figured why not take a trip to the old Black Lodge and dive deep into the those spine–tingling, jazzy synth themes that punctuate every twist and turn on the show? The soundtrack was composed by Lynch and his longtime musical collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti. And it is, after all, every bit as delectable as a slice of cherry pie.

In the first video, we talk about the sounds conjured by synth player Kinny Landrum for “Falling.” He used a combination of innovative sampling technology, analog synthesis, and the 1980s’ most popular digital synths, the Yamaha DX7 and Roland D50.

That analog synth Landrum used was one of the last that Roland ever produced, the rackmount MKS–70. As Justin notes in the video, that you can grab an amazing VST emulation of those classic Roland analog sounds, the PG–8X, on Reverb Sync. There's a faithful DX7 emulator and our own D50 sample pack up there as well, both for free.

In the second video, Justin walks us through the synths used on “Laura’s Theme,” focusing on those ominous pads and complex piano sounds that Badalamenti and Landrum wrung from that that D50. “Laura’s Theme” is that perfect combination of Lynchian creepiness and tongue–in–cheek schmaltz that has made Twin Peaks so adored for so long.

And like Justin mentions, some of the music in the Twin Peaks soundtrack was plucked from Julee Cruise’s 1989 album Floating in the Night. Any fans of the Twin Peaks soundtrack should check out that Julee Cruise album, as it was entirely written and produced by Lynch and Badalamenti.

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