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Hear A New Song From The 'Stranger Things' Soundtrack

Netflix

If you've watched the Netflix series Stranger Things, you've likely noticed how the synth-heavy soundtrack is as full-on '80s as the clothes and cars. It's an icy, pulsing, oh-so-analog sound that Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the Austin band SURVIVE shrewdly re-created for the show, a supernatural thriller set in 1983.

Now, Dixon and Stein are sharing a new song they wrote for Stranger Things called "Kids."

"The directors were previously fans of SURVIVE," Dixon and Stein wrote in a prepared statement. "They used a song from our first LP in a trailer they made to pitch their concept to Netflix. Once the show was picked up, they reached out to see if we were available to score the show. We discussed having a classic tone and feel to the music for the show, but being reserved enough that it wasn't '80s cheese, while offering a refreshing quality so [it] felt modern."

For "Kids," like much of the score, Dixon and Stein capture this classic tone with spiky chords and spare, synthetic bass lines that thump methodically under chilling ambient tones. It's a sound that's both unsettling and familiar.

"Kids" appears on a new, two-volume soundtrack from Stranger Things. Volume One is due out via Lakeshore Records this Friday. The second volume comes out a week later.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
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