Cantina Sounds: Star Wars source music

How did you tackle the not-inconsiderable task of updating Star Wars Cantina sound with Danny Piccione on "Pinteeka Dub?" KB: We knew from the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Walt Disney World and Disneyland's Oga's Cantina that DJ R3X's playlists were going to feature a really diverse blend of fun and uptempo music. We also knew that instead of galactic tourists and affluent traders, Seezelslak's cantina was going to cater to a scuzzier quality of customer: your typical working-class bounty hunters and assassins looking to avoid the crowds at Oga's. We'd also been given access to some music and commercials that can be heard on Black Spire Radio in Galaxy's Edge, but not heard in Oga's Cantina or on DJ R3X's playlist releases. Once we knew what Seezelslak's neighbors and commercial rivals were listening to, we set about producing interesting music that felt adjacent to the styles heard in Black Spire Outpost and elsewhere in the galaxy, but more instrumental and downtempo and befitting our lovable laid-back bartender with, shall we say, dubious standards of cleanliness.

DJing and electronic music production had actually been my original gateway into professional audio engineering and post-production, so l assembled a fairly extensive list of both mainstream and underground music references from my own record collection for Danny so that he had references for exactly what we were looking for. We wanted Seezelslak's cantina jukebox music to sound like music that could be produced by an individual or a small band using "real instruments" like keyboards and modular synthesizers that might actually exist in the Star Wars universe, and not the ubiquitous virtual studio technology plugins of the real world. Danny took our initial concepts and ran with them, delivering a variety of songs that not only fit the environment, but were able to integrate seamlessly with Joseph Trapanese's Tales scores when Seezelslak's storytelling transports us to different times and places within Star Wars history.

Seezelslak, a four-eyed Azumel, wipes down the bar in his cantina

The jukebox in Seezelslak's cantina, with the caption: Seezelslak: Ugh. I hate this song. Now I remember why I broke it in the first place.

Skywalker Sound's Kevin Bolen: "…we set about producing interesting music that felt adjacent to the styles heard in Black Spire Outpost and elsewhere in the galaxy, but more instrumental and downtempo and befitting…[Seezelslak's] shall we say, dubious standards of cleanliness."

Cyinarc YouTube video by Danny Piccione - Topic

"Cyinarc" by Danny Piccione features whirling flute over some very 80s EDM. I haven't a clue what the title refers to, but you can hear it in Seezelslak's Cantina in the VR game Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, or here on day 307 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. youtu.be/-6hazfyZ8vI?...

Computer graphics of a climbing vine growing in a lab with purple blossoms close to the ground

We're playing "Boot Black and Bachani Blossoms" on day 306 of #TheDiegeticShuffle.

Boot Black and Bachani Blossoms YouTube video by Øbsidian Arbitration

Bachani blossoms are a dark purple flower with medicinal and narcotic properties. Boot black is shoe polish. Mix them together and you get "Boot Black and Bachani Blossoms", a slinky, Danny Elfman-y Old Republic jizz number by @stevekirkpop.bsky.social. youtu.be/FAjxxZznDdQ?...

Cid's Jukebox Mix Vol. 3 YouTube video by Kevin Kiner - Topic

It's the second half of "Cid's Jukebox Mix Vol. 3" if you'd like to hear a clean version of it, and it's what we're bringing you on day 305 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. youtu.be/Q-_KKxyAV3k?...

We go from the "relaxing playlist" yesterday to "Cid's Laidback Source" today—is the shuffle trying to tell us something? This Deana Kiner track from the Bad Batch episode "Faster" is a dreamy, pulsing, ambient composition that goes great with a carton of Mantell Mix.

Holographic album art with RELAXING PLAYLIST in Aurebesh and vertical blue stripes defining a city skyline in negative space

A large seal-like creature sitting on a rocky shore in the Last Jedi

The album art for this track says RELAXING PLAYLIST in Aurebesh, suggesting the jukebox has the equivalent of a greatest hits CD loaded onto it. Perhaps Thala is the home planet of thala-sirens? We're relaxing to the relaxing playlist on day 304 of #TheDiegeticShuffle.

Dreaming of Thala YouTube video by Cody Matthew Johnson - Topic

"Dreaming of Thala" by Jagged Hope is a darkly soaring jukebox composition from Outlaws by @codymatthewjohnson.bsky.social, made otherworldly by layers of reverb, eerie vocalizations and unexpected instrumentation.
youtu.be/f7lbjZ6bM4A?...

The Music of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge — Harlan Hodges Read Harlans latest blog post about the Music Of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Composer, Pianist, and Producer Harlan Hodges talks about collaborating with legendary studio pianist Randy Kerber when writi...

Until you visit Batuu (or Disney Music sees fit to release these tracks), you can hear excerpts from "Errant Bazaar" and six more at www.harlanhodges.com/hhnews/the-m..., or tune in right here on day 303 of #TheDiegeticShuffle.

"Errant Bazaar" is another piece of alien music by Harlan Hodges and Randy Kerber that plays on the patio of Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy's Edge, a peppy mix of bamboo flute, drums, and junk with a guitar (?) drop in the middle. Hodges thoughtfully released an excerpt on his website.

Make way for the Big Hay-Zu! The Patitite villagers play a tinny fanfare to announce their leader on day 302 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. Like day 301, it's from season 4 of the Clone Wars. It was probably composed by Matthew St. Laurent, Takeshi Furukawa, or David Glen Russell.

Speakeasy YouTube video by Paul Freitas - Topic

Jason Ball points out that this sounds very similar to Paul Freitas' "Speakeasy", which was released as a licensable track the year before "Bounty". Interesting. youtu.be/1mPuk0aymvA?...

Asajj Ventress interrupts the band on day 301 of #TheDiegeticShuffle with this classic Kevin Kiner jizz composition from season 4 of the Clone Wars. The Bith duo in the Mos Eisley cantina are unnamed, but could very well be members of the Modal Nodes 21 years before Luke's visit.

Azu Ragga YouTube video by Danny Piccione - Topic

We've made it to day 300 of #TheDiegeticShuffle! Let's chill celebratorily by cueing up "Azu Ragga" by Danny Piccione, which is not a ragga song at all but a trance or maybe chillwave journey to Batuu from the "Tales from the Galaxy's Edge" VR game. youtu.be/xnAHHO0QREM

In the Escape Pod - The Music of STAR WARS: The Old Republic YouTube video by swtheoldrepublic

What happens in the escape pod stays in the escape pod. "In the Escape Pod" is some bow-chicka-bow-wow Old Republic slow funk by the all-droid band the Leisurenauts, composed by @stevekirkpop.bsky.social. It shuffles on up on day 299 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. youtu.be/uqiSBAffOVU?...

Oops—as @ithiliel.bsky.social points out, this is of course Remla Moonis, who struck out on a solo career from the Refractors.

A hologram of five blue lines swooping around two purple discs, with Aurebesh saying HIGH VOLTAGE in small text and MEMORY CORE IS DEAD LET'S DANCE larger below

The holographic album art features some nice clean 1970s geometric design (though in the game it's erroneously swapped with the art for "Look Up!"). It's another @codymatthewjohnson.bsky.social tune for day 298 of #TheDiegeticShuffle!

Memory Core Is Dead, Let's Dance YouTube video by Cody Matthew Johnson - Topic

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If your memory core is dead, get down! "Memory Core Is Dead, Let's Dance" is an Outlaws jukebox song by the band High Voltage with a catchy hook and a distorted droid vocalist (Peter Jones?). youtu.be/3sPcPyxV64E?...

A Weequay sitting with his chin in his hand in front of a desert hut, staring into the distance

Mood: Skungy Gungus in Wayfar.

The Flag Parade - Music Composition Techniques - Any Old Music In this article I analyse and discuss the music composition techniques that John Williams uses in his film cue The Flag Parade.

If you're interested in a deep dive into the music theory of "The Flag Parade", check out anyoldmusic.com/the-flag-par.... If you just like stirring, bombastic music and Ben Quadinaros waving, we're playing it for you on day 297 of #TheDiegeticShuffle!

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) 31 The Flag Parade YouTube video by Soundtrack Studio

It was released as its own track on the Ultimate Edition soundtrack, though I believe the cue (3M9) as it appears in the movie repeats some passages, which is why it's 45 seconds longer. youtu.be/pIflfXaQ5f4?...

"The Flag Parade" is the brassy John Williams fanfare and march that kicks off the podracing in Episode I. Some of it, at least, seems to be diegetic, though it's unclear to me how much is meant to be score and how much is source. (The Eopie fart is definitely diegetic, though.)

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He proudly announced that it was "officially utilized in show" on May 16, 2023—just a week before the news the Starcruiser was being decommissioned. But Bryce David recently recorded his first EP, and you can hear "Away" on day 296 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. www.instagram.com/reel/CsSju4w...

"Away" (Sandro, Galactic Starcruiser, 9/9) YouTube video by Bannik

"Away (I Found You)" was performed by itinerant musician and Ouannii admirer Sandro Alimander on the Halcyon. It wasn't part of the original storyline or soundtrack; one of the Sandro performers, Bryce David, wrote it and was allowed to add it to the show. youtu.be/o6BjEFeBqoE?...

On day 295 of #TheDiegeticShuffle, the Colossus may be underwater but the music in Aunt Z's goes on. This brief snippet of chiptune comes to us from Michael Tavera.

The lyrics are:

"Hutt-sized woman!"

"I am a dancing girl.
You want, you drool.
First-class dancers—
Keep your hands off."

Pretty racy for Disney parks! All those Huttese-speaking younglings better cover their little ears.

"Huttuk Cheeka" is slinkier than a Fytee song, strongly Middle Eastern-influenced with the melismatic vocals (wavering from note to note) characteristic of that region. DJ R-3X refers to Elem Zadowz as "your favorite pop sensation", so I guess she's doing well for herself.

Elem Zadowz - Huttuk Cheeka (From "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Oga's Cantina"/Audio Only) YouTube video by DisneyMusicVEVO

The shuffle gods have served us another banger from the team of Dan Fontana and Roger Butterley on day 294 of #TheDiegeticShuffle. "Huttuk Cheeka" (Hutt-sized woman) isn't a Fytee song, though; their alter ego here is Elem Zadowz (derivation unknown). youtu.be/e_KkJLQGINg?...

Late-breaking correction! I had the wrong Dan Fontana for "Yocola Ateema". The actual composer is an Orlando studio engineer. bsky.app/profile/cant...

Incidentally, I am charmed that there is a Billboard charts equivalent in Star Wars called the Starboard charts.