The music in any film or television show undoubtedly carries one scene into another and drives to set the atmosphere seamlessly, whether it is fatal murder of a main character or love at first sight. These moments when coupled with the right soundtrack can leave imprints of a scene in viewer’s memory for years after first glance. The use of Born Slippy – Underworld at the end of Trainspotting, Tire Swing – Kimya Dawson in Juno or Echo and the Bunnymen in Donnie Darko. The role of the music supervisor has been largely under-rated until now, the importance of the soundtrack on a marketable commercial level as well as adding to the fluidity and movement of story is being recognised. The most well known name in the field is easily Alexandra Patsavas, over-seeing the soundtrack to The O.C, Gossip Girl and Mad Men. Pioneering the new trend for music promotion through television. Her work on Twilight is by far her biggest project to date the first soundtrack debuted at #1 on Billboard albums sales chart, having sold about 164,700 copies in its first week on store shelves. Her eclectic tastes have included Radiohead, Beastie Boys and Cold War Kids.
When the Skins series 2 finale premiered in the concluding sequences featured MGMT’s Time To Pretend which consequently rocketed from 137 in the charts to number 35. In an age where if you can remember a few lyrics to a song you liked in a car advert your saw in the afternoon, then Google it and have it downloaded (legally) and stored in your laptop the same evening, the resistance to the once mainly ignored contrived soundtrack is dying.
