Going back in time with ‘The Incredibles’ soundtrack
There’s a reason that “The Incredibles” continues to be one of the most iconic and beloved superhero movies of all time. First released in 2004, the Pixar movie about a super-powered family celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. With distinctive characters, a unique retro style, and a tense yet heartwarming story, there are plenty of reasons why “The Incredibles” continues to hold up so many years later. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons is the jazzy, stylish soundtrack.
With futuristic vehicles and gadgets set against a backdrop of sleek 1960s architecture and fashion, “The Incredibles” creates a unique visual language. It’s a style known as retrofuturism, which combines elements of science fiction with elements of past eras.
As director Brad Bird described it, he wanted to weave a picture of the modern world as people in the 1960s might have envisioned it. To that end, Bird knew he’d need a soundtrack to match. To create the movie’s musical backdrop, he first enlisted the help of veteran composer John Barry. Barry is a Hollywood veteran known for his trademark brass-heavy jazz sound, which harkens back to that sixties vibe. Bird had his eye on Barry for another reason: John Barry had been the composer for countless James Bond films that were created during that era.
Barry’s theme from the Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” served as a sort of musical thesis for “The Incredibles,” capturing that distinctive sound that Bird wanted. It was also included as the background music for the movie’s first trailer. Unfortunately, the collaboration wasn’t meant to be. Though Barry was the first choice to score the film, he proved hesitant. Not wanting to simply replicate the sounds and styles of his older scores, he soon dropped out of the project.
To replace Barry, Bird instead turned towards composer Michael Giacchino. Now a Pixar veteran, Giacchino has composed scores for 12 Pixar movies and shorts to date. “The Incredibles,” however, marked Giacchino’s first collaboration with Pixar. While working to find the sound of “The Incredibles,” Giacchino knew he would need to rely on more than simply the instruments to capture the retro style of a bygone era. Working with recording engineer Dan Wallin, Giacchino recorded the score exactly as it would have been done in the 1960s.
To this end, Giacchino recorded using old analog tapes as opposed to modern digital recording methods. His reasons were twofold: analog tapes would capture that retro sound, and brass-heavy 60s style tracks would also sound better when recorded on analog. Giacchino also bucked some other modern recording methods as well. Instead of recording instruments and sections separately and editing them together later, Giacchino recorded each track on the score all at once, with a full orchestra together in a single room. Giacchino commented that this was the “right way” to record, as it allowed for musicians “playing against each other and feeding off each other’s energy.”
Bird and Giacchino were also able to mesh well as collaborators. In their discussions about what they envisioned for the finished score, both were able to draw on childhood memories for inspiration. In particular, both were huge fans of the “Pink Panther” scores by Henry Mancini. Bird’s goal for the film was to capture the essence of certain nostalgic elements of their ’60s upbringing that hadn’t made it into the modern era. The orchestral style jazz music that often accompanied movies of the time was one of those elements.
Giacchino’s eye (or ear?) for detail paid off. The finished score was released three days before film hit theaters, and soon the awards were pouring in. It won a multitude of accolades, including the Grammy for Best Soundtrack. Giacchino would return to compose the soundtrack for “Incredibles 2,” which released in June of 2018.
Oftentimes, a film’s score can go unnoticed. “The Incredibles” soundtrack is the perfect example of a memorable and distinctive score that captures the nostalgic feeling of an era where martinis were shaken, heroes were larger than life, and everything was just a little bit cooler.
