Exploring Odesza’s Masterful 23-Minute Remix of ‘Severance’: The Perfect Blend of Energetic Flow and Subtle Edge

Fans of Severance know that landing a job related to it can be an unsettling prospect, but ODESZA jumped at the opportunity when they were offered one. Were mega-fans, Harrison Mills says about the show, which follows employees at Lumon Industries C a mysterious global conglomerate employing individuals whove undergone neural procedures separating their personal and professional lives.

After a three-year hiatus, Severance‘s second season premiered on Apple TV+ last month. Fans of the series received an exclusive treat today (February 21) with ODESZA’s remix of the shows theme song created by Teddy Shapiro C who won an Emmy Award for Severance‘s season one score and returned for season two.

Mills and Clayton Knight transformed this into a 23-minute mix, which has also been looped to create an eight-hour piece of music. This is the same duration as a standard workday C no coincidence given that both musicians are known for their long hours on stage performing alongside each others sound.

Upon accepting the remix offer, ODESZA was provided with all season two episodes and access to Shapiro’s score stems. We wanted to give people a wider breadth of music while interpreting Teddys original work in a unique way, says Mills. This means they put different chords under many melodies but stayed true to Severance‘s eerie vibe.

The duo, based in Seattle, used the city’s current dark days as inspiration for their creation process. While the characters separate their lives into two realms C professional and personal C Mills and Knight remained immersed in both aspects of Severance during this project.

Working under a strict one-month deadline helped keep ODESZA focused on making decisions quickly without overthinking, allowing them to stay true to the show’s themes. Their mix incorporates significant elements from Severance, such as its signature piano chords and other distinctive sounds C all while reflecting the shows balance of lightness and darkness.

Mills describes their work as “lulling you into a false sense of security that its all happy and then bringing these darker sounds which creep in. It’s like beautiful melancholy,” adding, “There’s sadness, but there’s also surface-level joy throughout. They achieved this by using major chords but sneakily introducing dissonant ones.

ODESZA took inspiration from their own 2020 side project, Bronson, which featured darker sounds compared to the typical Odesza sound. As they’ve always been influenced by film scores and other forms of scoring music, this mix felt natural for them to undertake.

Working closely with Shapiro also boosted their confidence. He was receptive to any ideas they had and allowed them space to be creative without restrictions. Its got ODESZA energy, says Knight, adding that it “tries to capture the tone and motifs of the show” while using zero vocals C a departure from their usual style.

This project serves as an excellent stepping stone for future work for ODESZA. The pair recently completed a 54-show tour with performances at festivals like Governors Ball and Bonnaroo, grossing $35.8 million and selling 601,000 tickets according to Billboard Boxscore.

Following this break, Mills and Knight are now focusing on studio time for their next project C a large album that serves as an outlet for inspiration and innovation rather than being confined to another cycle of performance-driven work. They have some DJ sets planned throughout the year but prioritize writing mode.

“Were experimenting,” says Mills. “We want to build time to find inspiration, innovate without feeling too pressured.” Although they might joke about separating their personal and professional lives like those in Severance, both acknowledge that we have the best jobs in the world, according to Knight.

Their commitment shows no signs of easing as they continue making music, hanging out with fellow musicians, and creating fun projects. “Theres really no complaining,” adds Knight. ODESZA’s passion for their work remains evident through each new project they take on.