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Evan Ross Katz
Hi, everyone, I'm Evan Ross Katz, and welcome back to the White Lotus Official Podcast from hbo. Now, we've talked about the show's origin story, its biting social satire, and its iconic cast. For this episode, I'd like to focus on another element that makes the show what it is. You're actually listening to it right now. It's indelible music scored by composer Cristobal Tapia de Vere, who goes by Christo. Christo was born in Chile, where he spent his childhood before moving to Canada at age 15. He went on to attend conservatory, where he studied classical music. He composed his first TV series score for a BBC show in 2011, and soon after, it became clear that this was his calling. Composing scores granted Christo the freedom to experiment, bridging genres, manipulating vocals and just grooving on that sometimes quirky, often haunting and always memorable sound that he's now known for. Alongside Christo's interview, we're going to be playing the actual audio stems he used to make up the theme song. So get ready to break it down layer by layer. But before we dive in, I have an alternate theme song for you, one that nobody's ever heard before.
John Grice
You know, I always bring a guitar with me wherever I go work, and I wrote an idea on this guitar.
Evan Ross Katz
John Grice, who you heard from a bunch last episode, doesn't just play Greg on the White Lotus. He's also an accomplished musician, and when I interviewed him for this podcast, he told me a secret and I wrote.
John Grice
A theme for Fred Hetchinger. His character to me was very much Captain's Courageous or something. You know, it kind of harkened from a childhood fantasy. And so I wrote like a Captain's Courageous type theme purely for my own edification. I was doing it as an exercise and I was never going to send it to anybody, like, but so I was really keen to hear what the music was going to be. And mine was so far, far a different world that was like, for the wrong, wrong movie. The music that I had made, I've never even played it for Mike. I've never played it for anyone, but it's.
Evan Ross Katz
It deserves a home.
John Grice
Why not? Like, you know, it was, and it was meant to be Fred's, you know, Fred Hetchinger, his Quinn's theme about, you know, extracting himself, it was. It's very. It's. It's not as cool nearly, but it's interesting. It's not bad.
Evan Ross Katz
Okay, so John's song isn't quite the same vibe that Christo came up with, but quite impressive nonetheless, wouldn't you say? It also goes to show what a crazy job it is to have the responsibility of crafting a theme song. This is the music that sets the tone for the entire show to come, that sets viewers expectations for genre, mood and atmosphere. And yet when Christo began developing what would become the White Lotus sonic signature, he had very little to go off of. There were no episodes ready, no visuals for Christo to reference. All he had was a script and a looming deadline. Here's Christo.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
So the first season, when they called me, it was rather late in the process. The mix was going to happen in about four weeks or something like that. For the first episode, everything was shot, they were editing, everything was pretty much there. The reason why Mike called me is because they were using some music that I did for Black Mirror as a temp score and that was the main music that was working for him. So he thought, let's call this guy, see if I could do the score for them and all that.
David Bernad
Our editor, Heather Persons, in season one used some of his score from another show as temp.
Evan Ross Katz
David Bernad, the White Lotus producer, recalled this story from his end.
David Bernad
Mike heard it and was like, wow, I really love how unique this sounds. And I really love the originality of his scores. He asked me to get in touch with them and Cristobal, Chilean, lives in Quebec. He lives in the mountains in Quebec. And I tracked down his agent. Manager just sent an email saying, you know, we're doing the show and we'd love to send it to you and see if Crystal Ball responds.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I pretty much started working, like right away, kind of in a rush to get things happening fast. I was working on the script and the conversations we had. So most of the music I did before they send me any images. Because Mike generally sends stuff really late. For some reason, I suppose he doesn't want to show stuff that is not finished. He was in Hawaii and I was here at minus 40 in Canada. I was in a barn, you know, in the woods. It was nothing but snow all around. So it was like A horror movie setup.
Evan Ross Katz
For me, Christo's first order of business was creating a bass layer of percussion.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I think I started recording just random percussions in the sense that I had, like. I think I had, like, a recording session in my computer, and I did like 10 minutes at one tempo and then 10 minutes at another tempo, and like that for maybe one hour. And so I would start recording basic stuff like shakers. Once I have like an hour of that, all the variations and stuff that I can imagine, I would start jamming on top of that with some drums and so on. So basically I did like a full percussion band of only me jamming to whatever I was recording. So that became the basic rhythms for the whole show.
Evan Ross Katz
You can just picture Christo alone in the barn in the woods in Canada, banging on drums and shakers for hours at a time. As Christo continued to build out the score and theme song, he came to center the theme around one essential ingredient.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
This theme is very much about the voices.
Evan Ross Katz
You know, the ones.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
Everything is just following the voices. It's kind of an excuse to make those voices happen because it felt like they had just the right energy for this and the right blend of. It's kind of like a war cry, and it's kind of tribal, and it fits with all the jungle chaos. It's a very powerful thing, too. And sometimes it feels like maybe it's nature screaming back or the animals.
Evan Ross Katz
What you're hearing here is actually one woman making one sound that Christo is then manipulating into different registers. Christo has actually recorded with her on several occasions, but the sound specifically came from a single session years before, the White Lotus.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
Her name is Stephanie Osorio. She's a Colombian singer that lives in Montreal. I suppose I found her by accident because I was listening to. She had a band here in Montreal of Latin American music. Since that time, we've recorded lots of stuff, both as just a bank and also her singing the actual melodies for songs. We did that for another HBO show called the Third Day, and for that it was a different process where I had songs and she needed to sing the melodies for the songs. Maybe 2016, something like that. I went to a studio I rented, like the biggest room, and she was in the middle of the room with a few microphones. So I have a couple of choices. One far microphone and one closed microphone. And we spent like three hours making any sounds, whatever came to mind. And I asked her to do just this thing with the mouth and the. Something like that. And it's just one note. So this is something that I had in Banc. I've done stuff like that a few times. So with time, I end up knowing the sessions. I remember that somebody did something, like in a certain style or with a certain tone, and I can go there and just pick that up and I can play with that. I had a little keyboard and my laptop, and that's it. That's pretty much it. And so the melody, I put it in a sampler, and then I can play it with a keyboard. So that's how it became something melodic, rather than just one note. The notes, the choice of notes is just basically what sounded the more natural for this voice. If you play on a keyboard, it's easy to go way out of the range of the voice or the material that you have. And so it becomes something else completely. Like, if you go too low, it sounds like a monster, or if you go too high, it sounds like a chipmunk. Those notes are very close together, and it just made sense. It sounded natural that way. So it's kind of otherworldly in the sense that you can feel that somebody maybe didn't sing that. It's kind of impossible to sing, but at the same time, it sounds like a person. It doesn't sound like a robot or a vocoder or anything like that.
Evan Ross Katz
Christo started pairing the vocals with other sounds like birds and jungle animals.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
If I remember correctly. The stuff that sounds like monkeys, that probably came from vinyls or elephants, stuff like that. In general, it's some very dirty vinyls, and you can hear there's some crusty sound to it, like from the 70s, probably even 60s, maybe. I just prefer the sound of those old vinyls than some modern sound bank. It doesn't sound very interesting, that stuff, for some reason, I don't know, but I rarely look for any natural sounds in my modern recordings. I much prefer the vinyl. Yeah, there is stuff that maybe sounds like animals, but it could be flutes. Sometimes I was playing into the flutes and sometimes making sounds with my voice into the flutes, like screams and. And stuff like that.
Evan Ross Katz
All of these elements helped cement for Christo the tone of the theme, which he described very aptly, I might add, as Hawaiian Hitchcock.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I think it's rather tense. It was clear from the start that this wasn't like a comedy kind of score or a vacation score. It was very much about the drama, the tension and the subtext, what's happening in people's heads. It's really pushing the chaos that the tourists create and maybe the chaos in their minds. So I suppose the jungle, the animals, the screaming and all that stuff, it really has nothing to do with Hawaii. It's more about these characters minds.
Evan Ross Katz
Late in the theme, another type of voice emerges. It's more of a heavy breathing or a moan.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
That voice in particular is Stephanie's daughter, actually, who was like, I don't know, 10 years old or something. And she came to the studio too. So yeah, I recorded some stuff with her too. That voice is a slowed down version of something that she did. So it kind of sounds weird because the pitch, it's way down. Her voice is much higher normally. And yeah, and I'm playing that with a keyboard again in the moment that felt kind of funky and I just like the sound.
Evan Ross Katz
Once Christo delivered the theme to the production team and they all started pairing his tracks to the visuals, it took a little bit of time for everyone to get accustomed to the new sound.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
With the images I had to adapt and see what works and what doesn't and see how far I can push my luck with the weird sounds and all that. Because it's generally with so little time, it can be harder for people to digest new propositions or a bold direction or something like that. Because it can be shocking at first to hear things that are quite different from what was used. For example, the attempt they had for the theme was a very loungy soft kind of pop that has absolutely nothing to do with what I sent. So there was quite a few conversations and somehow I don't know how it happened that, you know, it finally worked out, but it wasn't an obvious thing from the start. I mean, now it seems like people really associate the sound of the music to the show. But when it wasn't there, when we were trying to kind of accept this sound and make it work and all that, it really wasn't an obvious choice. It was kind of a leap of faith.
David Bernad
The theme song just kind of came out of nowhere.
Evan Ross Katz
David Bernat again, he just sent, he's.
David Bernad
Like, I worked on this theme. What do you think? Because at that point you're like, we don't know what the opening titles are. We don't know if we're going to use a cue. We don't know if it's going to be a song. We don't know what it is. And I think the second we heard it just like, wow. I mean, really. I remember I was in Vancouver. I remember exactly where I was when Mike sent it to me. And you kind of hear it and you're like, I. You always like, you know, you. It just. It's an amazing. It's an amazing theme song, and you kind of just know it works.
Evan Ross Katz
After the first season came out, Christo's theme went viral. As Christo mentioned, it was impossible to separate song from show. It felt like they'd been stitched together from the very beginning. Naturally, when season two rolled around, Mike White and David Bernad wanted Christo to do the music again. But Christo, he wasn't so sure.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I thought I didn't have the time to do this show at all the second season. I never really done a second season for any shows besides maybe one show, like, 10 years ago. That was like, a very special thing to me. But in general, I'm not really interested in franchises that much, so I told them that it was impossible for me to do this season, and then they asked me to do at least the theme.
Evan Ross Katz
Christo eventually came around and agreed to do the theme for the second season and to have his partner and frequent collaborator Kim Neundorff contribute additional music for the score.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
In the end, we didn't use that much music from the first season, maybe except in a couple of places, but all the percussions and animals and all that, it didn't really fit. The only thing that remains from the first season is those voices, which is kind of the main hook, the main interest of this track. I think we, you know, we discussed a little bit with Mike about some influences that could be interesting for Italy and, like, opera and stuff like that.
Evan Ross Katz
For the second season, Christos started with something simple.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I took, like, maybe one day to try to make some kind of sketch of something that could somehow sound Italian. So I did this mock up of an opera singer with some orchestral sounds in the beginning that sounded, like, super cheesy. And then we go slowly into the actual theme with those voices that you recognize from the first season. And then it goes into this club thing with a new instrumentation with pianos and. Yeah, a bunch of stuff. Some choirs and things like that.
Evan Ross Katz
As Christo developed the theme, he was inspired by the work of Paolo Sorrentino, the Italian director behind movies like the Great Beauty and series like the Young Pope.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
Throughout the second season, Paolo Sorrentino's movies were kind of present in my mind because of the way he uses music and, you know, the scenery in Italy and all of that. I suppose from. From the start, it was kind of obvious that there was going to be a beat dropping somewhere because that was the concept on the first one, too, so. And for this one, one of the tracks That I really liked, that I was listening to is Rafaela Cara, Italian singer. She has a couple of tracks that have been remixed by, like, French DJs. And so in general, I really like the way Sorrentino uses electronic music in his shows and his movies because it's kind of unexpected, the way he switches from classical music and all of a sudden there's a beat happening and you're in the Vatican or you're somewhere. That is kind of unexpected for that song. Most of this stuff, it's samples and orchestral stu whatnot. This voice is an actual opera singer who made a sound bank so that people could play with her voice. And she has this really, really amazing voice. So that melody I played, I played that with a keyboard. And then at some point I was thinking that maybe to actually call her to do it for real. But at that point, we didn't have that much time. And I was like, I'm not sure if it is gonna get better, really for the effect that we need for this. Because the intro is not meant to be really serious or anything like that. It's like an electronic musician mock up or version of what classical music or Renaissance music could sound like. So in the end, I really liked the way this sound and I just skated like that.
Evan Ross Katz
After the opera singing comes to an end, the voices from the Season one theme return with a new twist.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
It's interesting because there's some weird stuff that happens with the voices. By the end of each phrase, it goes into these really high notes. Some kind of, you know, really high, chaotic thing. By the end of the phrase, what.
Evan Ross Katz
Christo's referring to here is the screechy sound at the end of the track. Something between a shriek and a bird call.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
This is like accidents which happen because by the end of the phrase of these melodies that I'm playing on the keyboard, what I'm playing is a voice that she's doing this sound while she has air. And by the end, you can hear her voice fading out. And then she starts laughing. And so I kept the whole recording when I'm playing and I get to the end of the phrase, those are the sounds that you could think it's like, for example, birds or something like that. And it's just her voice that I'm playing, really, really high register on the keyboard. And it's just her that she starts laughing. The most interesting stuff for me about making all this music is those accidents, because it's completely unexpected. And then making the choice of doing something out of those accidents is the most fun part for me.
Evan Ross Katz
When Christo finished the demo for the season two theme, he sat on it for a little while before sending it in for review. Nothing was holding him back, per se. Well, except anxiety.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
I wasn't really sure about it. It was a really fast demo and I didn't really like it that much.
Evan Ross Katz
The White Lotus producer David Bernad remembers the day he finally received it.
David Bernad
We were in production and we were shooting at the vineyards. I think the scene where the two couples go on their couple's trip to do the wine tasting and Aubrey gets drunk.
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David Bernad
And he just sent it to us and it's like, wow. It's like, yeah, it's like a banger. That was all him. And the second I heard it, I was like, oh, wow. And then I remember like driving, you know, it was like 45 minutes from our hotel. I remember driving back and just kind of listened to it on repeat for 45 minutes. And we're kind of like, this song is brilliant.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
So I was kind of surprised that the theme worked out. I never really went past the demo state of this thing. So you never know. I mean, as a musician, you're always thinking how you could do things better and rerecord things and if you had some loops that you use, maybe you want to re record that to make sound things better and maybe less cheesy or whatever. You know, you criticize a lot when you're working. But this time I was kind of happy. I just left it as is because people were really tripping on the theme. It worked out really well. Maybe I would have sabotaged it if I've done it better.
Evan Ross Katz
These days, both theme songs have reached a stratospheric level of iconic. Their earwormy, haunting melodies are so catchy that DJs have taken to remixing them. Perhaps the most famous case being Tiesto. David remembers hearing that remix in an unexpected place.
David Bernad
I was at the White House correspondence dinner and Tiesto was performing at a party and they started playing the song and I thought it was a. Not for me, but it was like a joke or something. And then I was like, wow, that was like. And then I went and met Tiesto and I thanked him for all the love and I connected him with Christo and it was like, you know, it's like a genuine. It's amazing. I mean, again, and it's a credit to Christo and how talented he is that world class DJs are playing his music everywhere.
Evan Ross Katz
The White Lotus music is so popular that live versions of it have been performed by all sorts of artists. A jam band, a symphony orchestra at London's Barbican, and an EDM artist at Coachella. That's range.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
We've been doing some live versions of this. Like, for example, we did an orchestral version in la. And then I actually called Nicole Deschene, who is the singer. She's American, and she came to LA to sing this. So it was the first time I heard this played for real. And with her singing this thing live. And then from then on, I called her again for other projects because I like her voice so much.
Evan Ross Katz
While the theme might be the most iconic music from the series, many of Christo's other tracks are crucial to defining its mood, from the frenetic to the soothing. You can listen to any of these tracks on the White Lotus soundtrack on Spotify if you want to go on a little mental vacation. And then, of course, there's the music that's actually performed in the show, specifically in season two by a certain Italian musician.
Beatrice Guerano
Mike White was looking for an Italian girl who could sing and play the piano. So I was like, tick, tick.
Evan Ross Katz
This is Beatrice Guerano, who plays Mia.
Beatrice Guerano
Scusi. I got the job singing here.
Evan Ross Katz
Oh, congratulations.
Beatrice Guerano
Grazia. Grazia. Gracia Ville.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
Grazia.
Evan Ross Katz
Mia's an aspiring singer and close friend of Lucia, the local escort. When Beatrice first read the role, she felt like it was made for her.
Beatrice Guerano
I started shaking. I remember I was, like, shaking. Cause I was thinking that I was really in the right pull. And sometimes when you do this job, it's not really about being the best. It's about finding the role that really belongs to you. So, yeah. And then that's when I watched again season one. And it was painful to watch because it was so good. And I'm like, I'm hurting myself. If I don't get this job, I'm gonna be so upset. What I really like about her is that, yes, she's innocent, but I think she's just really strong willed. Like, she is very determined, and she would do everything in her power to get where she wants. And I like that about her that she never doubts herself. She always says, I'm a great musician. I'm amazing. You'll see it. I'm wonderful. I'm great at the piano. She's never, not even once, doubting herself, which is something I found very inspiring. And of course, I think that both Mia and Lucia, I see them as like two little, like, fairies, or they are there to kind of break everything apart in order to then fix it. Because what they do is they join this, you know, this hotel, and they break every couple. They break the manager, and then Lucia's character breaks the son of Michael Imperioli, you know, Adam and, like. But then in the end, by doing so, they eventually fix every situation, which. It's very Shakespearean, I think they're like, puck, you know, I feel like they join it and turn everything apart to then fix it.
Evan Ross Katz
As Mia, Beatrice had a handful of standout musical scenes where she sings and plays piano at the resort.
Beatrice Guerano
I remember I told Mike, I want to be perfect in this role. I want to be exceptional. And he said, you are exceptional. And I'm like, yeah, but I want to be better. I was singing and playing, which was a dream to me. And we were doing all of that live because he wanted to be real. So I was very nervous because I'm like, okay, I know he wants it to be real, but at the same time, I hope this is gonna sound okay because it's live and I'm acting and playing the piano and singing, and it's gonna be one take, and everybody will see this, which was scary. And we were doing those music scenes at 4 in the morning, but I loved it. I think what I was feeling when I was doing that was something that I will never forget. It was incredible.
Evan Ross Katz
The set for season two actually had an unexpected visitor in Esti Haim. She was there as a music supervisor and friend to the show, and Esti even brought along her own guest, Ke$. Beatrice recalled many rowdy nights with SD.
Beatrice Guerano
For me to meet her, like, who am I? I'm just this girl from south of Rome. We were living in a bubble because we were staying in Taormina in a moment in which, you know, it was not the season, so it was empty. And I love that feeling of emptiness. I don't know. It was surreal because we're in the most beautiful place in the world, and it was raining all the time, and it was just us. We were owning that place. It felt like that. Esty Hime, she basically talked to the managers of the hotel, and she managed to put up, like, a sound system. Like, she brought the speakers and she brought the mic, and I'm like, where did you find all these things? And she said, you know, I've asked, because in the hotel, of course, they do events sometimes. So she kind of put up all this situation, and we were dancing, and it was actually great also, because, you know, you dance there, and then you know, you can just go back in your room and sleep. And all of us, we had incredible rooms. So every room was like a party place. It was just like imagine. Imagine having, you know, are you from Los Angeles? You know, having the chateau just for yourself with all the brooms and everything. You know, it was. It was crazy. And we were doing lots of karaoke.
Evan Ross Katz
Do you recall what your karaoke song was?
Beatrice Guerano
I think I sung wannabe Spice Girls. Wannabe Spice Girls. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God.
Evan Ross Katz
Beatrice performed her piano songs live on set, a decision that definitely made the scenes feel more authentic, but it was also nerve wracking. As she prepped, Esti gave Beatrice some excellent advice.
Beatrice Guerano
She actually told me many things, but there was one thing she said that stuck with me. And even today, before concerts, before I'm recording, I think about that. She gave me an image that was so powerful. She said, you have to think of your voice like a chewing gum. And when it comes out, you gotta think that it's kind of expanding in the room because I have a very. I have my way of singing, which is very, like, small and tiny, and it's my style. Esti was saying Mia's character, like, okay, she's a lounge singer and everything, but she's not that sophisticated. She just wants to be seen. So you gotta shout it out. You gotta, like, really play your voice out. You get to put yourself out there. Even if you think it's wrong, you got to be annoying. You got to do that. And I told her, I don't know if I have the voice you're talking about. I don't know if I'm that kind of singer who, like, sings that way. I'm very like, I'm a shy singer, and I like that. And she said, no, no, no, no. You have the voice. And she said, think about your voice as this, like, big. Like this. This chewing gum. And even now, I think about that chewing gum, and it works. Esti, she was wonderful. I'm very normally very. I take time to let people in, especially when they're teaching me something. I'm like, yeah, I'm taking what you're saying. But also I'm like, I want to do my own thing. But her, she manages to really break me in a good way, and I will always be grateful. She has a way of getting to people that it's very special.
Evan Ross Katz
That's it for this time. Next time on the final episode of the White Lotus Look Back podcast, we'll be diving into Mike White's biography to see how all of his work and life experiences informed his making of the White Lotus. I kind of think I built out an imaginative world because I was understimulated in a sense.
Cristobal Tapia de Vere
Everyone goes to Mike. I'm like, dang.
Evan Ross Katz
He's like the king kingpin Mike.
John Grice
I point it to everyone and I said, he changed all our lives.
Evan Ross Katz
The White Lotus Podcast is a production of HBO and Campside Media. This episode was hosted by me, Evan Ross Katz and produced by Natalia Winkelman. Our associate producer is Aaliyah Papes. Fact checking by Gray Lanta at Campside Media. Our executive producer is Josh Dean. Editing and sound design by Ewin Lai Trimuin. Special thanks to Michael Gluckstadt, Alison Cohen Sirocac and Kenya Reyes from the HBO Podcast Team. Thank you for listening and I'll see you next time.
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Release Date: February 6, 2025
Host: Evan Ross Katz
Guests: Cristobal Tapia de Veer (Composer), John Grice (Actor/Musician), David Bernad (Producer), Beatrice Guerano (Actor/Musician)
In Episode 6 of The White Lotus Official Podcast, hosted by Evan Ross Katz, the spotlight is turned to one of the show's most defining elements: its evocative and memorable music. The episode delves into the creative process behind the show's score, led by Chilean-Canadian composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, known professionally as Christo. Evan sets the stage by highlighting Christo’s unique approach to composition, which blends genres and manipulates vocals to create the show's haunting and quirky soundscape.
Notable Quote:
Evan Ross Katz ([00:46]): "It's indelible music scored by composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who goes by Christo."
Before introducing Christo, Evan features John Grice, who not only portrays Greg on The White Lotus but is also an accomplished musician. Grice shares a personal anecdote about composing a theme for his character, Fred Hetchinger, likening it to Captain Courageous. Although his composition differs significantly from Christo’s vision, it underscores the intricate responsibility of crafting a theme that sets the show's tone.
Notable Quotes:
John Grice ([02:26]): "I wrote a theme for Fred Hetchinger... but it's so far, far a different world that was like, for the wrong movie."
Evan Ross Katz ([04:05]): "John's song isn't quite the same vibe that Christo came up with, but quite impressive nonetheless."
Cristobal Tapia de Veer discusses how he was brought on board for the first season under tight deadlines and with minimal initial resources—no completed episodes or visual references, only the script. This necessitated a rapid and intuitive composition process.
Notable Quotes:
Christo ([04:43]): "Everything was just in a rush to get things happening fast... It was like a horror movie setup."
David Bernad ([05:19]): "Mike heard it and was like, wow, I really love how unique this sounds."
Christo explains his method of layering percussions and experimenting with various tempos to create the foundational rhythms of the show. The focus on voices became a central element, with Stephanie Osorio’s vocal recordings being manipulated to produce otherworldly sounds that blend seamlessly with natural elements like jungle noises.
Notable Quote:
Christo ([07:39]): "This theme is very much about the voices... It feels like maybe it's nature screaming back or the animals."
Transitioning to the second season, Christo grappled with expectations following the viral success of the first season’s theme. Initially hesitant to return due to his preference against franchises, he eventually agreed to contribute, bringing fresh influences inspired by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s work.
Notable Quotes:
Christo ([16:56]): "I wasn't really interested in franchises that much... but they asked me to do at least the theme."
David Bernad ([15:34]): "The theme song just kind of came out of nowhere... it's an amazing theme song, and you kind of just know it works."
For the second season, Christo introduced elements like opera and electronic music, merging classical influences with modern beats to reflect the show's new Italian setting. This blend was inspired by Sorrentino’s ability to juxtapose classical and electronic sounds, creating unexpected yet cohesive musical moments.
Notable Quote:
Christo ([19:04]): "I really like the way Sorrentino uses electronic music in his shows and his movies because it's kind of unexpected."
The podcast highlights the widespread acclaim and cultural impact of The White Lotus's music. Christo’s themes have transcended the show, being remixed by global DJs like Tiesto and performed live by diverse artists, from jam bands to symphony orchestras at prestigious venues like London’s Barbican and festivals like Coachella.
Notable Quotes:
David Bernad ([24:47]): "It's a credit to Christo and how talented he is that world-class DJs are playing his music everywhere."
Christo ([25:26]): "We've been doing some live versions... Nicole Deschene... I like her voice so much."
The episode also features Beatrice Guerano, who portrays Mia—a character deeply intertwined with music in the second season. Beatrice discusses the challenges and triumphs of performing live musical scenes, emphasizing authenticity and vulnerability. Her collaboration with music supervisor Esti Haim provided valuable techniques to enhance her vocal performance, likening her voice to "chewing gum" to project more confidently.
Notable Quotes:
Beatrice Guerano ([27:16]): "I want to be perfect in this role. I want to be exceptional."
Esti Haim ([32:19]): "Think of your voice like a chewing gum... you gotta shout it out."
Beatrice shares memorable experiences from set, including lively interactions with Esti Haim and the camaraderie among the cast, which contributed to the genuine feel of the musical performances.
In wrapping up, Evan Ross Katz reflects on the enduring legacy of The White Lotus’s music, noting its integral role in the show's storytelling and its ability to resonate with audiences worldwide. The episode underscores how Christo’s innovative compositions have elevated the series, making the music an indispensable aspect of its identity.
Notable Quote:
Evan Ross Katz ([26:46]): "The White Lotus music is so popular that live versions of it have been performed by all sorts of artists."
The episode concludes with a teaser for the next installment, which promises a deep dive into creator Mike White's biography, exploring how his life and experiences have shaped the creation of The White Lotus.
Notable Quote:
Evan Ross Katz ([34:25]): "Next time on the final episode of the White Lotus Look Back podcast, we'll be diving into Mike White's biography..."
Production Credits:
**Listen to the full episode on Max.
This comprehensive exploration of The White Lotus's musical landscape offers fans and newcomers alike an in-depth understanding of how the show's score not only complements but also enhances its narrative and thematic depth.