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Colin Stetson has composed a chilling soundtrack to the recent Hulu series “The First“. Starring Sean Penn and Natascha McElhone, the series details the first human mission to Mars “while exploring the challenges of taking the first steps toward interplanetary colonization.” “Colin Stetson was the first decision made when we began putting together the team for The First,” executive producer Jordan Tappis stated. “There was no debate. His prodigious creative spirit aligned perfectly, in tone and substance, with the world we were beginning to build for our inaugural season. Colin’s resulting score plays as significant a role as any other creative element in the series.”

When asked to describe his score, Stetson himself, says, “The music of The First is built on a foundation of stark and intimate qualities as exemplified by much of my solo saxophone repertoire, enhanced and expanded upon in every direction, from the epic orchestral character of horn and low brass fanfare, to the fragility and humanly intimate nature of muted solo piano. The breadth and scope of the overall narrative, comprised of these many real and extremely human stories of ambition, of love, and of grief and loss, has made it possible for me to fully explore such a multitude of aural approaches, resulting in a score which is as sonically and stylistically disparate as the personal stories of each of our characters, woven together by the common thread and themes of this grand shared purpose and of the sacrifices made by all in it’s service.

The First” soundtrack is Stetson’s followup to his horrifying score for “Hereditary” this past spring. It’s out now via New Deal/Record Collection if you’re interested, and for you vinyl die-hards you’ll be able to get your hands on it this winter.

Sarah Medeiros