Ritual of Sound: Composer Sarah Schachner Talks ‘Predator: Badlands’ and Giving the Yautja Their Voice
Boldly going where no Predator film has gone before, Predator: Badlands flips the franchise script, putting the Predator (aka Yautja) front and center. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the same visionary who delivered Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, Predator: Badlands follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Predator cast out from his clan who crash-lands on the savage planet Genna. Determined to prove his worth, Dek sets out to kill and bring home Genna’s ultimate trophy, a massive creature known as the Kalisk. While on his quest, Dek encounters an android named Thia (Elle Fanning) and forms an unexpected bond that fuels the film’s exhilarating action sequences and surprisingly emotional throughline.
This unprecedented world-building for the Predator franchise required a score that could breathe life into the Yautja culture and make an alien world feel lived-in, tactile, and emotional all at once. Luckily, Trachtenberg had not just one composer, but two — Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch — on speed dial, capable of tackling this task. With Schachner previously crafting the stunning music for Prey, and Wallfisch having recently worked on Predator: Killer of Killers and Alien: Romulus, the pair were uniquely suited to collaborate on this massive undertaking.
Having worked on major game franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty, as well as films and TV, Schachner’s diverse skill set and affinity for live strings, textures, and imaginative electronic manipulation helped build the sound of a never-before-explored alien culture. Working in tandem with Wallfisch, she helped invent a sonic vocabulary for the Yautja by keeping human performance at the center and transforming it to telegraph ritual and futuristic tech simultaneously. The result is a powerful, energetic score that often feels like an anthropological expedition, in the most exciting, badass way.
Read on for my full convo with Schachner, where we dive deep into creating the music for Predator: Badlands, vocoders, chants, humanity within the alien, and the Stravinsky inspiration that made its way all the way to Genna.
Dread Central: You first entered the world of Predator, professionally speaking anyway, with Prey, which is incredible, but also quite different from Badlands. What were those early creative discussions like with Dan about the music for this film? Was there anything in particular he was looking for regarding how this film and world would sound?
Sarah Schachner: So he was particular about one thing that he had really responded to. It was this vocoder stuff that I had done in a video game score called Anthem. And he was interested to see if I could explore that further. I was super excited because that game actually got canceled. It was a huge disaster of a game, and I was like, “What a waste.” So it was a really cool opportunity to get to explore that again for something sci-fi. And that’s where we started!
Other than that, it was wide open. There was just so much to explore and establish, like the sound of the Predator’s home planet, the sound of this other planet that he’s going to, and all these new characters. But we started with this vocal, alien kind of element. Then Dan was like, “What if we use the actual language?” So then it kept going.
DC: You co-composed this score with Benjamin Wallfisch, who recently scored the animated Predator: Killer of Killers movie. Tell us a little about how that collaboration and workflow worked, and how you two worked together and still kept the score cohesive.
SS: Yeah, I mean, it’s tricky to have cohesion with different artists, but somehow it really came together. I think just having that unifying concept of the chants is what really brought it together because we actually didn’t really work together that much. We did individual, different parts of the film, and both working with the director, we just had faith that it was all going to come together. I think the chants were such a distinctive thing, and for us to both explore our own version of that ended up being really interesting.
DC: I would like to talk about those chants and the choir a little bit and how you developed and obtained that sound. You mentioned the vocoder already, but I’d also love to hear about how you approached giving a real, prominent voice to this entire culture that hasn’t really been explored in this way, until now.
SS: I think for me, the whole concept or the approach with the chants, I wanted it to almost have this spiritual ancestral feeling to it. I did the vocals myself, so it’s my voice, but then re-synthesized and pitched down to what you hear in the final version. It was really fun to just try to inhabit a Predator myself or some of his ancestors and just get into a trance-like flow when I was performing them.
Kind of a funny fact, I cannot roll my Rs. I don’t know why. I’ve just never been able to, and that’s such a big part of the language. So I had to actually have my partner sing just the rolled ‘r’ at the end of the “Yautja Prime” chant. Then I had to pitch his voice up to match my original timbre, and then the whole thing got pitched down, so that was ridiculous. [Laughs] It was really just getting into a flow state and then experimenting with the harmonics that you can add with this vocoder voice manipulation software. It was really a creative and fun process.
DC: The choice to utilize the vocoder is so fascinating because it’s technology that has existed for almost a hundred years now, and also kind of perfect for the Yautja species. Their technology and their culture are so primal, yet so futuristic at the same time, and it really bridges that gap in such a captivating way. You mentioned how you’ve previously used the vocoder for other projects, so I’d actually really love to hear more about your general thoughts on the vocoder, why you love using it, and how you felt about bringing it into this world.
SS: Yeah! I really like using the vocoder. [Laughs] I used it on Anthem, and I’ve also used it in a Counterstrike theme pack that I had done. So it’s something I’m always exploring and experimenting with. I really personally love combining ancient sounds with futuristic sounds. That’s a lot of what I do in my music; I use a lot of folk string instruments and regional, older instruments mixed with modern synthesis and synths. To me, that comes really naturally.
I’m really glad that Dan resonated with that because I thought it was the perfect direction to take it as well. Just the fusion of something that feels ancestral, primal, but futuristic. The Predator culture, it is very primitive. But they also have all these tools that they’ve developed and technology. I felt like it was a perfect direction. And it’s just something that you don’t hear. You don’t really hear vocoders in cinematic music. I know you hear them in Daft Punk and like, all the amazing ’70s and ‘’80s music, but it’s not something that’s really been explored very much in a cinematic container. I’m not sure why. Bring it back!
DC: Let’s talk about Dek. We see him go on quite a journey throughout this film. Can you talk about your approach to scoring him and how his sound evolves throughout the film?
SS: Actually, the first thing that I wrote and felt should be established was his connection with Thia. Before even figuring out “Yautja Prime” and the chants and all that. Because to me, when I first saw a very rough cut of the film, that was what grabbed me; this evolving bond. Also, a Predator being forced, for survival, to learn, to trust, and realize there’s another way to do things. How teamwork and collaboration can yield greater strength than doing something by yourself.
So that’s where I started musically. It was what I call the “Partnership Theme.” And then once that was established, it was like, “Okay, now we have to actually figure out what Dek’s home planet sounds like.” That’s where the chants came in, representing the ancestors.
And then I wanted to use occasional bursts of brass for him. Because he wants to be respected. He wants to be seen as this powerful hunter. He just wasn’t quite there yet. And so I felt like I wanted to give him a sound of how he saw himself, really powerful and explosive. And then that’s contrasted with this “Partnership Theme,” which is more emotional and has strength in different ways, not with bombastic brass or anything.
DC: There are no humans in this movie, but that doesn’t mean that humanity isn’t present. How did you balance these two ideas? Were there particular instruments or sounds you used to kind of bridge the gap?
SS: Yeah, I mean, it’s an interesting question and challenge musically. These aren’t humans, but the message is that humanity can be found even in the most alien of landscapes with literal, alien characters. So I think that, for more of that sensitive stuff, I went to more intimate string groups and kind of soloist-type sounds where you’re really hearing a human performance or like a bow texture.
And then, for more of the kind of gravitas of the world, it was more like this alien sound design, and there were weird synthesizer textures. Like for the planet of Genna, I was using this eight-note polychord that I was actually inspired by Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” piece. I felt there was a connection there between how the planet felt and that piece of music. Tension being held in perfect balance was what I was going for with the planet. But yeah, I think it was just a balance between alien sound design and these simple themes, because even the partnership thing isn’t complicated. Pretty simple.
DC: I’m fascinated by the way music has evolved within the sci-fi genre, especially when it comes to the use of electronic instruments and tools. That cold, otherworldly or alien association between the two. We’ve come so far since the Barron’s early electronic music for Forbidden Planet, you know? Do you think our increasingly digital world has altered our ability to connect emotionally to electronic music and sounds?
SS: Exactly. Yeah, it’s interesting because, like, it’s always the obvious go-to of “Oh, synthesizers for futuristic.” But you’re right, it doesn’t…it almost doesn’t have that meaning anymore. All the analog synths we have are from an era of human history — the ’60, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Such a specific time in history. And at that time, it was so new and futuristic, and now it’s almost, like, retro.
That’s why I really like manipulating audio a lot. I really like there to be a human performance behind every sound. So I’ll play something on a violin, but then through processing and through modern technology, which, there are so many incredible plugins nowadays, and you can just completely transform a sound, but it retains the human performance.
That was something I was doing a lot here. There’s a motif for Dek whenever he’s preparing his tools. Instead of going to a synth or a synthesizer sound, I have this triple-barreled flute that’s actually 3D printed. So it’s created with modern technology, but it’s just a flute that you can play three notes at the same time. It’s a pretty weird instrument, but I played something on that and then put that through the vocoder.
There’s a human, raw performance that comes out of improvisation, but then it gets transformed so much that you don’t even know what the sound was originally. That was an approach I used a lot throughout the film, and just something I gravitate towards in general. To always have a human touch on stuff and not have that cold feeling that you mentioned, which can happen with electronic music.
DC: Predator is such a fascinating franchise, because there’s really no limit to where it can go and what it can do. While Prey had some real-world elements grounding it a bit, here, it’s kind of the opposite. Was that at all intimidating? Do you sometimes find limitations or restrictions helpful? Or do you prefer that full creative freedom?
SS: I do prefer the ‘anything’s possible’ approach. Like a sci-fi setting where there are no rules. I really do like that, because I love sound design and that exploration process. I think I actually struggle more if something is super grounded in, like, Earth and humanity, and there’s no room for any of that or, like, a little bit of fun or a little bit of weird sound. If it’s too grounded, I feel like that would be harder for me.
DC: This movie is quite thrilling. There’s lots of action and some really intense moments. How do you approach and plan out a score for a film like this to make sure it has room to grow, constrict, and keep the overall pace and energy up? Is that more of an intuitive thing? A structured, deliberate thing?
SS: No, I think you can try to have structure at the beginning, but it’s definitely more of an intuitive process that just reveals itself. We had a certain game plan going in, but things always change, and it’s just a chaotic process. Making movies is an insane process that I don’t recommend to anyone, but it’s great fun. [Laughs]
SS: That was some of the first work I ever did. I had done a little bit of TV stuff before that, but it was my first experience working on video games and movies. So it was trial by fire. I was just learning, and it was amazing to have an opportunity to learn.
But I think the biggest thing I took away was just realizing how much I can rely on my own instrumental skills. I worked on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Far Cry 3, and I was just playing because I didn’t have the means at the time to set up an orchestra or whatever.
I was just like, “I play these string instruments, so I’m just gonna use my skills.” And I just started realizing that’s something I could do, and that’s really helpful. That’s something I completely took with me, and now my entire process revolves around my own instrumental skills, and I play it all. I play all the strings on my scores and stuff.
DC: When you’re starting a project, and you have that blank page in front of you, is there a particular instrument you often find yourself drawn to?
SS: There’s definitely violin and cello. And then this horsehead cello that I have, that’s a Mongolian instrument, and I play that thing all the time. And then also piano, I’d say. But then also synthesizers, too. [Laughs] I move around the room and just see whatever feels like a good starting point.
DC: I have to bring up the Weyland-Yutani element of this movie, which was, honestly, exhilarating. Considering you’ve now touched both of these iconic franchises, both with really formative, iconic early franchise scores, were you at all tempted to acknowledge or play with that? Was there anything from Jerry Goldsmith, Alan Silvestri, or others that perhaps influenced or worked its way into the music for this film?
SS: I think with Alan Silvestri, with the Predator franchise, that he defined for me, what I most take away is how visceral his scores feel. They’re just so physical and visceral, and that’s something that I definitely wanted to carry forward. I think stylistically, what I do is so different from Alan Silvestri, so I’m never trying to quote him literally. But I do really appreciate that kind of visceral energy that he gave to the franchise. And I think that always has to be there. Rather than telling people narratively what’s happening, you create sound worlds that make them feel like they’re right there in the world on the alien planet.
SS: Oh, man. Yeah, it’s a lot to organize. I think, Excel Sheets. I need to be better at keeping them up to date. [Laughs] But definitely, tracking and file management. Oh my God. Because you’ll have done five versions of a cue, and the director’s like, “Hey, I wanna use the beginning of version 2.8. Can you send the stems for that?” So definitely file management is like, insanely important.
But yeah, I just think for young composers, like, just taking the initiative and learning how to produce your own ideas. There are more traditional composers who, you know, have orchestrators, and maybe they’re not as much hands-on with the sound itself. They might do MIDI mockups, and it gets recorded later. That’s one way to do things.
But I think more and more, producing your own music and completely controlling how you’re expressing your ideas. And mixing too! You have to be able to mix at a professional level. You have to produce. If you have instrumental skills, lean into that 100%. It is the most helpful thing ever. So yeah, I think those three worlds…and file management. [Laughs] With the amount of workload and the amount of files and the amount of stems and cues, one mistake or losing track of things can really snowball on a big project.
DC: Predator is not your first musical outing into outer space. You also collaborated on the “Cassini Finale Music Project,” which is very cool. So, I’m curious, would you ever go into outer space if you had the opportunity?
SS: Within reason. I do joke all the time, “When I die, just put my ashes in a canister and ship it off to one of Jupiter’s moons or something.” I don’t know. It would be very intense, but I’m such a space nerd. I’m fascinated by space, and I feel like just getting to see the Earth from a different perspective, your whole perspective would change and just make you realize how incredible life is. Yeah, I think I would wanna go!
Predator: Badlands is now playing in theaters nationwide. The film’s score is also available to stream on all major streaming platforms via Hollywood Records.
Categorized: Interviews News
