The Incredibly Incredible Soundtrack of The Incredibles

[@CharlesCornellStudios]

Hi hello please check out the extended look into the music over on Nebula by using the link in the description! We cover some of the harmony and influences that go into creating this...incredible soundtrack. Sorry, last one kbye

[@josephbailey5824]

Ok

[@MrJoshie333_]

Nah I don't feel like doing that.

[@liamhalloran6275]

It truly is incredible

[@Healthandwellnessp90]

You have to check out code geass season 1 soundtrack, primarily “devil created” and whatever else peaks your interest, the ost isn’t too long either

[@olivernp7515]

I think you should cover some classical/romantic music. I know this isn't a classical channel, but some pieces out there are really quite jazzy, like literally anything by Debussy, Ravel, or later composers eg. Stravinsky. An analysis of Rite of Spring would be amazing.

[@Sebastian5495]

My dad was one of the musicians who played on this soundtrack and it’s one of his favourite soundtracks he’s ever done. Amazing score

[@DebbieMason]

So cool.

[@zach6789]

Cool what instrument(s) does he play?

[@Sebastian5495]

@@zach6789 Viola :)

[@michaeltagor4238]

@@Sebastian5495 do you mean *snickers* the big violin? haha lol funny instrument joke (this is a joke if anyone couldn't tell)

[@suttongriffin8154]

So cool!

[@KirkKiyosadaTome]

I was the lead designer of The Incredibles video game. We were fortunate enough to have Michael Giacchino's colleagues take his brilliant soundtracks and make looped versions befitting video game levels for us. You'd better believe we gleefully used them throughout the entire game, including the intro menus and cutscenes (whenever we didn't use footage from the actual film itself). Thanks for the great insight and wonderful trip down memory lane!

[@jackthecommenter2768]

No way what else have you worked on?

[@KirkKiyosadaTome]

@@jackthecommenter2768 Mostly console games, a lot of them Pixar-based properties, when THQ had an exclusive license for them (Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, Disney Infinity). Being able to collab with the super creative folks at Pixar was a dream come true, as they're super-fun, passionate people who obviously love their work.

[@sebYB67]

The Incredibles video game was such a huge part of my childhood!! I have so many good memories of that game. I can't thank you enough for your work!

[@KirkKiyosadaTome]

@@sebYB67 Glad you enjoyed it! Was definitely my favorite game to ever have helped create.

[@jembo9311]

I LOVED playing that game! Gamecuuuuube

[@elliottharris7496]

Charles: Obviously I could go through this soundtrack all day, but there's not enough time. Mr. Incredible: I've got time.

[@ATinyWaffle]

When you asked me if I was doing anything later, I didn't realize you'd actually forgotten. I thought it was playful banter.

[@hubertp8779]

Yeah, I've got time

[@howtokdj]

@@ATinyWaffle It *WAS* playful banter

[@ATinyWaffle]

@@howtokdj Cutting it kinda close, don't ya think?

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

@@ATinyWaffle You need to be more... flexible.

[@branpod]

Even 17 years after it came out, this is _still_ my favorite super hero movie of all time. Everything about it is just perfect.

[@UNSCPILOT]

This, and Iron Giant, if I'm stretching the definition slightly on "Superhero movie"

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

@@UNSCPILOT Both written and directed by Brad Bird, interestingly enough. He also did Ratatouille. And MI:III. Oh yeah, and Giacchino scored those last two as well.

[@_what._.]

Same. I forgot about it, I'm rediscovering it, and I'm DEFINITELY gonna rewatch the movies.

[@CalebCarterFilm]

then they made incredibles two that was terrible

[@jameshutchinson3672]

No way! It was over-stuffed plotwise but it absolutely fantastic. I didn’t see it on the silver screen but it was great. Unfortunate that they replaced one of the voice-actors and all of the voices were older (understandably) but so much was great. Seeing the first movie in the theater was so great that I conned my sister into taking us again at our only local theater in Alaska. The sequel is not perfect like the first movie but I thought it was inventive, funny, and a logical extension of the characters.

[@syberyah]

His ability to hear a series of notes in quick succession and repeat it accurately first try is honestly amazing to me.

[@trainzandtrombones]

Just bear in mind this is an edited video... not to mention preparing before filiming. That said he is very obviously still a superb musician.

[@AceyBleach]

We train music memory a few different ways in school. Some are better at it than others

[@maggoteater2290]

I mean you have to learn those skills at music school

[@austinohlrich9370]

@@maggoteater2290 its natural for a lot

[@sebendipitous]

i see that picrew profile picture

[@Jujukungfu]

Let's freaking go. This is one of my all time fav soundtracks

[@Josuh]

god tier movie

[@benpiano9350]

Ikr

[@andresilveira9184]

Hell yea

[@weakw1ll]

What about the family guy soundtrack

[@megablacknerd]

Life's incredible again is essential

[@jacobschiller4486]

Michael Giacchino is an absolute legend.

[@nicolasbambrick]

agreed 100%

[@Faaxinho]

Agreed. Lost's soundtrack is still one of my favourites.

[@realar]

Ratatouille, Dr. Strange, Star Trek, etc.

[@erikgrundy]

One of the things that has always impressed me about this soundtrack is its staying power. A friend was humming it once, and I instantly asked "why are you humming the Incredibles theme?" Neither of us had seen the film in... 10 years? But it's that instantly recognisable. Truly phenomenal music.

[@sakushey]

woah insane that you were able to still recognise it, it for sure has a lot of recognizability

[@aaronriggan2373]

I just realized why "Life's Incredible Again" works so well with the montage - it's a throwback to early sitcoms! Listen to the themes to Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie, Dick Van Dyke, etc, then listen to this piece again! Giacchino pulling inspiration from all over the place!

[@jtn191]

It's just so authenticly big band

[@Halberds6]

It feels like if happiness was a song

[@sambutton8494]

One of my favourite “repurposing” of that motif you mentioned is in ‘Life’s Incredible Again’ when it switches from Bob reconnecting with his family to beggining to exercise again and bench press literal trains, as for the first time since the glory days, you hear the theme in its original action glory. It’s like ‘oh yeah, he’s back’

[@NerdyPixels]

it has to be my favourite song from the entire soundtrack, this is because I love the montage and I replayed it when I was a kid but also because it is made so well. All the instruments blend and there are so many mumps that feel so good.

[@medwardn]

I am currently studying jazz trumpet. Incredibles was the first thing to ever inspire me. I just remember asking my dad what that "sound" was during what I now know as "life's incredible again". After thinking, he told me it was a trumpet. After that, playing trumpet was the only thing I wanted.

[@firebreatha]

The community here is so wholesome I will die.

[@Zzaneyy5]

That’s so dope man! The lead players name is Wayne Bergeron and he’s one of my favorites ever, definitely check him out he has a lot of great music!

[@stephenbeck7222]

Zane Hamilton Wayne’s cover videos with Louis Dowdewell are incredible (hah!).

[@Zzaneyy5]

@@stephenbeck7222 excellent pun sir

[@danielboyle1647]

@@Zzaneyy5 I remember him saying he played duel-lead (forgot who with and where I saw this). Though the high stuff is mostly him the other 1st player took the most orchestral parts as Wayne is more big band and the other guy is more orchestral, though they did swap every now and then for the fun of it

[@AlternativeSack123]

In my opinion a lot of the “spy music” genre originated with Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn score, you have so many of the jazz elements used there that would later be adopted in the soundtracks for Bond, mission impossible and the incredibles

[@thejither]

Yeah, for all the references the music makes to previous film scores, there's actually (as far as I recall) only a single direction in the almost 500-page conductor's score that references a movie - and that's "wailing solo (a la Peter Gunn)" for the alto sax (although it was a cue that was never used - intended for when we first meet Elastigirl on the rooftop). Of course, mostly the sheet music speaks for itself (although there are plenty of other very specific directions given) - I think it's just a bit telling that Peter Gunn is the one movie mentioned.

[@CJB1103]

100% agree. Mancini is a huge influence on this genre.

[@TAP7a]

100%

[@stainlesssteelfox1]

I would have said, John Barry was a bigger inspiration. Certainly the spaceflight scenes make me think of the ones in You only Live Twice and Moonraker.

[@slykhajiit2]

In short, nurture, not nature.

[@Spider-hend4]

This has to be, one of rhe BEST movie soundtracks ever, and no one can change that.

[@josealvarezvega802]

my personal favourite also comes from Giacchino, the score of Up

[@romulus_music]

Eh... okay.

[@josealvarezvega802]

@@romulus_music we are obviously missing certain pieces and I think that's because of the 'pixar animation kind of pictures' context because I could only think of the music of that kind of films while watching the video

[@notonlyhuman6073]

I love how Charles can’t help but jam out to the “Off to Work” soundtrack. This movie’s music is top notch

[@JosaxJaz]

Anyone else just get chills when you hear this soundtrack? I love the big band instruments and the same melody being played in different ways.

[@disneygirl3630]

Same

[@sguinn91]

This soundtrack gives me goosebumps! It makes me smile and the hairs going down my neck stand up! Especially the way the whole brass section is so in your face!

[@AtomicVertigo_Comics]

this movie is one of my all time favorites and this incredible soundtrack is one of the reasons why

[@jessecollier2628]

I think for me, the "spy soundtrack" is purely nurture for me. When I was young people have been humming and singing these motifs when they were "sneaking" around

[@The_Worst_Warlock]

The fact Bob hums the theme when he arrives home late is amazing

It's literally akin to the scene in Emperor's New Groove where Kronk was humming his own spy theme while sneaking lol

[@Novenae_CCG]

I think there's a large part of nurture for sure, but I can't discount nature entirely. The friction between certain intervals, the mathematical 'ugliness' of dissonance, it's a real physical phenomenon. So when you get those Minor maj7 chords, there's a real tension in the sound. I think the Minor part of it clearly makes it a bit gloomy, but the major 7th is something you normally find in the major scale, and adds some levity to it. The conflict between a minor base, but this major feel on top kind of turns the chord into a question mark. I think this would still be true to _some_ extent, even without nurture. Heck, maybe that's the very reason we started using it so much. So in short, I think there's a clear natural basis, with regards to how harmony works in the physical world, that explains some of the strange feeling you get with those types of spy chords, and then people ran with it, to the point that most of that feeling really comes from nurtured familiarity.

[@tranthien3932]

Du du-ludu dudu, Dudu du-ludu dudu,...

[@bryanquick3349]

@@tranthien3932 oh god, he's humming his own theme song. i'm SO glad i was unconcious for all of this

[@besknighter]

IMHO, the Min/Maj7 thing gives a "It is!!! Or is it?" vibe. So, I feel like the strong association with spy things is by nurture, but not a purely accidental one. Someone once heard the Min/Maj7 and thought "this fits really well for this spy thingy theme!" and it did. Then everyone heard and was like "You know what? You are right. It does!" and thus everyone started using it.

[@wellurban]

Exactly! The way it’s sometimes used at the end of a minor 2-5-1 gives a not-quite-resolved ambiguous resolution, which lends itself to mysterious moods. And we often associate jazz in general with the film noir era, so the combination of musical tension and cultural association reinforced each other, then it became used in a few iconic scores, and now it’s an unmistakeable trope: what Jake Lizzio calls “the secret agent chord”. Similarly, a whole-tone scale sounds floaty and (literally) rootless, so lent itself to dream sequences, then became a cliché in that context. And certain sorts of diminished chord piano trills are inherently full of tension, but now very specifically connote “silent movie villain”.

[@DoctorLazertron]

I noticed this watching Twin Peaks the other day, that the jazzy clarinet for the sneaky scenes fits so well but the main theme just… doesn’t. So there is something cultural/nurture when it comes to associating the music with the secret agent vibe, but associations don’t catch on unless it fits naturally.

[@camerongardner9519]

This guy gets irt

[@wesleyhowel]

It’s pure serotonin to hear him improvise over the “Off To Work” track😂 ITS SO FREAKING AMAZING!!! I’ve been playing piano for 11 years and still can’t do that 😂

[@randominionfun5433]

didnt know how pure until i heard 12:10

[@andrewmaloney6038]

Wayne Bergeron, the lead trumpet player on this movie, has performed with my college jazz ensemble several times, including last night and I got to play lead alto with him. It was incredible.

[@rickkinkel1136]

Rick Baptist played lead.

[@danielmitchell940]

One track you didn’t include but is by far the best and most poignant is “Kronos Unveiled” it’s beautiful and mysterious, but also builds to an intense amount of dread.

[@torjusbokestad2033]

Word

[@buckethat310]

Yes absolutely yes. So fucking good

[@693514V]

" Kronos Unveiled " was an homage to John Barry. It is based on the opening track from " You Only LIve Twice " where the space capsule is hijacked. Look up " Capsule in Space " by John Barry

[@MagikMKW]

Also Lithe or Death, by far my favorite of the entire soundtrack

[@ayeeniko]

Good comment

[@AlexMoukalaMusic]

13:26 Midna's Lament intensifies

[@hypedcrazy3794]

heh

[@RobinsMusic]

The Incredible Alex Moukala himself!!

[@SethWadeMelancon]

I see what you did there 👌

[@AdamSmith-jb2lf]

Video on Twilight Princess music?

[@pedroscoponi4905]

Glad I wasn't the only one who got that vibe - thanks for validating me, alex 😂

[@nuclearbirds]

Me, when you were playing along with “off to work”: You just couldn’t let us trumpet players have our moment, could you?

[@overtone55]

No solo is immune to Charles soloing over top!

[@chipmonkey7266]

I'm pretty sure this entire film score is "our moment"

[@SamA-nh9mf]

@@chipmonkey7266 as it should be

[@bryanquick3349]

because there just aren't enough 'trumpet moments' in band arrangement, amirite? :p

[@ExoticDva]

As a Bari player I cry.

[@Ruija27]

The Team Fortress 2 soundtrack has a similar "spy jazz" feel, which is really neat. I hope you can cover it sometime!

[@lettuce7378]

i second this opinion!

[@jackthecommenter2768]

@@lettuce7378 I third this option!

[@cheddarchaza]

@@jackthecommenter2768 I fourth this opinion

[@iliveinapuddle986]

@@cheddarchaza I fifth this opinion

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

This.

[@alexhb12333]

I absolutely love big band music, and I 100% thought "Life's Incredible Again" was a big band standard, not written for this film. Wow!

[@SuperEgoNaut]

It feels like such a simple thrill, but I always feel "clever" whenever I notice a recurring theme / leitmotif turning up again and again in different parts of an overall score,. Some video game soundtracks make particularly good use of this device as well, perhaps having leitmotifs to represent recurring characters, locations, plot themes - or even some video-game-specific stuff such as a recurring game mechanic or power-up. Undertale and Kingdom Hearts spring to mind as video game series that do this a lot. As an example: after having played Kingdom Hearts 2 many times for years, I was amazed just recently when it was pointed out to me just how many of its soundtrack songs feature the "Organisation XIII" motif, each time being played with a different scale, rhythm, tempo, etc. Some of those occurrences seemed really subtle and hard to notice (at least to my musically-uneducated ears).

[@AlexeyBeganov]

If you love spotting leitmotifs, then you must watch Sideways - his into the woods, spiderverse, West Side story will appeal perfectly to you, I reckon

[@SuperEgoNaut]

@@AlexeyBeganov Thank you for the recommendation! I've seen some Sideways videos before and loved them, but haven't delved particularly deeply into his back catalogue. I'll go take a closer look.

[@ezrac704]

Aren't those reoccurring themes that might be slightly different each time? Super Mario Sunshine is an amazing example if that's what you are talking about.

[@Nai_101]

Portal 2 has specific sound cues and leitmotifs for every time you use a specific game mechanic

[@tronique5736]

Sly Cooper series does a good job of this.

[@baconsushi1016]

imo, the “spy chord” that we have all heard fits the nature of its context quite well. it holds you in this suspense of an unresolved chord, or perhaps an unresolved mystery/action that is yet to unfold

[@BradsGonnaPlay]

And a lot of times, they hold it out to match the context/suspense of the scene just to resolve it when the action picks up or the tension loosens.

[@YouThinkWho]

Unresolved and not a resolving chord for sure

[@josiaharteaga3270]

The Incredibles was released when I was in middle school and I had just barely started learning music. From the moment the movie was over, I knew I had just heard one of the best scores ever, and it still inspires me more than fifteen years later! Bonus fun fact: my college roommate's mom went on a date once with Michael Giacchino, said he was super cool.

[@faithkliner5145]

Has he done How to Train Your Dragon??? That soundtrack is just.... *chef's kiss.*

[@omnigulwillofcrota8391]

I don't know if he has, but there's a great sideways video about it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoa4e4R-bKx_o9U

[@faithkliner5145]

@@omnigulwillofcrota8391 Yes! It's SUCH a good video. That's one of the reasons I bring it up, too! I wanted to see Charles' take on it, too.

[@elwinwinter]

That be John Powell

[@keiko4043]

YES! Incredibles and HTTYD OSTs are pure art.

[@FanBolt98]

That soundtrack is my jam!! I'm still pissed of with his missing Oscar, such a shame

[@accolade8060]

Whenever I watch The Incredibles I sit through the end credits to enjoy the combination of music and graphics. There is a segment in the middle of the credits when a low saxophone comes in and lights my fire every time.

[@JacobSca]

I've played this in a concert (low brass) and the bass lines are the most fun thing to play, it just feels right

[@christonadams9046]

Absolutely love it when films or games take a jazz influence in their soundtrack. Whether it be The Incredibles, Cowboy Bebop, Persona or even Mario, it's always nice to hear

[@lukesargent8350]

I’ve had the opportunity to meet two of the trumpet players on the soundtrack (Wayne Bergeron-lead trumpet, and Marissa Benedict) and they talked about how great an experience this soundtrack was for them. Such a great score! Wayne is still known as the “Incredibles guy” among trumpet players.

[@danielboyle1647]

So much so that Louis Dowdeswell needed to have him apart of his incredible cover. And holy crap was that a good cover

[@constancep7632]

I'm an amateur trumpet player and I've played cool arrangements in concert bands; meeting them must have been awesome!

[@markdanslaug]

I love seeing the excitement in your face when the score reaches certain parts.

[@antoniocampos6627]

“Kronos unveiled” is my favorite of the soundtrack. Literally drop that track into any Bond movie and it fits like a glove.

[@ShaolinPretzels]

It’s one of my favorites in the soundtrack. I wanted to see him cover it so bad 😭

[@scottythedawg]

you should listen to space capsule capture on the you only live twice ost... its the same length, has the same build and similar tune.

[@scottythedawg]

my mistake, the track is actually called 'capsule in space'.

[@n4nln]

@@ShaolinPretzels😅😅😊

[@AronBagel]

I don’t know if you were aware of this, but the “Glory Days” theme is basically the same as the theme to “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, the 1969 Bond Film. It just feels like a less serious, more heroic version of that theme and it fits The Incredibles so well!

[@Yngvarfo]

The first Incredibles trailer lifted that theme outright. The theme has a new renaissance these days in the new James Bond movie, which is *full* of callbacks to OHMSS.

[@variousthings6470]

@@Yngvarfo Specifically, IIRC that first Incredibles teaser trailer used the Propellerheads' remix of OHMSS.

[@lauriedepaurie]

-Nature: The way it makes us feel. The fact that it feels mysterious, and evokes a sense of wonder with slight discomfort. -Nurture: the association with spy movies and the complex assumptions we have tied to it.

[@Reuben_95]

Yeh it’s both now

[@Charely1925]

@@Reuben_95 Agreed

[@PtylerBeats]

I don’t agree that that nature is the cause of how music makes us feel. To people in different cultures or from different time periods, that chord would probably not evoke the same emotion as it does to us. The way it makes us feel is based off of how music has evolved over the course of humanity. I don’t believe that music has an innate base reaction. Associating music with emotions probably didn’t even exist at one point, but we’ve come to accustomed to it that we have music playing during movies lol you’d think that would be distracting, but we have gotten used to it so much that we barely notice the music unless we are listening for it. The reason that chord makes us feel mysterious is because it’s contrasted to how music is typically played. In my opinion

[@sprcow]

We played what I thought was going to be a dippy concert band arrangement of this in community band and it totally slapped. One of the best pieces we played all year!

[@corbannoahofficial]

I think the association of this genre of music with spy movies is cultural. It probably goes back before Bond and ultimately gets its start in film noir.

[@ScribblyDoodle]

I agree, but I think that the tension from the min maj 7 naturally makes it sound mysterious

[@MonkeyJedi99]

The only way I can think of to test it is to somehow find people who have never seen or heard the movies/music before, play the music, and ask them to describe what it evinced for them.

[@lydiamartin.]

this soundtrack made me fall in love with jazz/‘spy themed’ music. it’s so underrated and needs to be talked about more!!

[@GSFNinja]

There's a crazy moment in the score that I just love especially as a trumpet player..in Marital Rescue at about 2 minutes in Michael gave Wayne Bergeron a part that says "could you play this 2 octaves up?" And he DOES and it's so underrated 🤯🤯

[@daves9864]

Just went to listen for it and heard it. I had no idea trumpets could go that high it almost sounds like a squeak

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

Everything about this reminded me of the scene in The Emperor's New Groove where Kronk is sneaking around and singing his own backing music. And, actually, with Eartha Kitt in her role as Yzma singing some of the songs in the movie, that would be an excellent next one to examine.

[@TheClassyAlien]

The incredible has some underrated bangers

[@Cratermus]

I love seeing him just play with the music and really feel it in his soul. It shows his passion for the music

[@Wolfeboy212]

The muted horns in Off To Work are *chef's kiss*

[@benpiano9350]

Yes he finally did the Incredibles! Love this soundtrack

[@arothmanmusic]

I remember seeing this in the theater and thinking “damn, this soundtrack slaps.”

[@jbponzi1]

This is the score that put Michael Giachino on the map for me. Now he’s second favorite composer next to John Williams. Love this soundtrack.

[@MrJuan095]

11:45 You riffing along side the music on the piano was f**king great.

[@joshwhalen17]

The magic of this movie is the same for both its score and its art direction, in that the film seems to simultaneously take place in 2004 and 1964.

[@JordanWeberMusic]

Something I’d love for you to analyze is Mysterio’s theme from Spider-Man: Far from Home also by Giacchino. The use of the major intervals in his heroic theme being swapped out for minor intervals in his villainous theme as well as the chords used in his villainous theme make it a thrilling piece. Giacchino’s use of harmony is one of the things I absolutely love about his music.

[@martingu36]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING MY ENTIRE LIFE FOR A VIDEO LIKE THIS. THANK YOU CHARLES CORNELL!!!!!

[@brianspenst1374]

The sound is totally nurture. It goes back to Henry Mancini. He was a huge fan of jazz and the hepcat style of music from the late 40s into the 50s. His sound tracks for shows like Peter Gunn influenced the soundtrack for Mission Inpossible and James Bond. It helps that this big band style of jazz lends an air of excitement to the soundtrack.

[@RavenTheVelociraptor]

Yep. I hate to say Jazz wasn't made, but if I really have the choice, I'd have to say that Jazz was born. It was born in a time, in a place, in people. From there it grew, matured, reached out, spread its wings, and turned into a beautiful and wild creature. It branches out into our culture, communities, now films. Jazz is really something else.

[@knightbot4052]

yep. seeing how people respond to a specific sound is totally based on their previous experiences. for example, as someone born after 1995, the sound of eurobeat has become synonymous with speed and drifting (thanks to Initial D). It get's me excited and links to those emotions really strongly because it's something that I've been exposed to through the internet for almost a decade now. But when showed my parents that kind of music, it did absolutely nothing for them.

[@kaitlynchiostri1605]

Michael Giacchano is literally my favorite composer oml

[@skateify31]

btw, the "waves" you hear between two notes is an effect called "beating." it's about the ratio of one frequency to another, and how often they match up or go out of phase, heard as a slight variation in volume. octaves are multiples of each other and have simple ratios like 1:2, whereas the perfect 5th is 2:3. that's what you're referring to as "smooth." (fascinating side note, these ratios are technically polyrhythms, just played so fast we hear them as pitches. increase the tempo of a 2:3 polyrhythm above around 1200bpm and you will start to hear a perfect 5th chord!)

[@DebbieMason]

I am SO glad you're covering this soundtrack!! First of all, The Incredibles, I mean...one of the best and underrated Pixar movies. I think Michael Giaccino is one of my favorite movie composers ever. He nails it every time, and I even find myself being drawn to his scores before I know he composed it. The Incredibles movie is just... ((Chef's kiss)). So good.

[@jonnylpenman]

5:00 When you play a note, the most prominent over-/under-tone (bar the octave) is the perfect fifth which is linked why it works so well I think

[@saroushen]

As soon as I saw the title, 'Life's Incredible Again' immediately played in my head.

[@PeggyHogan]

OK, for the thousandth time, Have I told you how MUCH I appreciate your knowledge and how you share it?

[@samh3305]

I'm an animation student and just seeing the thought process in the music choices is really insightful. Especially that part where u mentioned how pausing the music can create an impact like that. Definitely want to incorporate some of this info into my next storyboarding assignment.

[@angiekerschen3298]

This is my son's favorite movie of all time. He is now almost 19 and this movie came out about two years after he was born. He has seen this movie repeatedly and can nearly quote the whole thing! He is way into music and jazz and is a percussionist. I feel like maybe this movie could have subconsciously had some influence on him in that regard very much like how you talked about the music from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood wasn't dumbed down for kids. Thanks for this video!

[@joaovitorgoncalves80]

This soundtrack is THE reason why The Incredibles is my favorite Pixar movie. I remember watching it when I was eight-ish yo and loving it, but didn’t know why. Not a surprise why I love Jazz today.

[@gabymann1615]

I’m gonna need a video/album of Charles piano playing/noodling over the entire Incredibles soundtrack… Please!🙏

[@Irakli008]

It's also cool how the intervals work on a physical level. Octaves are all doubles/halves of the same frequency. So 220Hz, 440Hz, 880Hz are octaves of A. The simple 2:1 ratio is why it sounds stable and like the same pitch (if you play a string instrument, playing an octave is exactly in the middle of the string). A perfect fifth has a 3:2 ratio (e.g 440Hz + 660Hz), which is the next simplest you can have, and hence it also sounds stable/strong, but there's clearly a lack of perfect division that you hear in an octave. The more complex the ratios become, the more and more dissonant they sound.

[@Bluespaceboat]

Dash running on water for me was the one of the highlights of soundtrack along with Kronos unveiled

[@thepipechapman]

I play 100 Mile Dash almost every time i go on a hard run. You can hear it so clearly when he’s running on the water, then the horns hit and I’m also a speedster for 2 minutes

[@USAShooting27]

I think with those minor major sevenths, there is a “natural” vibe to them and that’s why they were chosen to evoke those certain spy movie feelings. And those feelings have been “nurtured” over time with repeated use.

[@kiwithryn3830]

I've always loved the Incredibles soundtrack. Such good music, and my childhood movie.

[@argella1300]

6:59 Honestly, I’d reckon that it goes even farther back to classical and opera music. I bet you could find some of the same chords in old opera arias. Especially the bits where it’s all mysterious and full of danger with the perfect 5ths and major 7ths. A power chord, but give it sexy and dangerous vibes is basically all opera 9:40 that’s a leitmotif! Another technique borrowed from opera and classical music.

[@DUNZODaDON]

12:23 that run was just INCREDIBLE

[@karljonasson8429]

We played Glory Days in band class last year. As a trumpet I found it fun.

[@tucker6072]

You should also look at the UP soundtrack! There's another use of 5/4 in it that isn't the spy theme and it's actually really impressive.

[@khylechristianderosales1894]

Also the same composer lol

[@RatzaChewy]

As a bassist, I love Michael Giacchino's score on this and ADORE his score for Inside Out.

[@Kermt]

I've never been this invested into the theory behind a soundtrack before. Amazing video

[@j-dub5163]

The Incredibles is hands-down one of the best movie soundtracks of all time.

[@suprise_me2573]

We need more of Charles just playing over some of these backing tracks. I'm in love with his improv style

[@LifesNeverHumDrum]

I hadn't noticed before, that the mM7 chord progression from Glory Days pops up in Bob vs The Omnidroid, that's so perfect. It makes sense, and it kinda cements the idea that it's not just Bob's leitmotif, nor is it just the Hero Theme. It's Bob's nostalgia for his glory days, and his desire to reclaim that. Showing up in places like a love theme shows internal struggle, between that desire to be important and needed, with appreciating a good thing he already has. This score is so good.

[@JakeTheHuman1]

The specific “spy movie” sound is a bit or nature and nurture. “Nature” because the dissonance that occurs causes a sense of unease and tension which provides a good feel for the scene. “Nurture” because the chord *combinations* used have been passed down because they work and we have grown an association with them.

[@najrenchelf2751]

That recurring melody throughout a movie is called a Leitmotief! Needed to inform you all before Sideways comes in here! XD

[@andrewlittle-qy6ck]

Must credit the orchestrator(s) who did a quite incredible job in putting the colour on the tunes

[@alternateaccount3898]

In my top 5 favorite movies and one of the biggest reasons is the score, such a gorgeous soundtrack, I listen to it all the time.

[@maxswietelsky8792]

With the min/maj chords, there's the augmented chord embedded in it. And the scale/sound that goes with an augmented chord is the whole-tone scale/sound. And the whole-tone scale, since only containing whole steps, has no tonal center, giving it this feeling of uncertainty and mysteriousness. So I do think there is an element of nature to the idea that we link the min/maj augmented sound to spy and space movies. Also, I think its interesting how we (or atleast I) associate the min/maj sound more with spy theme, and the pure major augmented chord more with a space theme (eg. Interstellar and other space movies I can't exactly quote). Im curious to know if anyone feels the same way.

[@LemoUtan]

There are seven possible seventh chords (stacks of major/minor thirds) and only one scale - the harmonic minor (and its modes) - carries all of them. The one known as major/minor seventh turns up as the opening chords of Bernard Herrmanns music for Psycho. Seems he was fond of it.

[@Warmachine_23]

I'd love to see your take on Outer Wilds' or Halo's music. Outer Wilds has become my favorite game of all time and the music plays a big role in that, and Halo's music is just iconic.

[@Dreams_Of_Lavender]

Some of the themes from Outer Wilds are also my favorite things to play on bass. The piano and banjo parts to Travelers, the End Times theme is the first song I learned using sheet music, and I want to learn The River from the DLC :3

[@snowfloofcathug]

@@Dreams_Of_LavenderUpdate?

[@bitta_alfa]

I opened up YT to play "Life's incredible again" to remember how a masterpiece it is, for old time's sake, and then it pops up in the home your video. Amazing.

[@morefiction3264]

I was hoping you'd do the plane crash scene. My favorite bit of the score. The tension of the music builds and builds until it's practically screaming and then all resolves when Elasta-Girl deploys herself as a chute. Incredible.

[@KarlMorey684]

Giacchino also wrote the soundtrack to Speed Racer. That's another primo example of the soundtrack just fitting the visuals *so well* that it's almost impossible to imagine hearing anything else to go along with them.

[@wushuallan]

Hearing him talk about film music reminds me how much i miss watching Sideways content

[@nicolapalmu2902]

The Incredibles is one of my absolute favourite movies and I’ve always loved the soundtrack. I’m really glad to hear your thoughts and insights on it! I just started reading this book called The Music of James Bond by Jon Burlingame and I read the first chapter concerning how John Barry’s composition was chosen to be the James Bond theme and how he created at the same time that spy movie vibe that we all recognize today. So to answer your question, I believe the spy movie music characteristics have been nurtured in the classic Hollywood cinematic history since the 50’s.

[@harrylee3898]

Brad Bird was looking for a specific sound as inspired by the film's retrofuturistic design - the future as seen from the 1960s. The movie starts in 1947 and then it goes forward 15 years, continuing in 1962, you can see the year in a newspaper Robert Parr reads. Their point was to create a movie about the early 1960s (hence retro) as if we were still in the late 1940s (hence futuristic). It's supposed to put us in the past looking at the future. That's basically why a lot of stuff we see (those sort of concept arts we see in the PS2 game somewhere near the Secrets menu, the animations made for the credits of the movie, etc) seems so grand while still being so minimalistic at the same time. My favourite tracks of this movie are "Lithe or Death" and "Kronos Unveiled". But I also like others a lot, like "Off to Work" that you showed, I really like the job they did with the themes of chic, luxurious and exotic. This movie is by far one of the best movies ever made, they literally managed to grab a 1960s 007 USSR type of movie, remove the sex and turn it into an animation, and this is the outcome. They have death, violence, brutality, suspicion of cheating, a wonderful family slowly crumbling apart for a short period of time while the husband leads a secret second life unbeknown to the rest of the family, a man turned evil by society who hides in a secret ungoverned island, it's perfect.

[@esauponce9759]

The final battle scene in The Incredibles 2, specifically when the ship is about to crash with the city and Frozone shoots as much ice as he can to slow down the ship always gives me chills. The brass section growing and growing with some powerful dominant chords along with the effects the trumpets make adds such tension to the scene. I love it.

[@penguins.227]

Can't mention Giacchino and not mention Married Life from Up, the greatest short story single track and award winning piece that I can't not cry listening to. Great video as always.

[@danpacitti2061]

9:30 I think the phrase is 'leitmotif,' which can get referenced and adjusted based on the scene and mood (think Howard Shore's Fellowship Theme as a widely known example). It's just a really cool tool composers can use in movie scores (and operas and such)!

[@fredrikertvaag7787]

I'd say it's just a motif. A leitmotif has to signify something specific, like a character, or a feeling or something. I can't really see that that motif signifies anything except for the film itself.

[@michaelmcglaughlin9383]

This sound track has been so slept on, I’m glad it’s finally getting some recognition😎🙌🙌

[@ShredmasterScott]

this was an INCREDIBLE analysis muhaha

[@Trishkaz]

Yea bro

[@V1Ds]

🍅

[@seagull_overlord3810]

Bro why do I see you everywhere I go on this damn app

[@Halla284]

11:29 Thats just pure class. Reminds me of christmas

[@RoheLikal]

Extremely satisfying video to watch. Thank you for touching on the mission impossible stuff. I had always searched for that reference in the Internet but barely anyone touches on it.

[@overtone55]

On the note of recording everything live: the movie is set in 1962, so they drew a lot of stylistic choices from that too

[@BrankoVT]

Michael Giacchino is just great.

[@breakfastmarsupial]

YES im so excited for this video! been waiting forever for this

[@gaberobison680]

This is nothing less than a historic work of composition, not just film scoring, but in using music to tell a story in general

[@g-c-rambo]

I like the theory that the "spy chord" is a nature thing. It emphasizes that music is so integral that certain sounds can evoke certain emotions regardless of the context. Also, when you played the "Off To Work" score on the piano, it reminded me very much of the Mr Roger's Neighborhood soundtrack. :)