In space no one can hear your score

Ewoks play Samba on Stormtrooper helmets; Vulcans have percussion for ritual mating; Star Wars fans put their babies to sleep by humming the Imperial March …

‘Othering’ is the practise of communicating something different from the known and/or self, and herein lies a little paradox: communicating the Unknown. One very efficient way to other that’s used throughout most media is music.

Science Fiction is inherently connected to this portrayal of something other than the norm. Thus when audiences partake in SF media consumption they are inevitable confronted with a variety of different forms of othering. It doesn’t really matter wether we look at how Mozart composed “exotic villains”, or how the soundtrack of the latest SF blockbuster portrays the “evil invaders from outer space”; there are a certain number of techniques which are used in musical othering – and in this talk we will scientifically observe them! Based on lots of examples from throughout the history of cinema and television music, we will explore these techniques and we’ll have a look on how they shape our perception: from binge-watching at home to geopolitical communication.