The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Disney and Pixar's upcoming film Elio is set for release today, June 20, day and date with the film's premiere in theaters. When selecting the composer for Elio, the film-makers found the perfect match in Rob Simonsen, who taps into his armory of instruments and sounds to create scores that transport audiences - in this case - to space.
Simonsen infused the score with depth from every angle. "It's a heartfelt adventure through space and memory," he says. "It's also a meditation on signals - on how we reach out, and what it means when something reaches back.
"From early on, we were drawn to the idea of a signal, which is a simple pulse that opens the film," Simonsen continues. "It's the sound of humanity reaching out, asking if we're alone. It's the sound of Elio's wondering if he's alone. Loneliness is a big theme in this film. That concept became part of the DNA of the score. We created a theme tied to that signal, which becomes the sound of the response from the Communiverse - that we aren't alone, that we're part of something much bigger."
According to Simonsen, the score focuses less on where Elio is - Earth or space - and more on the emotional needs of the story. The composer pushed the limits of creativity to accompany Elio on his mission. "There are a lot of moments using synths to create colorful arpeggios that function within the overall orchestration," he says. "But we also take moments to feel large expanses with analog synth washes and processed sounds from Buchla, Moogs and other synths. There was a lot of programming in it that feels technical but also human. The washes are more about Elio's emotional landscape than literal outer space. Space itself gets treated more with orchestral sweep. The synths are used to reflect longing, memory and internal movement."
As the titular character, Elio received a special theme to spotlight his journey. "Elio's theme starts with a leap of a major 7th," says Simonsen. "It gives it this reaching quality, like he's looking for something just out of reach. It ties to memory, to family, to wonder. We used it throughout, sometimes in very subtle ways. It's one of those themes that hopefully grows in meaning the more it returns."
He created additional themes. "The Hylurgs have a kind of exaggerated war theme," he says. "It's aggressive and tribal, but there's a bit of humor to it. They're blinded by their own posturing, and the music reflects that without turning them into a joke. There are also smaller motifs for Elio's clone and for Glordon, his new best friend. Those are more playful, mostly done with synths. The Communiverse has a theme, too. It's simple, elemental. It functions almost as a response to Elio's theme, like a call and reply."
The score was recorded with an 85-piece orchestra at Sony. "We also recorded a 10-voice bass choir and a 24-doll "celestial choir" using the teenage engineering vocal synths. That blend of acoustic and artificial helped shape a sound that felt emotional, strange and specific to the film."
While most scores feature some choir elements, Simonsen called on something truly unique for Elio. "For the Communiverse, we used the teenage engineering choir dolls to give it an otherworldly quality—not quite human but still has this emotional quality," he says. "They're amazing little dolls. There's also a low male choir that reflects one of the more grounded, masculine forces in the story. Overall, it was about finding a sound world that felt unfamiliar and warm at the same time."
Adds Simonsen, "There are moments of stillness where just a few notes hopefully land in the right place, and others where the orchestration opens up and takes us into something bigger. The final scene probably brings all of that together. It's centered around Elio's theme, with a call back to the Communiverse signal. That moment feels like the full emotional arc coming into view. It's a great cinematic release."
Says director Madeline Sharafian, "Rob is a music nerd, so he has these odd electronic instruments in his workspace that make the strangest sounds. He was so excited to get the chance to use them in the score - and it really added to the effect we wanted."
Adds director Domee Shi, "He brings such scope and scale to the movie - once we're flying through the universe, it just sounds bigger. The music is just sweeping. His theme for the Communiverse is memorable and majestic. It'll blow your hair back."
According to editor Anna Wolitzky, Simonsen's score hits all the right notes. "One of the things he is so incredibly good at is the emotion," she says. "He's really good at invoking all of our feelings."