Today, an analysis video of some of Mark Snow’s score for The X-Files. Now this is something that there should be more of! Such soundtrack breakdown videos have become more common, especially on monuments like John Williams or Howard Shore, but it’s rare that video-makers take the time to delve into the music of episodic television.

This musician, Darren Rampton, did a transcription of some tracks, music sheet and all, recreates it on his synth, and provides commentary.

What are the exact elements in Snow’s music that create the series’ unique melancholy atmosphere? There’s all the instruments-on-synths — strings, harp, piano — and there’s the technical vocabulary of musicology — keys, minor scales, chords, chromaticism, dissonance, atonality, Penderecki plucking, figures and motifs, etc.

The video examines the main theme as well as music from 1X01: Deep Throat, 1X20: Tooms, 1X22: Roland and 2X07: 3. He even identifies a reference to the main theme in “3“!

He promises for more but there’s only been this video for now. Plus, this video where he recreated a track from 3X14: Grotesque. Enjoy!