Grammy-nominated EDM artists ODESZA may have seemed like a surprise choice for the now-viral “Severance” score remix, released earlier this year. And yet, as “Severance” executive producer and director Ben Stiller tweeted, the pairing almost seems like an Innie fever dream of sonic bliss.
Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, who comprise ODESZA, shockingly had only three weeks to remix Theodore Shapiro’s original “Severance” score for a 23-minute track that was been looped to form an eight-hour piece of music to mirror the standard 9 to 5 workday. The playlist was billed by Apple as being “designed for eight hours of focus — perfect for your Innie’s workday.” The remix was released across all streaming platforms April 4 after first premiering on YouTube.
In a joint interview, Mills and Knight tell IndieWire how the “Severance” remix was an expansion on their partnerships with Apple, detail incorporating “corporate” sounds, and why a project like “Dune” or “The White Lotus” is their next goal (“The White Lotus” composer did just recently exit after Season 3, so call HBO ASAP).
The following interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
IndieWire: How did you both first get approached to collaborate with “Severance”?
Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight: We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Apple. They’ve supported us over the years by featuring songs like “Loyal” and “The Last Goodbye” in their campaigns, so we’ve stayed in touch. We were just getting back from a long break and were starting to dive into writing new music when Apple reached out with the idea of doing something for “Severance.” We’re huge fans of the show, so we immediately said yes.
It ended up being a great way to shake off the dust and get the creative gears turning again. Working within the framework of the show gave us a kind of sandbox to play in. It was a super fast turnaround, like three weeks, but that tight timeline forced us to trust our initial gut reactions to what we were making and not overthink things.
We also had the opportunity to collaborate closely with Theodore Shapiro, who really championed us throughout the process.
What was the inspiration for the eight hour, work-themed remix?
That was actually the original objective from Apple. They approached us with the idea of creating an extended remix of the “Severance” score that could loop for eight hours. It was originally designed specifically for a YouTube experience, functioning as a soundtrack for your Innie at work. So we approached it with that in mind, but the project ended up morphing into something else very naturally.
The remixes are designed to ebb and flow, like a journey through “Severance.” The YouTube version is a 23-minute loop that plays out over the eight hours, paired with footage from the show and some interludes that really pull you into that world. It wasn’t originally intended to listen to on other streaming platforms, but once the YouTube video was released we received a lot of demand for the music, and we knew we had to release it officially on DSPs and on vinyl.
As iconic EDM artists, how did you merge your sound with the haunting “Severance” score?
It was definitely a delicate balance, wanting to respect the original while also bringing in our own perspective. We spent a lot of time re-contextualizing certain melodies and motifs, taking elements that felt familiar and giving them a new emotional weight through different chords and textures in the spirit of our music.
In some ways, the process reminded us of our early days, where we were sampling a lot and building something new from existing pieces. It felt like a return to that kind of creative exploration, taking parts that would be recognizable, a sound or a melody, and building on top of it, giving it a new life through an alternate lens. Our goal was to bring the warmth and heart that we try to put into all our music, and give the score a more euphoric, rhythm-focused lift while still staying true to the atmosphere of the show.
We also found fun ways to incorporate some “Severance” Easter eggs into the remixes, like goat sounds in the background, elevator dings, typing sound effects…It was really fun and playful overall.
How well-versed were you both prior to this? Are you fans of the series?
We were already fans before this came up, but once we got involved, we were truly living and breathing “Severance.” We received the second season before it was live and watched it all in one sitting. It’s such a unique, layered show. Getting to contribute to that world was surreal.
Will you have any live shows for the “Severance” remix?
It would definitely be fun to find a way to bring parts of the remix into our shows. We’re always experimenting with new ways to reinterpret music for the stage, so it’s not off the table!
What other collabs with film or TV do you want to do next?
We’d love to do something in the sci-fi space; something big and synth-driven. Projects like “Interstellar,” “Scavengers Reign,” or “Common Side Effects” really inspire us. The idea of working on something like “Dune” or “White Lotus” is also really exhilarating.
