For months, recording a live ensemble of musicians was simply out of the question. It was the middle of March-we all know what happened soon after that. Göransson visited the set just after principal photography wrapped to shoot a music video. Somehow, Göransson found the perfect sweet spot: His Emmy-winning score for Season 1 had a kickass symphonic march for Mando that could sit proudly next to a John Williams original, but it also had the defining signature sound of a bass recorder (lending an ancient, Eastern vibe), with buzzy electric guitars that lent a spaghetti Western vibe, hip-hop beats, and a 21st-century electronic attitude-all glued together with an old-school orchestra.
Series creator Jon Favreau specifically wanted him to brave new worlds, to embrace the technological aspects of the series with the same modern production mentality that Göransson brought to Black Panther and to the musical heritage of Rocky in Creed, and to latch on to the lone-samurai and vintage Western genres homaged in the show. John Williams Defined the Sound of ‘Star Wars’-and Remained the Franchise’s Most Reliable Piece Does ‘The Mandalorian’ Have Enough Room to Grow? ‘The Mandalorian’ Is Now the Star of ‘Star Wars’īut for The Mandalorian, Göransson-the Swedish guitar player, Grammy-winning hip-hop producer, Childish Gambino wingman, and Oscar-winning composer of Black Panther-was given, if not free rein, a free hand.