The Story Behind the Music of TWIN PEAKS: A Tribute to Angelo Badalamenti
If you grew up in the 90s then you are surely no stranger to the dreamlike, moody and unnerving realm of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. A monumental moment in the history of TV and a show that drew a range of fans including David Bowie, Moby and even Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Rumour has it that Gorbachev was so enamoured with the show, that he contacted his American counterpart, George H.W. Bush asking if he could get the low down on who killed Laura Palmer. The credibility of this bizarre memento is up for debate, but just the existence of such a rumour is a testament to the fervour and enthusiasm that was circulating around the show in 1990.
Twin Peaks (1990)
While Twin Peaks is often known for its sumptuous aesthetic style, shimmering atmospherics, and eerie mood; one area that was essential for creating the overall Twin Peaks feel is that of the music composed by Angelo Badalamenti; who unfortunately passed away in December 2022. While the classically trained composer was already a long-running collaborator with David Lynch, having composed the soundtrack to Blue Velvet; his name will be forever synonymous with the opening notes of Twin Peaks—a slow-paced mesmerising piece that pulled open the curtains and set the stage for the show. But how did such a soundtrack come into existence? Let’s take a trip back in time to Twin Peaks, to unravel the extra-musical layer that coated the show with sumptuous charm.
Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch
The year was 1989 and director David Lynch was standing in the Manhattan office of Angelo Badalamenti, in need of inspiration. The show Twin Peaks—a story of murder and mystery set in an isolated and secretive small town in north-west pacific America—had yet to start production, but already Lynch was in desperate need of the music that would come to define the show. For Lynch the music and imagery were one and the same, inextricably linked; and to start filming without getting the necessary mood of the music in place, would have been unthinkable. And so what follows is the famous story of the creative process between Badalamenti and director David Lynch.
Sitting together in their office, Lynch asked Badalamenti to close his eyes and listen to his voice, creating a scenario that was more akin to a guided meditation or kid’s story time in school. The director painted a picture of Twin Peaks, asking the composer to imagine himself alone at night, confronted by a wood bathed in moonlight. He asked Badalamenti to listen to the wind as it brushed passed the sycamore trees and notice the hoots of the nearby owls. Thus Badalamenti began to play, starting with a gentle melody. ”Slower.” uttered Lynch. “Slower is more beautiful.” Like two kindred spirits linked by something intangible and invisible, the creative duo fed off each other, one providing a story dug out from the depths of his mind and the other, heart-wrenching chords and notes strung from his heart.
Laura Palmer
“Now you can see a very lonely girl, her name is Laura Palmer, it’s very sad.” muttered Lynch urging on Badalamenti to change the tempo. What followed was a shift in musical direction that brought the musical story out of the woods and into the heavens coalescing into an ecstatic crescendo before crashing back down into the depths of the dark woods. The entire process took just twenty minutes to make. Badalamenti offered to rearrange things and further develop it but Lynch simply replied, “Don’t change a single note. I see Twin Peaks.” This brief and explosive unity of two spirits united in creative resonance would go on to become “Laura Palmer’s Theme.”
The entire interview where Badalamenti goes into detail about the creative process can be found on YouTube, check the link below to find it.
After working on Twin Peaks, in which he won a grammy, Badalamenti’s career kept growing and growing. He went on to collaborate with musicians such as David Bowie, Orbital and The Pet Shop Boys and even went on to do work for the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. However, it was always with Lynch that he felt most comfortable creating for. There was something special in their relationship, an understanding that is often rare to find in creatives; a realm in which conflicting egos wrestle for ownership over their visions. There was no such dynamic in their work, a perfect recipe that resulted in the beautiful legacy of the music of Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Badalamenti was a master storyteller, who with such simplicity was able to easily condense a description or an image, into a musical piece that would capture the essence of the creative visions of those around him. It’s no surprise that directors like Lynch, after working with him once would continually come back, such was the ease with which Badalamenti could create iconic and beautiful compositions. The world of music will sorely miss such a giant in the field after his passing, but is there a better time than now to rewatch the show and remember fondly the iconic realm that he and David Lynch created?
